| Subject | Chiropractic Schools | Medical Schools | ||
| Hours | % of Total | Hours | % of Total | |
| Anatomy | 570 | 40 | 368 | 31 |
| Biochemistry | 150 | 11 | 120 | 10 |
| Microbiology | 120 | 8 | 120 | 10 |
| Public Health | 70 | 5 | 289 | 24 |
| Physiology | 305 | 21 | 142 | 12 |
| Pathology | 205 | 14 | 162 | 14 |
| Total Hours | 1,420 | 100 | 1,200 | 100 |
I have reproduced that table from his website above. I can tell you from personal experience, as someone who also earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, that the class hours spent in chiropractic college were quite extensive. And for every hour spent in class, we spent about 3 hours outside preparing for lectures, reveiewing materials, preparing assignments, and reviewing for exams. On top of all of that, during and after this course of study, we were required to undergo 4 different national licensing exams and then another license exam specific to the state in which we were to practice. Amazing to look at in restrospect.
At any rate, many of my patients are amazed to learn that we actually had more hours in anatomy, physiology, radiology and neurology than our MD counerparts. On the other hand, they had to go through gruelling pharmacology courses that we were not asked to study as that is outside of the chiropractic scope of practice.
Some of the most interesting classes? I enjoyed the 4 semesters of cadaver lab work. Sounds grotesque if you have never done it, but there is nothing that compares with seeing the actual structures laying right there in front of your eyes just the way our creator planned it or as we evolved it (depending on your beliefs). Oh yeah, and that reminds me of something that I kept thinking as we would sit in our physiology lectures... "I wonder why they designed it that way... oops... it wasn't designed that way... it's only that way because it works!"
Interesting stuff... no matter who you are :)
Now, at this point, I would point out that the chiropractic subject matter that is taught in chiropractic college is not taught anywhere else. Just as an MD will suggest that we do not have identical educations and thus we cannot do their job, we can say the very same thing about MDs, physical therapists, physical trainers, and I dare say even osteopaths. These professions do not include training in the specific vertebral adjustment to address subluxation. Many are surprised to learn that even Osteopaths do not require adjustive or manipulative techniques in their curriculum and those procedures (which are substantially less specific than the corresponding chiropractic procedures, by the way) are taken as an optional elective and nowhere near enough time is provided to develop proficiency.
Edward Harriott, DC
Mission Viejo Chiropractic
24896 Chrisanta Dr. #120
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949)360-1112
If you want to reach more from Dr. Lloyd's Sonoma Chiropractor blog, fee free to visit it. If you need a chiropractor in Sonoma, CA, you can find him at:
525 3rd Street West, Suite C
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 408-2225
Thank you so much for the information. It adds on my vocabulary regarding Chiropractic Training.
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