CHIROPRACTOR SALARIES
The first thing that always struck me about the word "Chiropractic" was that I did know the origins of the word. If you look up the word on etymonline.com, you get:
Greek. cheir (gen. cheiros) = "hand" and praktikos = "practical". Or in other words a doctor trained to practice to heal with his hand.
At one point of my life I even believed Chiropractor was a hand doctor and was the opposite of a podiatrist, who is a doctor of the feet...LOL, but it was rather fascinating to know that Chiropractors are actually trained in the 'adjusment' or therapeutic manipulation of the spine or the vertebral column
So what do these chiropractors really do ?
As MayoClinic.com puts it,
"During an adjustment, chiropractors use their hands to apply a controlled, sudden force to a joint. This maneuver often results in a cracking sound made by separation of the joint surfaces — not, as many people think, by "cracking joints. Chiropractors may also use massage and stretching to relax muscles that are shortened or in spasm. Many use additional treatments as well, such as ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation and exercises."
Let's now talk bucks. Here are the representative annual mid-career income figures for chiropractic physicians in the USA:
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salaries have hovered around $68,000 whereas the salary range for the nation as a whole has been very wide : $35,000 to $140,000 !
Q. How to become a Chiropractor in the USA ?
A. After completing a 4-year pre-med style undergraduate college, candidates must obtain admission in a 4-year Chiropractic College to get a Doctor of Chiropractic [D.C] degree. National Boards after this college grants a license to practice. Click here to Download the official FAQ pdf document about the educational requirements from the Council of Chiropractic Education.
The often voiced concern is that Chiropractors are a kind of 'alternative medicine' docs and not even real physicians - which is incorrect. Chiropractic students in fact undergo comparable hours and medical syllabus as the regular MD track medical students. Here's a neat article that compares the curriculum and study hours. They have their own American Academy of Chiropractic Physicians.
Another recent feather on the cap of chiropractors is a study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension which found that adjustment of the first bone of the spine - called the Atlas or C-1, does reduce the blood pressure levels to an amount equivalent to the effect of two blood-pressure medications given in combination. Read more about that Here.
And they must abide by the laws of medical information privacy too - which this chiropractic so totally forgot and dumped medical records in a dumpster ! ..he he
Also read:
- 15 Secrets to Becoming a Successful Chiropractor
- Wise Cracks and Funny Bones: Fun With the Chiropractor
- Chiropractic Made Simple: Working With the Controlling Laws of Nature
Google keywords to this blog:
- "how much money does a chiropractor make"
- "how to become a chiropractic doctor"
- "average earnings chiropractor"
- "annual wages for a chiropractor in USA"
Greek. cheir (gen. cheiros) = "hand" and praktikos = "practical". Or in other words a doctor trained to practice to heal with his hand.
At one point of my life I even believed Chiropractor was a hand doctor and was the opposite of a podiatrist, who is a doctor of the feet...LOL, but it was rather fascinating to know that Chiropractors are actually trained in the 'adjusment' or therapeutic manipulation of the spine or the vertebral column
So what do these chiropractors really do ?
As MayoClinic.com puts it,
"During an adjustment, chiropractors use their hands to apply a controlled, sudden force to a joint. This maneuver often results in a cracking sound made by separation of the joint surfaces — not, as many people think, by "cracking joints. Chiropractors may also use massage and stretching to relax muscles that are shortened or in spasm. Many use additional treatments as well, such as ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation and exercises."
Let's now talk bucks. Here are the representative annual mid-career income figures for chiropractic physicians in the USA:
- Houston, TX: $85,000/-
- Los Angeles, CA: 92,000/-
- Miami, FL: 82,000/-
- New York, NY: $96,664/-
- Seattle, WA: $90,000/-
National Average = $81,000/-
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salaries have hovered around $68,000 whereas the salary range for the nation as a whole has been very wide : $35,000 to $140,000 !
