Chiropractic education
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[edit] Chiropractic education, licensing, and regulation
[edit] United States
Graduates of chiropractic schools receive the degree Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), are referred to as "doctor", and are eligible to seek licensure in all jurisdictions. The Council on Chiropractic Education [1] (CCE) sets minimum guidelines for chiropractic colleges, but additional requirements may be needed for a license depending on the jurisdiction where a chiropractor chooses to practice. All 19 chiropractic institutions are accredited by the CCE. In 1991, the University of Bridgeport established its College of Chiropractic, becoming the first chiropractic school in the USA to be affiliated with a university.[2]
Students often enter chiropractic school with a Bachelor's degree, but, in 2005, only one chiropractic college required this as an admission requirement. [3] The minimum prerequisite for enrollment in a chiropractic college set forth by the CCE is 90 semester hours, and the minimum cumulative GPA for a student entering is 2.50. Commonly required classes include: psychology, biology, organic and inorganic chemistry, and physics. Other common medical classes are: anatomy or embryology, physiology, microbiology, diagnosis, neurology, x-ray, orthopedics, obstetrics/gynecology, histology, and pathology. Chiropractic programs require at least 4,200 hours of combined classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. The last 2 years stress courses in manipulation and spinal adjustment and provide clinical experience in physical and laboratory diagnosis, orthopedics, neurology, geriatrics, physiotherapy, and nutrition.
To qualify for licensure, graduates must pass 4 examinations from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners [4] and complete State specific requirements; most State boards require at least 2 years of undergraduate education, and an increasing number require a 4-year bachelor’s degree. All licensing boards in the US require the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited college leading to the DC degree. Once licensed, most States require chiropractors to attend 12-50 hours of continuing education annually. Chiropractic colleges also offer postdoctoral training in neurology, orthopedics, sports injuries, nutrition, rehabilitation, industrial consulting, radiology, family practice, pediatrics, and applied chiropractic sciences. After such training, chiropractors may take exams leading to "diplomate" status in a given specialty including orthopedics, neurology and radiology.
[edit] Australia
In Australia, chiropractic is taught at three public universities: RMIT in Melbourne, Murdoch University in Perth and Macquarie University in Sydney. The RMIT and Maquarie programs graduate chiropractors with a masters while Mudoch University graduates attain a double bachelors degree, any of which is necessary for registration with state registration boards.
[edit] United Kingdom
There are three UK chiropractic colleges with chiropractic courses recognised by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), the statutory governmental body responsible for the regulation of chiropractic in the UK. These are the Anglo European College of Chiropractic (AECC), a faculty of Bournemouth University, the McTimoney College of Chiropractic (MCC), validated by the University of Wales and the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC) a faculty of Glamorgan University. The AECC graduates chiropractors with both a Bachelor of Science and an undergraduate Masters degree. The WIOC graduate chiropractors with a Bachelor of Science (Hon) and the MCC graduates chiropractors with a BSc (Hons) Chiropractic.
It is a legal requirement that all chiropractors in the UK register with the GCC to practice.
[edit] South Africa
In SA there are two schools of chiropractic: Durban Institute of Technology and University of Johannesburg Doornfontein campus. They are both 6 year full-time courses leading to a MTECH or Masters of technology in Chiropractic. It's a legal requirement that to practice Chiropractic in SA chiropractors must be registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of SA. Being a member of the Chiropractic Association of SA (CASA) is voluntary. CASA is the only association in the country and aims to promote the profession through publications in newspaper, interviews, internet and public enquires over the phone.
[edit] Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards
- See main article: Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards
The FCLB is a conglomeration of all 50 US state licensing boards and the District of Columbia. It also includes several Canadian provinces and US territories. Its stated purpose is to protect the public and to serve the member boards by promoting excellence in chiropractic regulation.[1]
[edit] Chiropractic schools
- See main article: Chiropractic schools
A chiropractic school is an institution involved in the education of future chiropractic practitioners (chiropractors). The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of chiropractic programs offered at chiropractic schools vary considerably around the world.
[edit] Council on Chiropractic Education
- See main article: Council on Chiropractic Education
The Council on Chiropractic Education - USA (CCE-USA) is an agency for accreditation of programs and institutions offering the doctor of chiropractic degree. Its accreditations are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It seeks to insure the quality of chiropractic education in the United States by developing accreditation standards, encouraging educational improvement and providing public information.
