Doctor of Chiropractic Degree: 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Communications Staff

Posted May 18, 2018

UPDATED JANUARY, 6, 2020
In our experience of educating pioneers in chiropractic and health sciences for nearly 100 years, our prospective students have asked just about every question you can imagine. We compiled 5 questions those interested in pursuing a chiropractic degree typically ask as they decide which chiropractic school to attend. Take a look and see if the answers you are seeking are here, too.

Q. How old is too old to earn a chiropractic degree?

A. You can become a Doctor of Chiropractic at just about any age. Although most chiropractic students apply to a chiropractic program after earning a bachelor’s degree, pursuing a Doctor of Chiropractic degree (D.C.) as a second career can be personally satisfying and rewarding.

Sometimes, those who’ve recovered from an injury or chronic pain, thanks to chiropractic care, will have the personal drive to enter chiropractic school after earning a college degree. Others may decide to make a career change because they want a profession focused on helping people.

Because most chiropractors own their own business or are in a group practice, they are in control of their income potential, time spent working, and how the practice operates. As a chiropractor, you’ll:

• Be involved in patient examination, diagnosis, and treatment
• Use a hands-on, drug-free approach to healthcare
• Help patients achieve better health through exercises, nutritional and dietary assistance, and lifestyle counseling.

Q. How long does it take to earn a chiropractic degree?

A. An accelerated Doctor of Chiropractic degree program can be completed in just 3.3 years (10 trimesters). Requirements for chiropractic school include 90 credit hours of college courses in specific areas and a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Those who are drawn toward health care should take biology, anatomy, physiology, general and organic chemistry, and anatomy courses.

The undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) direction is called pre-med or pre-healthcare and often centers on the biological sciences, such as human biology.

For efficiency regarding time in school, a student may choose a concurrent bachelor’s degree in biology/Doctor of Chiropractic degree option. The requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree are fulfilled first, and then the student enters the Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) coursework and clinical experiences.

Students interested in earning their Doctor of Chiropractic degree at CUKC often choose to earn a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology concurrently.

Q. How does chiropractic school compare to medical school?

A. For the Doctor of Chiropractic degree, students take on more than 4,200 hours of classroom education, equivalent to the number of hours for medical school. Patient care experience often begins as early as the first year. The first and second years of med school are in the classroom.

Overall, chiropractic students receive more classroom education than med students in six areas:

• Anatomy
• Bacteriology
• Diagnosis
• Physiology
• Orthopedics
• X-ray and imaging.

Q. What does research say about chiropractic treatment?

A. Evidence-based research continues to support the use of chiropractic care.

• 2017 guidelines from the American College of Physicians recommended non-pharmacological treatments for low-back pain.
• The FDA Education Blueprint for Health Care Providers in May 2017 said primary care providers should be knowledgeable about the range of available pain-reduction therapies. The guidelines include chiropractic and other options that help patients avoid prescription opioids.
• In a Gallup-Palmer survey of those who had visited a chiropractor in the previous year, 95% said chiropractic treatment was effective, and 89% said they would recommend it to a family and friends.
• A 2018 study published in BMJ Journals said patients whose treatments came from chiropractors or physical therapy lowered the odds of both short-term and long-term opioid use.

Q. How do you pay for chiropractic school?

A. Like other college options, including graduate school, education costs can be paid by a mix of federal or private loans, scholarships, need-based grants, and personal or family sources. Federal Work Study positions, tutoring, and part-time work are also useful.

In an article on doctorly.org, Stephen Gubernick, D.C., indicated the cost of his chiropractic school education was worthwhile. “For me,” he said, “the largest reward has been the ability to improve health in a natural way and make changes that positively impact people’s lives.”

The College of Chiropractic at Cleveland University-Kansas City

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit, healthcare-focused university Overland Park, Kansas, a city of nearly 190,000 people within the Kansas City metropolitan area.

The University’s College of Chiropractic has been a national leader since 1922. CUKC is also the first U.S. chiropractic school to have two Force Sensing Tables in the adjusting laboratory on campus, which is helping students to gain chiropractic adjustment skills and confidence.

We want to know what questions you have about earning your chiropractic degree. Get the answers you’re looking for by requesting a free copy of the ebook, Your Complete Guide to the Chiropractic Profession today!