Q. How to become a Chiropractor in the USA ?
A. After completing a 4-year pre-med style undergraduate college, candidates must obtain admission in a 4-year Chiropractic College to get a Doctor of Chiropractic [D.C] degree. National Boards after this college grants a license to practice. Click here to Download the official FAQ pdf document about the educational requirements from the Council of Chiropractic Education.
The often voiced concern is that Chiropractors are a kind of 'alternative medicine' docs and not even real physicians - which is incorrect. Chiropractic students in fact undergo comparable hours and medical syllabus as the regular MD track medical students. Here's a neat article that compares the curriculum and study hours. They have their own American Academy of Chiropractic Physicians.
Another recent feather on the cap of chiropractors is a study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension which found that adjustment of the first bone of the spine - called the Atlas or C-1, does reduce the blood pressure levels to an amount equivalent to the effect of two blood-pressure medications given in combination. Read more about that Here.
And they must abide by the laws of medical information privacy too - which this chiropractic so totally forgot and dumped medical records in a dumpster ! ..he he
Also read:
- 15 Secrets to Becoming a Successful Chiropractor
- Wise Cracks and Funny Bones: Fun With the Chiropractor
- Chiropractic Made Simple: Working With the Controlling Laws of Nature
Google keywords to this blog:
- "how much money does a chiropractor make"
- "how to become a chiropractic doctor"
- "average earnings chiropractor"
- "annual wages for a chiropractor in USA"
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posted by Digitaldoc, MD at 6:43 PM
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Post Your Comment !If you get your D.C. in the U.S. but want to practice in Europe or Australia what are the prospective job outlooks for the various countries and how much is annual salary compared to the US?
I was a Chiropractor and I can tell you that those numbers are inflated. The average DC actually only makes about 30 grand per year after accruing over 120 K in school debt.
Since 1895 (the official year of its inception) the chiropractic profession has only served between 5 and 10% of the total population. Taking into account the fact that there are 60,000 chiropractors in the USA, there are only 500 persons for each chiropractor.
I highly advise everyone not to enter the profession.
Sincerely,
Former DC
PS The premise that the bones are out of place impinging on the nervous system is also false. Therefore, the whole profession is quackery.
PPS Become a dentist, nurse anesthetist, or even a physician. Don't become a chiropractor.
The schooling is also incorrect. Chiropractors do not need a 4 year undergraduate degree and many do not have bachelors degrees at all. Many schools only require 2 years of undergraduate courses for entry into chiropractic school so they have the equivalent of a masters degree, except they dont have to write a thesis. Comparable to 4 year bachelors degree, plus 4 years med school and 2 years residency for a physician, I think not...
Unfortunately, the previous comment was left by an unknowing former DC. Chiropractic does not adjust on the basis of bones impinging nerves. That doesn't even make anatomical sense.
Chiropractic adjustments are made in the event that there is a misalignment of joints or segments of spine that may cause tissue inflammation and potential nerve/vessel damage. When tissues are inflamed, spasticity and tightness occur causing nerve impingement. The sympathetic nervous system controls every blood vessel in the body, therefore controlling the blood supply to every organ. If there is a problem at the beginning of the line, it's definitely going to effect what's going on at the end. Misalignments cause a domino effect, it is NOT bone on nerve.
Thanks.
DC Student
Palmer College
Spoken like a real naive chiro student, (what are you? first year I would guess)..filled with pseudo- science and textbook memorized neurology and medical terminology. I only hope that your father or someone in your family is an MD and or PI attorney.....otherwise be forwarned.....you are in for the shock of your life......or else get ready to chase ambulances on your own, if you have the conscience for that BS,,,,,,,,to go with your DC (aka destroyed credit)degree.......chiropractic is brainwashing.....pure and simple.
YOU ARE ALL FORWARNED!!
DO NOT GO TO CHIRO SCHOOL
Become an MD, DO or DDS.......or else go work in another field altogether and save $100K in student loans......I wish the internet were around when I made the dreadful mistake years ago.
