Responsible economists and healthcare policymakers worldwide are seeking the best outcomes in healthcare delivery. One goal is to reduce the cost of care, and another primary goal is to move away from excessive and high-risk interventions. This movement matches what today’s patients want. As an aspiring healthcare practitioner, there’s much wisdom in choosing to earn a doctor of chiropractic degree.
Examining the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree
Low-back pain and neck pain is dominating healthcare spending, costing consumers an estimated $134.5 billion from 1996-2016, according to the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). Back pain and related musculoskeletal disorders are now among the top disabling conditions in the nation, including active military and veterans.
It’s also not surprising to find out the use of conservative, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical approaches for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions are now part of today’s guideline-based approach for pain management.
A trio of major journals widely reported these recommendations in 2017: Journal American College of Physicians, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the European Spine Journal.
Doctor of Chiropractic Degree: Helping Solve a Contemporary Problem
In 2018 alone, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services reported that 9.9 million people misused prescription pain relievers. Chiropractic treatments won’t solve this national problem, but opioid awareness and greater use of doctors of chiropractic can certainly help.
A 2020 report in Pain Med demonstrated that those who used chiropractic were 64% less likely to receive an opioid prescription compared to non-chiropractic users. Another study in the Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine showed the adjusted likelihood of filling a prescription for an opioid was 55% lower among recipients of chiropractic care.
For those with a healthcare calling and a passion for next-level patient care, earning a doctor of chiropractic degree deserves consideration.
A Vital Role in Today’s Healthcare
The Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) is a physician-level degree earned through an accredited program. Chiropractors have physician-level provider status in the majority of states.
Thanks to evidence-based research and high patient satisfaction rates, the chiropractic profession is rising to address the goal of better, safer healthcare. The chiropractic profession is gaining increased cultural authority as a healthcare discipline and extending its role within mainstream healthcare.
As detailed by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), essential chiropractic services are included in
What is Chiropractic College Like?
Chiropractic college programs are demanding, and rightfully so. Patients expect chiropractors to be knowledgeable, experienced, and prepared to care for those who entrust them with their health. Like medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic must pass national board exams to earn their license and accumulate continuing education hours during their career.
Succeeding in a chiropractic degree program often begins by getting a great start. Here are the standard admissions requirements for most doctor of chiropractic degree programs.
When Assistance is Needed: Alternative Admissions Plans
Many chiropractic colleges recognize that students who show a GPA above 2.75 and previous success in science classes often become talented doctors of chiropractic. For these students, an alternative admissions plan may be available. These plans involve a personalized educational plan to optimize the likelihood of success.
Is a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in Your Future?
A doctor of chiropractic degree signals to patients that their area of specialization is the musculoskeletal system. Natural back pain relief through soft-tissue treatments and other manual treatments are only part of what a chiropractor does. Chiropractic college students learn to lead patients toward better health through therapeutic exercise, nutritional and dietary assistance, and lifestyle counseling.
Those wide-ranging treatments – all of them non-pharmaceutical-based – represent a welcome choice for patients.
Justin’s Chiropractic Journey
Justin Grabouski is one of those patients who are glad to have discovered chiropractic.
“I was seriously injured while playing baseball in college,” Grabouski says. “I saw the athletic trainers, the physical therapists, the orthopedic specialists…nothing seemed to help at the time.”
The road to recovery began when a friend recommended chiropractic care. In fact, Grabouski was so pleased with his results, he decided to become Dr. Justin Grabouski. For the last 10 years, he’s operated a chiropractic practice in suburban Kansas City.
“Chiropractic can help anyone. The age range in our office is from three days old to 93 years old,” Dr. Grabouski says. “Everybody benefits from some chiropractic care, whether it’s a better quality of life, pain reduction, or a treatment of a dysfunction or internal condition.”
Earning the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree at CUKC
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit university specializing in chiropractic and the health sciences. Our chiropractic history started in 1922, and today, more than 11,000 chiropractors earned their doctor of chiropractic degree from our College of Chiropractic.
Most of our students complete their Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree in 3.3 years. Some students choose our concurrent B.S./Chiropractic degree (D.C.) program to reduce the amount of time in school by up to a year.The CUKC campus is in Overland Park, Kansas, a Kansas City area suburb of 190,000 people. Overland Park is recognized for its family-friendliness and livability.
Find out why becoming a chiropractor is an excellent fit for today’s healthcare environment. Get the free eBook right now: Your Complete Guide to the Chiropractic Profession.
