Chiropractic colleges

In 2009, 16 Chiropractic colleges in the United States were granted accreditation by the Council on Chiropractic Education.  California contains four Chiropractic schools.  Texas contains two Chiropractic schools.  Missouri contains a Chiropractic school.  Kansas contains a Chiropractic school.  Oregon contains a Chiropractic school.  Minnesota contains a Chiropractic school.  New York contains a Chiropractic school.  Georgia contains a Chiropractic school.  Iowa contains a Chiropractic school.  Connecticut contains a Chiropractic school.  Finally, South Carolina contains a Chiropractic school. 

Requirements

Chiropractic colleges require a minimum of 4,200 clock hours of classroom, lab, and clinical application totaling a minimum of 75 different courses.  The last two years of college primarily focus on diagnosis, spinal manipulation, neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics, physiotherapy, and nutrition.  Some Chiropractic schools offer additional post-graduate training in areas such as:  neurology, sports injuries, orthopedics, radiology, nutrition, rehab, pediatrics, and family practice.  The majority of state licensing boards necessitate a minimum completion of 2 years of undergraduate education, and a growing trend suggests that most states will eventually require a four year bachelor’s degree.  Completion of a 4-year Chiropractic degree is required to practice in each state. 

Job Outlook

The job outlook for a Chiropractor is much faster than average, compared to other careers.  Chiropractic colleges prepare the student to take the National Chiropractic boards given by the National Chiropractic Board of Examiners (NBCE).  These boards include Part I over the basic sciences totaling 6 different tests at 110 questions each, Part 2 over x-ray and diagnosis also totaling 6 tests, Part 3 over x-ray, diagnosis, and clinical application, and Part 4 is a practical test over everything learned and applied in a clinical setting.  The NBCE also offers the Physiotherapy and Acupuncture examinations.