Chiropractic Education - Staker Chiropractic

Chiropractic Education

Throughout all 50 states, chiropractors earn the right to be called doctors through rigorous academic training and clinical internships at chiropractic colleges accredited by The Council of Chiropractic Education (CCE). Before they can practice, doctors of chiropractic must pass national board exams and become state-licensed. Most states also require continuing education and yearly license renewal. Training and licensing effectively qualify the doctor of chiropractic as a primary health care provider.

While many chiropractors have eight to ten years of specialized training, North Carolina law requires a baccalaureate degree as well as a doctor of chiropractic degree prior to taking the state board examination. In addition, North Carolina requires chiropractors to successfully pass all parts of the multiple-section national board exam. North Carolina also requires 24 hours of continuing education per year as a condition of maintaining a chiropractic license.

The state recognizes chiropractors as physicians and experts in the field of neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment utilizing manual and other manipulative procedures, for which chiropractic students are intensively trained.

Typical academic training and clinical internships for chiropractic students include:

  • A baccalaureate degree
  • At least four years of professional study at one of 16 chiropractic colleges in the United States accredited by The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE)
  • More than 2,000 study hours of biological and clinical sciences, such as:
    • anatomy
    • physiology
    • nutrition
    • public health
    • orthopedics
    • pediatrics
    • geriatrics
    • obstetrics
    • gynecology
    • and other health sciences
  • More than 1,000 study hours of chiropractic sciences, such as:
    • body mechanics
    • spinal analysis
    • adjustments
    • x-ray techniques
    • x-ray interpretation
  • At least 900 hours of clinical practice before graduation that include all aspects of patient care such as:
    • taking patient histories and doing physical exams
    • diagnosing physical problems and their underlying causes
    • referring patients who would benefit from other specialists or emergency medical care
    • and performing adjustments and related chiropractic treatments on the spine and other joints
  • Internships in clinical x-ray technology and interpretation.