There is a running joke in Chiropractic school that you don’t find Chiropractic, it finds you. This has held true for numerous stories I have been told of students and doctors that have chosen to walk down this path. For many, it is interesting to reflect on which doors had to open to place them where they are at. It takes a brave individual to listen when the universe keeps placing paths in front of you, especially in a profession that is under such societal scrutiny. Have you acknowledged the doors presented to you in your own life?
The reality of Chiropractic schools is that the administration’s highest priority is to provide education and tools to pass the national board exams ensuring licensure. This leaves some new doctors stepping out into the profession unable to communicate their message proficiently, uneducated on what it takes to open a practice, unaware of sustainable strategies to take care of own body mechanics or without the confidence to properly deliver the adjustment. The T R U T H about Chiropractic school is that to be solid in the science, philosophy and art many students go outside of the institution walls and seek information or education from doctors providing seminars.
The T R U T H about Chiropractic school, like any doctorate program, is that the course load will test you!!! Mentally, physically and emotionally. We are required to spend 14 weeks taking up to 28 doctoral level credit hours proceeded by a 2 week break. And then do it again. Not to mention the national board exams sprinkled in at various times throughout the 3 years that we are required to pass to be licensed. One of my classmates described her experience as “the most challenging, lucid, exhausting, vitalized time of your life….” Seems confusing, right? I will be the first to admit that I have lived through the full range of emotions while working to obtain this Doctorate degree. “….but in the end it is a process of uncovering who you really are.” I could not have summed it up better than this. It is also important to acknowledge that in retrospect, these challenges have been such a blessing. We are forced from day one to keep our head afloat while spinning multiple plates; sounds similar to what they say life after school is like. Ha!
The total Doctorate of Chiropractic program is generally 3.5 years in length. For admission to most institutions you will need to have at least 90 hours of undergraduate study or a bachelor’s degree. We are in school all year round and end up completing a total of 220 hours of Doctoral study. Once completing the first two years of classes required to qualify or part 1-3 board exams, we enter the clinical experience portion. The institution provides one entire year dedicated solely to sharpening our clinical skills and stepping into the role as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
The T R U T H about Chiropractic school is that no two educational institutions are the same. Each school has been founded by different individuals, creating diversity in courses, mostly technique and philosophical courses. This is why when visiting Chiropractic offices, the experience and the type of care provided can vary greatly.
With all of this time and these classes comes a heap load of debt. Most Chiropractic students will graduate with around $200-250,000 of loans to be repaid throughout the span of their career. At first it appears to be a huge burden, but like with most things, it’s all about your perspective. One of my mentors invites students to think about your loans as a ticket. It is your ticket into helping change lives for the rest of your life. There is no better gift.
The T R U T H about Chiropractic school is that it is
“An odd duality of frustration and reward that I continue to deplete myself physically, mentally and spiritually.”
“Years that challenge your mental, physical, and emotional strength while preparing you to be the worlds most dedicated, and committed healer.”
“Difficult, but rewarding. Eye opening to the power the body contains to heal and thrive in the correct environment. The challenge is that school sometimes removes that view, so it’s the job of the students to pursue health while learning the science.”
“The hardest thing I’ve ever done, but the most rewarding thing to point me in the path of my purpose.”
The T R U T H about Chiropractic school is that it has changed my life in the best way. I have found a family of genuinely connected individuals. People that recognize, honor and chase towards the incredible power that created all living things. Chiropractic school has given me more community than I could have ever hoped for. Through traveling for seminars, training groups and connecting online, I have been afforded the amazing opportunity to meet students and docs from all over the world Thank you to those that have been apart of my journey this far and that are running along side me now. Lastly, thank you to those that answered my questions and contributed to this post!
The B I G N E S S of Chiropractic school is that it is an avenue to allow so many of us to be apart of an incredible healing art. Now I want to ask you, what keeps coming up in your life that you should begin acknowledging? That you should start listening to? What doors keep showing up in your way? Are you willing to knock on those even if it’s a leap of faith? It may be a decision that will change your life.
-M