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Chiropractic Education & Licensure |
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Doctors of Chiropractic undergo a rigorous and demanding professional education equivalent to any other primary care provider. To obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, they must complete several years of prerequisite undergraduate education and spend nearly the same number of classroom hours at a fully-accredited chiropractic college as MDs do in medical schools. Student doctors are thoroughly trained in the appropriate use of sophisticated analytical equipment including X-rays, examination procedures, and state of the art chiropractic investigative technologies. Before they can practice, all Doctors of Chiropractic must pass a series of National Boards, as well as a licensing exam for the state in which they choose to practice. In addition, most states require the doctors to attend clinical continuing education programs for annual re-licensure.
Comparison of Hours of Basic Sciences Education in Medical and Chiropractic Schools
| Subject |
Chiropractic Schools
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Medical Schools
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Hours
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% of Total
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Hours
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% of Total
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Anatomy
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570
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40
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368
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31
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Biochemistry
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150
|
11
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120
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10
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Microbiology
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120
|
8
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120
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10
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Public Health
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70
|
5
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289
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24
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Physiology
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305
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21
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142
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12
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Pathology
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205
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14
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162
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14
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Total Hours
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1,420
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100
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1,200
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100
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Comparisons of the Overall Curriculum Structure for Chiropractic and Medical Schools
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Chiropractic Schools
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Medical Schools
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Mean
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Percentage
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Mean
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Percentage
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Basic science hours
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1416
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29%
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1200
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26%
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Clinical science hours
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3406
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71%
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3467
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74%
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Chiropractic science hours
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1975
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41%
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0
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0
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Clerkship hours
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1405
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29%
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3467
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74%
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Total Contact Hours
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4822
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100%
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4667
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100%
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Source for both above charts: Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc., Washington, DC.
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