Chiropractic School: Your D.C. Degree is Right for Today’s Healthcare

In an era of specialists, there’s never been a better time to consider chiropractic school, typically referred to as a chiropractic college. Doctors of chiropractic (D.C.s) are primary healthcare professionals who focus on the diagnosis, care, and prevention of disorders of the spine and other parts of the musculoskeletal system and the effects these have on the nervous system and general health.

Why is there so much attention to musculoskeletal health today? There’s no escaping the facts:

• Musculoskeletal pain – particularly related to joints and the back – is the most common type of
  chronic pain. Chronic back pain is associated with reduced mobility, quality of life, and longevity, and often includes increased rates of other health problems.
• Back and neck pain ranked #1 out of 154 in an analysis of U.S. healthcare spending in 2016 for the 100 most expensive health conditions.
• Worldwide, back pain is the single leading cause of disability and workplace absenteeism.

How the Chiropractic Profession is Positioned to Help

The spinal column protects the spinal cord, which is an extension of the brain, and is part of the
central nervous system (CNS). Nerves from the spinal cord exit the spinal column and branch out
like a delicate web to send information back and forth between the CNS and the rest of the
body.

Because of the close relationship between the spine and the nervous system, abnormal or
dysfunctional spinal movement can adversely affect nerve function, disrupting the communication
between the brain and the body.

This is why the relationship between structure, primarily the spine, and function as coordinated by the nervous system, is central to chiropractic’s approach to patient care, health, and well-being.

In chiropractic school, students learn about the importance of the nervous system in the control, coordination, and regulation of the body. In fact, spinal or extremity joint dysfunction can adversely affect nerve function, which affects the body’s ability to regulate and maintain health.

It’s not surprising, then, to learn that the profession has earned broad acceptance from national healthcare systems and is now the third-largest physician-level independent health profession in the Western world.

What Students Learn in Chiropractic School

The educational curriculum of chiropractic colleges is specified by the Council of Chiropractic Education (CCE). The CCE maintains recognition by the U.S. Department of Education as the national accrediting body for chiropractic programs.

The CCE Educational Standards document identifies mandatory competencies for the skills, attitudes, and knowledge required for chiropractic physicians.

For example, CCE competencies require chiropractic school graduates to demonstrate specific abilities:

• Perform an initial assessment and diagnosis
• Create and execute an appropriate case management/treatment/intervention plan
• Promote health, wellness, safety and disease prevention
• Communicate effectively with patients, doctors of chiropractic, and other healthcare
  professionals, regulatory agencies, third-party payers, and others as appropriate
• Produce and maintain accurate patient records and documentation
• Be proficient in neuromusculoskeletal evaluation, treatment, and management
• Access and use health-related information
• Demonstrate critical thinking and decision-making skills, and sound clinical reasoning
  and judgment
• Understand and practice the ethical conduct and legal responsibilities of a healthcare provider
• Critically appraise and apply scientific literature and other information resources to
  provide effective patient care
• Understand the basic, clinical, and social sciences and seek new knowledge in a manner
  that promotes intellectual and professional development.

What are the Qualifications to Become a Chiropractor?

Admission to chiropractic college is rigorous and competitive. The minimum standards to be considered for admission:

• 3.00 cumulative GPA in college
• Minimum of 90 semester hours of college courses in these areas:
  • 6 hours of English or communications
  • 3 hours of Psychology
  • 12 hours of humanities or social sciences courses
  • 24 hours of life and physical Sciences courses to include:
    • Courses in biology, anatomy, and physiology
    • 8 hours of general and organic chemistry with lab components are recommended

Common undergraduate majors for students choosing a chiropractic degree include:

• Biology
• Kinesiology
• Exercise science/Exercise physiology
• Pre-allied health

Assessing the Decision to Become a Chiropractor

Becoming a chiropractor puts you on track for a satisfying – and challenging – people-first career as a healthcare professional. The job outlook for chiropractors is 11% growth from 2020 through 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That, too, is not surprising. Studies show that doctors of chiropractic often spend more time with their patients, have more control over their work schedules, and receive satisfaction rates from patients (earn patient satisfaction scores?) beyond 90%.

Additional factors relating to the growth of chiropractic are the increasing number of multidisciplinary healthcare offices, where doctors of chiropractic join with M.D.s and other specialists to provide more effective and efficient healthcare outcomes for their patients.

Finally, it’s a profession where salary potential grows as chiropractors build their practice through referrals from satisfied patients within their community. In June 2021, Salary.com listed an annual income ranging from $70,000 to just over $155,000. Compensation often includes bonuses, commissions, and profit sharing.

The College of Chiropractic at Cleveland University-Kansas City

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas, a Kansas City metro suburb.

Our history in chiropractic education began in 1922. Today, CUKC is the only chiropractic university still guided by a founding family member. Nearly 11,000 chiropractors in the U.S. have a doctor of chiropractic degree through our College of Chiropractic.

“I’m most proud of my contribution to the community where I live,” says Dr. Jon Petrick, a 1999 CUKC graduate. “There’s something special about seeing patients become pain-free and regain use of daily living activities.”

Find out more by requesting CUKC information, and get this free eBook: Your Complete Guide to the Chiropractic Profession.