Take Care
Former Chiro'
GPC.....NY
Inflammation of "tissues" (be more specific) does not always nor neccicarily lead to spasticity (from the potential nerve and vessel damage). At the level of that the chiropractor works on if there was nerve damage they a chiropractor would be the last person the patient would see. Also the symp nerve system does not control every blood vessel. Mostly every small vessel of course. But there are larger vessel, ie aorta, that they course along but do not control or inervate. Chiropractors have a place it is just undefined very well right now. Maybe with more studies we will find exactly what niche they fill.
Fact Finder
I'm a chiro who studied and pratices in South Africa. Our training is more along biomedical lines than American chiro college paradigms. Chiro and med students share various lecturers up into 4th and 5th years and can specialize later into other medical fields. This evidence based education has gone a long way to closing the divide between alternative and allopathic approaches to healthcare. It certainly has proved to be successful. Chiro is well integrated into the healthcare structures hereand I receive referrals regularly from a variety of specailists and MD's. I am in my 5th year of practice and I'm making $150 k plus a year. That stretches a lot further over here in South Africa. And a note to the failed chiro - sorry it didnt work out for you, but I love what I do and so do my patients. Another thing if there are 60000 chiro's in the States and there are only 500 people per chiro, I think your facts are wrong 'cause that leaves the population around 30 million, isnt it nearly 10 times that?
Dr. PG
Sunny South Africa
Dr. PG,
There are only 500 people per Chiro because ever since the Palmers only less than 10% of people will ever go see a Chiropractor. 10% of 300,000,000 is 30,000,000.
I didn't fail. I quit. Chiropractic is immoral and unethical.
Former DC
Sounds like Former DC is a failure to me. Or quit because he/she wasn't successful in practice/life.
Don't let negative people deter you from your personal and professional goals/endeavors.
There are a lot of chiropractors pulling in 6-figure incomes (after tax) and are helping thousands of patients. The really good chiropractors also have excellent working relationships with MDs in MSK fields (i.e. PM&R, Ortho, Neuro) and some have hospital privileges.
Times are changing and greater education and understanding about the professional is proving beneficial for chiropractors worldwide.
Dr. G.
Canada
Interesting comments. I am an intern at the National Naval Medical Center and, yes...I am a chiropractic physician. I am sorry to hear that that one ex-chiro didn't do well, but it does not reflect on the education, acceptance or training. Currently, I am in rotations in Pain Management doing everything that my M.D. and D.O. friends are doing.
Do your research and make a decision based on your own goals. Good luck.
I wish chiropractors would not refer to themselves as physicians because they are not! They are chiropractors! They don't prescribe medications, they don't treat heart failure, pancreatitis, or even strep throat. I do feel the DC's serve a functional role within the healthcare system but I'm tired of hearing that they can treat sinusitis with manipulation, or treat a UTI with soft tissue techniques. I even had the pleasure of treating a girlfriend of a chiropractor who states and I quote "my 20 years as a chiropractor has given me diagnostic skills that are probably equal to or better than yours as a MD"! Are you kidding me! Your 20 years of manipulation doesn't give you the same diagnostic abilities to that of an MD. I am dual board certified and residency trained. I've been in private practice for 8 years and I take care of all sorts of problems as an emergency medicine/family medicine physician. He also came in with an open book and told me what medications he wanted written with regard to his girlfriend's mastitis! If you were a physician, you wouldn't have to open a book to make the diagnosis and now what medications are used to treat mastitis, not to mention you could write th Rx yourself. I guess I'll just have to concede that his 20 years of practice as a DC is eqivalent to my 5 years of internship and residency, and my 8 years in private practice! If you want to be a physician, please attend an accreditied medical school and become an MD or a DO. Those are the only 2 physicians that exist in the US.
