Are chiropractic doctors (DCs) educated as well as medical doctors (MDs) and osteopaths (DOs)?
To receive the Doctor of Chiropractic degree, candidates must first complete at least 90 credits (most bachelor programs are 120 credits) in an approved undergraduate prerequisite program. Most students receive their bachelor’s degree and then go through four years of graduate-level instruction and internship at an accredited chiropractic institution. Comprehensive knowledge of all systems of the body and diagnostic procedures enable the chiropractor to thoroughly evaluate a patient, address disorders relating to the spine and determine the need for referral to another health care provider. A comparison of total classroom hours for a chiropractic student and a medical student were taken and found that chiropractic students have a total of 4,485 classroom hours vs. 4,248 hours for medical students.
