Once you know that becoming a doctor of chiropractic (D.C.) is for you and you have started researching chiropractic degree programs, you’re likely to have plenty of questions about your chiropractic training. Here’s what you can do to prepare for your future career as a doctor of chiropractic.
Getting Started
Many states require chiropractors to have an accredited bachelor’s degree as part of their pre-licensure process. While several bachelor degree options can meet this requirement, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Human Biology can be a particularly useful pre-chiropractic degree because it provides a solid understanding of the human body.
You will find that some colleges offer a concurrent B.S./D.C. program. Concurrent programs allow eligible students to pursue two degrees at the same time.
This means that toward the end of the bachelor’s degree program students may take specific upper-level B.S. courses that also count toward their first year D.C. course requirements. By overlapping your bachelor’s degree with your doctor of chiropractic degree in a concurrent program, you save time and money.
During the Next 3.3 Years
No matter how you choose to get started with your chiropractic training, you will find that once you are in the chiropractic degree program, your chiropractic training will take as little as 3.3 years (10 trimesters) to complete.
You will spend many hours in classes listening to lectures, participating in group discussions, asking questions, and taking notes. You will also participate in several hands-on laboratory classes that include anatomy, chiropractic adjusting techniques, and physiology.
As part of your chiropractic training, you will gain clinical experience applying your knowledge and skills to diagnose, treat, and prevent disorders of the spine as well as other parts of the musculoskeletal system, and associated effects on the neurological system.
Over the course of your chiropractic training, you will likely form strong bonds with your classmates as together you face the rigorous challenges of earning your chiropractic degree and passing your National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) tests, also known as the “boards.”
Thinking Past Graduation
Before you reach the thrilling achievement of graduating and completing your formal chiropractic training, you will want the confidence to run your chiropractic practice that comes from having an effective business plan. Creating such a business plan doesn’t happen overnight.
From the start of your chiropractic training, you will want to absorb as much information as possible about how to operate your own practice. There are plenty of resources, organizations, and chiropractors available to you, but you’ll need to take charge of your future career by accessing them.
Consider exploring these chiropractic career resources as early as you can:
Early involvement, planning for your practice, and designing a formal business plan is just the kind of thinking past graduation that will help lead you to success.
Get Your Chiropractic Training from CUKC
Cleveland University-Kacnsas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit, healthcare-focused university located in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of the Kansas City metro. The University’s College of Chiropractic has been a pioneer in chiropractic and health sciences for nearly 100 years.
CUKC can help you maximize the overall value of your education with a dual degree. Students may pursue a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology degree at CUKC, while concurrently completing the Doctor of Chiropractic program.
CUKC is committed to enhancing professional success for its graduates and offers the Success Strategies seminars and club. Participants receive guidance, resources, and training to help them:
CUKC is also the first U.S. chiropractic college to have two Force Sensing Technology Tables (FSTT) in the adjusting laboratory on campus. FSTT™ is an adjusting training table that electronically monitors the amount of force applied by the student during a chiropractic adjusting thrust.
The force sensing table captures and instantaneously displays data on computer screen monitors that represents a force-time curve. This information can then be used as a teaching aid to instruct student interns on the proper amount of force needed for each manual adjustment.
Eager to know more? Get answers to the question “why become a chiropractor?” by requesting a free ebook, Your Complete Guide to the Chiropractic Profession today!