Jeez...sounds like someone needs an adjustment from a physician. :)
I went back and reread this post a few months later and thought to myself, this guy sound like an ass!!!It wasn't until I was 1/2 way through the post that I realized it was me!:) I still think they shouldn't refer to themselves as physicians because this can be very misleading to some patients. Chiropractic practitioners or simply doctor may suffice better, but that being said, I do feel DC's provide a vital role within the healthcare system just as PT's OT's...and other medical professions do. I just became a little jaded after a friend of mine told me that he can take care of a sinus infection without medications.....and the other DC for telling me what to write for his girlfriend!. Not suggesting but flat out telling me....so needless to say I took offense to his attitude and brought him back down to reality. Asked hime some simple questions that he was unable to answer and then wrote for medicines that I felt were better suited for her condition. Before someone feels the need to slam me for the sinusitis statement....yes I know that chiropractic techniques exist that help facilitate with the drainage of the sinus' but you cant cure a true bacterial or fungal sinusitis with manipulation and diet alone. This was a long discussion and I still felt that my points were pushed aside because he felt that he truly could cure this condition and has done so in the past. But regardless, I do think Chiros are good for healthcare as long as they remain within the realm of their training just as I don't operate on the brain just because I'm an MD and did several surgical rotations during medical school and residency. Have a nice day!!!
RAM MD
Chiropractor = quackery
Thy have been exposed in TX and can no longer do workmen comps.
They have even killed people treating with their fake techniques
http://ph-ms.ouhsc.edu/ah/rehab/kinsinger.wmv
Wow, some of the comments here are from some pretty angry people. I have to say though, not all of the negative stuff here is accurate. Chirophobia is a common, and probably deserved, feeling among many people, but even the most aggressive of those (chirobase.org) will admit that an evidence based practitoner has a rightful place in our health care model.
Most Chiropractic colleges have (finally) become aware of these problems and are taking appropriate action. If a Chiropractor is going to be successful and responsible these days it takes a variety of treatments. The whole 'adjust and all will be well' paradigm is fading quickly, and the word 'subluxation' is also on its way out. The business side of Chiropractic can make or break some people, and that sounds like what has happened to some of the former doc's here.
Just know that there are very intelligent, competent, and successful doctors out there treating their patients with evidence based medicine.
McC
shut up ~ all ignorant
how much money do they earn a month?
I am a chiropractic doctor (DC), 5 years out of school. I received my bachelor's degree from University of California, Berkeley, and then I got my chiropractic degree and license. I completely agree that it is false and dangerous to say that chiropractic can cure everything. Our board exams don't teach us that chiropractic is a cure-all. Like what is taught on board exams, my practice is primarily focused on neuromusculoskeletal conditions where one of the main tools I use are chiropractic manipulations. When applied safely, manipulation is an extremely useful tool to help restore joint motion, restore joint position, and stimulate joint receptors. The most common observable results are normalized joint biomechanics, reduced muscle spasm/tension, reduced pain, and reduced nerve irritation (e.g. symptoms of numbness, tingling, pain, muscle weakness or spasm). Any other effect on the other systems of the body has not been proven yet. There are case studies to support some visceral effects (such as with asthma), but there are limited clinical trials supporting this. Like all of the healthcare world, the future of chiropractic scientific research lies ahead of us.
We are doctors as much as optometrists, dentists, podiatrists are within their own specialty. We don't prescribe medicine, but that doesn't mean we're not doctors. We're just not MEDICAL (i.e. MEDICINE) doctors.
As far as Osteopath's go, a distinct part of a DO's education is like a DC's education; they use manipulation techniques for the same purpose. The historical origin of osteopathy is almost identical to chiropractic. (Look it up!)
I successfully treat many patients for headaches, sprains/strains, low back and neck pain, TMJ problems, carpal tunnel, etc.. When needed, I refer patients to MDs, orthopedists, neurologists, psychologists, nutritionists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and PTs. We all have a place to help people.
