It is not uncommon for people to think chiropractic school is a cakewalk compared to medical school or law school. We’ve all heard that infamous question that frustrates us to no end… “Do you have to go to school for that?”
For those of you reading this, I can tell you without a doubt that chiropractic school is not a cakewalk and, yes, we have to go through A LOT of schooling… approximately 7-8 years of schooling, to be exact. If you take into account a 4-year undergrad degree and 3-4 years of chiropractic school, it is a long journey.
Part of the reason why chiropractic school felt so long to me was the lack of actual CHIROPRACTIC education. We were taught extensive MEDICAL physcial exams, scores of ORTHOPEDIC tests, and numerous NEUROLOGICAL tests. But the application of CHIROPRACTIC is very minimal.
Chiropractic is a Philosophy, Science, and Art. This means we need to learn as much about these three aspects as we can in order to be the best we can possibly be. While chiropractic school teaches us the medical information needed to pass our National (medipractic) Boards, the actual learning of chiropractic takes place outside of the classroom and the school.
I came up with a list of six things you can do to lay the groundwork for a solid philosophy by the time you walk that stage and pick up that diploma.
1.) Read the Green Books.
Love him or hate him, B.J. Palmer was a genius. His level of understanding of chiropractic and Innate Intelligence, his contributions to chiropractic, and his impact on chiropractic many decades later are second to none. Without him, chiropractic might have fallen apart and dissapated into a deep dark corner of history that no one cares about.
With 39 Green Books to choose from, there’s no reason why you can’t pick up at least one and read it cover to cover. You will begin to understand chiropractic a little better once you do.
2.) Learn about the 33 Principles of Chiropractic.
Ralph W. Stephensen wrote a book called the Chiropractic Textbook that was published in 1927. In it, he outlined what he deemed were the 33 essential principles of chiropractic.
When I was at Parker, a lot of people shunned the 33 Principles, thinking that it was a bunch of hokey nonsense. But if you want a profound understanding of chiropractic, you need to check out the 33 principles. You should be able to find the Chiropractic Textbook in your school library. If not, you can check out a simple list of the 33 principles here.
3.) Get the textbook Upper Cervical Subluxation Complex by Dr. Kirk Eriksen.
Even if you aren’t an upper cervical minded student, you still want to be able to have some validation for what you do. This textbook provides over 1200 studies from the medical and chiropractic literature backing up the reasons for why we do things, from analytical x-rays, to leg checks, to instrumentation, to neurology.
Whether you are upper cervical or full spine, the C0-C1-C2 region of the spine is still a part of the spinal column and should be properly addressed. This textbook will validate your “why.” You can buy it here.
4.) Start developing ways to communicate chiropractic philosophy.
For me, this was one of the best things I could have done. My communication outlet was this blog. Because I knew a number of chiropractors and students were reading, I had to make sure I knew what I was talking about. Even then, there have been times that I have been corrected by those with more experience.
I also had a valet parking job while in school, which found me working with different people every shift. This gave me the opportunity to explain chiropractic to a number of different people during down time.
Starting a blog or getting a job while in school may not be for everybody. But somehow, you need to learn how to explain what we do to people. People usually see chiropractic as something it is not, so it is our job to set the record straight. You might as well start while in school.
5.) Go to as many adjusting technique seminars as possible.
The art of chiropractic is lacking in school, whether it’s on the student’s end with a lack of practice or the schools’ lack of in-depth exposure to chiropractic technique.
This is where techinque seminars come into play. Whether it’s upper cervical, Gonstead, or Thompson, techinque seminars will offer exposure to the proper application of a chiropractic adjustment. It’s up to you to practice it from there.
6.) Find a mentor who is sound in the philosophy, science, and art of chiropractic.
This is probably the single most important thing you can do while in school, which is why I saved it for last. Getting around a solid chiropractor who has a strong philosophy and a strong practice will teach you more than any book or seminar can. You will learn little tips and tricks that school won’t teach you, making you a better doctor. You can also see what aspects you want to apply to your own future practice.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The chiropractor has to ask himself what is all this schooling really for. Is it long and hard so that we can pump up our ego? or is all this education really needed to be a chiropractor? Is it done so that we can say that we went to as much shcool as a medical doctor or lawyer? Is it so we can call ourselves doctor and feel we are better than those people without educations? Is it so we can bill insurance companies? Is it to impress friends and family? When the ego factor is taken out of the equation do we still feel the need to have all that education?
Richard, it’s a tough question to answer. I, for one, am not of the “less education is better” camp, so I think it’s important to be exposed to a lot. I also genuinely use my education to the fullest. In a multidisciplinary clinical setting like I am in, we get some really tough cases and while I’m not responsible for “treating” those problems, it’s essential for me to understand them and also to collaborate with other doctors for the betterment of the patient. The downside, however, is that schools are trying to cram more and more in to the same amount of schooling, so the compromise is in things like technique and philosophy. Clinic is dreadfully short, too.
I think a well-rounded healthcare education as well as a good core chiropractic education is essential as I think there are a lot of opportunities for DC’s in the public health, clinic, hospital areas, but the schools have to make it a priority that these young DC’s don’t lose (or never establish to begin with, as is the case in a lot of the colleges) their chiropractic identity. It’s tough.