Just like any path to a degree, the type of college you attend can have a major impact on how well trained you are. My father, Darrell, graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1974, while my sister, Sarah, and I graduated with our Chiropractic degrees from Life Chiropractic College West in 1999 and 2001. Since my father’s time there have been a number of chiropractic colleges that have opened up, and now there are 17 Chiropractic Colleges in the United States, 4 in Great Britain, 2 in Canada, 2 in Australia, 2 in South Africa, 1 in France, Denmark, Brazil, New Zealand, Korea, and Japan.
My experience meeting chiropractors from other schools, as well as patients who have transferred to our office from other countries, has shown me how different a persons experience can be with each Chiropractic graduate. I loved my own college experience at Life Chiropractic College West, and would highly recommend it to anyone who is weighing the options between schools. I felt it gave me a clear understanding of health, a firm base in diagnosis, and the skill set required to care for people in a way that makes people fall in love with Chiropractic.
If you would like to see a directory of available Chiropractic colleges please click here: Chiropractic College Directory.
Comparison of Hours of Basic Sciences Education in Medical and Chiropractic Schools
Subject | Chiropractic Schools | Medical Schools | ||
Hours | % of Total | Hours | % of Total | |
Anatomy | 570 | 40 | 368 | 31 |
Biochemistry | 150 | 11 | 120 | 10 |
Microbiology | 120 | 8 | 120 | 10 |
Public Health | 70 | 5 | 289 | 24 |
Physiology | 305 | 21 | 142 | 12 |
Pathology | 205 | 14 | 162 | 14 |
Total Hours | 1,420 | 100 | 1,200 | 100 |
Comparisons of the Overall Curriculum Structure for Chiropractic and Medical Schools
Chiropractic Schools | Medical Schools | |||
Mean | Percentage | Mean | Percentage | |
Basic science hours | 1416 | 29% | 1200 | 26% |
Clinical science hours | 3406 | 71% | 3467 | 74% |
Chiropractic science hours | 1975 | 41% | 0 | 0 |
Clerkship hours | 1405 | 29% | 3467 | 74% |
Total Contact Hours | 4822 | 100% | 4667 | 100% |