This is what I have to say on the subject of Chiros vs. MDs.. Both my father and brother are MDs. My father received his MD from Johns Hopkins (one of the top med schools in the world), my brother received his MD from Cornell University (again, one of the top med schools in the world), and then he went on to get his PHd from MD Anderson in Houston. My father is now retired and my brother went on to receive his Law Degree.
A friend of mine entered Chiro School in Minnesota approx 3-4 years ago, and is graduating this summer.. The scary thing is.. He previously went to school at FIT (a fashion school) and then a Pastry chef school in NYC.. He has absolutely NO SCIENCE EDUCATION before being accepted into chiro school.. DID NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANY ENTRANCE EXAM, NO INTERVIEW, NOTHING>..
now.. try getting into a top tiered medical school...most of these schools only accept 95-100 students a year, out of 3000-4000 applicants.... not to mention they base this acceptance on your GPA, your entrance exam scores, interviews, and community service.. etc...
I have had chiro adjustments before.. and have had ok results.. but I actually respond better to acupunture..
BUT.. the scary thing is ... someone can go to fashion school.. pastry chef school.. have no entrance exam.. not interview.. not even a biology class... go to a chiro school in MN.. think it is call northwestern school of chiropractic.. and 3-4 years later.. become a DC??? thats pretty frickin scary..
Health care is about the patients. I am a PT that works in a multi-disciplinary practice along with a MD, Registered Dietitian, Doctor of Chiropractic, Podiatrist, and Psychologist. While I believe each of my colleagues are more than qualified to diagnose and treat patients, many who graduate with a degree in the health care system are not qualified enough in my opinion.
This means Chiropractors and/or MDs alike. Each profession has their bad seeds and MDs are not immune to it more so than Chiropractors.
While I do not believe Chiropractors is a fix all science, and yes it is a science, their scope of practice is needed in the health care system. Our DC was an undergrad at USC and that is also where I received my D.P.T. (Our MD received his degree from Stanford) To say our education is completely different from a DC is far-fetched as I have observed the criteria and knowledge needed to be a SUCCESSFUL doctor whether it be in the form of a MD, DPT, or DC.
To suggest it is "quackery" is simply a term of the uneducated.
To reply to a previous post... I have to admit it is scary that a former Fashion school student/ Pastry chef became a DC without any prerequisites or interviews/exams. That has to go to the fault of that particular school. I do believe at least certain science based prerequisite classes are needed to attend a chiropractic school as well as an interview. Our DC said the majority of his professors in chiropractic school were MDs so their education should be quite thorough I would imagine. I had a friend in undergrad that was a communications major and she went on to attend a med school in NY. To come from different backgrounds is not a negative. If you can graduate with complete competency of your area of expertise more power to you.
To get back to the DC topic, if athletes such as Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Jerry Rice and many others can use chiropractic adjustments/therapy to their benefit... there is probably something to the profession! We see professional athletes daily and while some see myself, or our sports psychologist, MD, or dietitian... we work together and learn from each other.
I am sorry to hear those "former DCs" have had such a negative experience. Each individual should do there own research or shadow a QUALIFIED (determine what that means to you) professional and make their own decisions...but I ask of you one thing... do not be close-minded.
To the guy who's Dad and bro went the to "one of the top med schools in the world."
I smoked pot with Johnny Hopkins!!
Please don't take my comments out of context, it wasn't meant to be demeaning to the DC profession. I agree that we all fall under the umbrella of doctors (MD/DO/DC/DPM/DDS/DMD/D.Psy/Ph.D/DNP...) but some are considered physicians and some are not. I had DC introduce himself as a physician which I thought was a little inappropriate given the context of our situation. We were caring for a hospitalized patient and his skills could easily be construed as those of a physician when he is legally not. Unless the laws have changed, the only two physicians in the US are MD's and DO's, DPM's if I remember correctly have to refer to themselves as podiatric physicians given their ability to prescribe medicines but given their narrow scope of practice shouldn't leave off the podiatric. If anyone has any other insight please let me know because this may have changed.
RAM MD
I have been a DC for 10 years. Got out and worked as an associate in 1999 for $30k. When I left it was $45k in 2002. Started my own practice. Never gross more than $80k a year. Net income for the past 4 years were around $40-50k/year. DC have the highest default loan rate of any professionals. Also it was rated as the worst salary for a professional degree. I am now in the PharmD program.
I am comparing the pharmD vs DC programs. Any idiot can get into DC schools. With a 2.5 GPA and 90 credits, you have advanced standing acceptance with most chiro schools. At pharm school 70 seats/2500 applicants where as chiro school is 100%. Never heard of someone getting rejected from chiro school. There is no jobs for DCs. Open your own practice or work as a slave for another DC with min pay $30-45k. There are a few that made it but most of us are just struggling with $50-70k average salary. Any DC working in hospitals? Very few. Any public chiro school or university affiliated? None, zip, null.
If i have to do it all over again I would save $80k in loans and not do DC.
You are absolutely right. The law in most states if not every states said that you can call yourself doctor as long as you identify what kind of doctor you are or your degrees. or you can call yourself a dentist, plastic surgeon, chiropractic physician, podiatrist ect. those who call themselves as physician without a MD/DO will have a date with the state board.
Stay away from chiro schools. Too many DCs left the profession within 5 years of graduation. They failed in their own private practice or can not make a living working for another DC. Those are your only 2 job opportunity. Be a PT instead. You been warned.
In response to the MD from 3/09/09
I guess he wants to stay invisible by not putting his name.
hey, MD you are full of s*** like most MD's in this country. The system teaches you 2 things-- cut people open and prescribe medication, and for sure does not teach you how to use brains. If it did you would not be full of crap, and did not have hundreds of thousand of college loans.
There you have it.
Beata M.
Since when do MD's have the corner on caring for humans? In fact, they fail miserably with their disease care model attempting to pretend be health care providers. They are emergency care doctors and dispensaries for the pharm companies and need to stop being delusional that they actually have a clue about bringing people back to health. DC's provide a mainstay for health care in this country that has succumbed to the failed medical doctor model. Stop bashing DC's and take responsibility for your miserable existence. I cannot believe we are still bashing DC's in 2009. They have survived the ignorance of what I have seen written here so far and they will continue to survive and grow inspite you anti-DC fools. MD's are don't have a clue about true health.
To anon 7/4/09...WTF are you talking about? DC's provide a mainstay for healthcare in the US, MD's don't have a clue about true health? Are you ignorant, stupid or both? MD's pretending to be healthcare providers? Take responsibility for our miserable existence? Failed disease care model? What f-ing drugs are you taking? Let me know how your cervical adjustment helps out as your having an MI or how your soft tissue techniques help treat your malignancy....Go back to smoking your cannabis, taking your herbal supplements and getting your weekly adjustments....Read a book and get an education before you comment about topics you know nothing about!
RAM MD
Become an acupuncturist, you will be able to tx almost anything, it's been around a long time, safe, and effective. You will not have to compete with MD/DO, as most of them are open to it, best of all, you will help a lot of people and help MD's get patients better. No one knows more about Medicine than of course a MD, most AOM schools have MD's as your professors, also a lot of MD's use acupuncture, not so many use chiro
Face it, MD's are the leaders in medicine, better to go into a profession that respects them and you will see more MD's open to Acupuncture
Best of luck
Chiropractic is a Great profession, practiced as a DC for 10 years, my average income in Chicago, IL for the past 10 years was 120K, graduated from NCC, back in 1996.
Doctors of Chiropractic ARE Doctors, with 7-8 years of education. NOT a MSc/MA level but at the MD/DDS level. We also take 4steps National board licensing exams (NBCE), 2 written and 2 practical or OSCE components similar to MDs.
I love practicing, in my practice I combine Acupuncture, Physiotherapy modalities, and rehabilitation exercises. 80% of my practice are referral based from local MDs and past patients.
Chiropractic IS a GREAT profession, if you are into MSK type conditions, the wellness side of it is simple, we restore function by integrating all of the latter. Chiropractors have wide scope of practice, we do have the background and know how to diagnose and to refer to specialists when needed.
Cheers,
Dr. Ralph M, BSc, DC, DABCO
Chiropractic Orthopedist
As a former chiropractic student for 8 months, I have also concluded that the profession has many flaws. It was very business oriented, all about the money, and how to get people to come see you as many times as possible, aka to "milk" the insurance companies for maximum reimbursement.
I originally went into chiropractic for the holistic approach and to help people with musculoskeletal issues but was sadly turned off by the extremists in my school/class--teachers and students. They focused all on discrediting/complaining about the allopathic/osteopathic profession but never really had straight answers for why chiro is better than medicine or solid, reliable scientific proof of their techniques. Let's face it, chiro schools are all about business. Accept as many students as possible, many of whom are unqualified to be in a health profession, and just let them loose--hence the huge default on loans in this groups... We constantly had management companies come to the school trying to convince the students why they need one of these companies with all sorts of promises of making millions...
I left chiro school after 8 months and applied and got accepted into medical school. I am currently in my 3rd year and doing clinical rotations. I can say with my experience that unfortunately there is a huge gap between the students that are accepted into chiro schools vs medical schools. The science classes in chiro school are inadequate and very basic at best. Having gone through the 2 years of science classes in med school, I truly see the difference in education between the two professions.
I have no hard feelings against chiropractic, besides my $35,000 loan for that brief period, but I personally am happy that I made the switch to medicine.
All this talk about Chiropractor's being quacks and Medical Doctor's not knowing about true health is exactly what is wrong with the health care system today. It is exactly like the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress. Except the ones who are truly suffering are the patients. I am very close to finishing my first year at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA and I can assure anyone who is doubtful about the profession's legitimacy is misinformed. I have very many friends who are in medical school and our knowledge of anatomy/physiology are very comparable. The problem in this feud are the ignorant extremists from the hollistic side and the ignorant Conservatives from the allopathic side who think their way is the only way to restore and maximize health. I believe both sides are vital to health care as long as they stay within their realm. As far as the education prerequisites go, I had to complete all the classes to get into Palmer that a pre-med student would have to get into medical school, and as far as my current schooling goes compared to medical school, take a look at this link http://www.drgrisanti.com/mddc.htm ---The goal should not be to bash each other's profession but to work together to help people which is why we decided to go down our chosen paths.
Hey,
First of all i would like to say that the discussions that have been made by some people who call themselves "professionals" seem to be very unprofessional.
I know I am young but i do believe that the care of ones health cannot just be relied on one type of doctor or specialist. The human body is very complex, and therefore arguing about what type of doctor is better is a waste of time, because in my eyes every specialist plays a vital role in the healthcare system.
Too call a medical theory "quackery" is very unprofessional and sounds extrememly uneducated.
Im a grade 12 student and im considering leaning towards the field of chiropractics with my eduaction.
Is it really as bad as most people are saying about it? I thought it would be a rewarding job. I especially think that because i know i have problems with my back ( i was born with an extra Lumbar vertebrae, and my neck does not have enough curve)and i go to a chiropractor and already it is helping with the pain i have beenn experiencing. I have also talked to my chiropractor about her career and she seems to be very positive about it. She said experience is important but i think that if you "love" your career, you would have the ambition to improve your practice and your skills. She said she gets a lot of pointers when she meets with the "warior" group and she is also involved with chiropractors with compassion. She is quite young and in my opinion she looks to be quite successful.
So i guess all im asking is that is it really as bad as what people on the blogs are making it out to be, or can you truely be successful with this career?