The DC first spends at least two years in pre-chiropractic studies at a college or university. Most DC s complete four years of college to earn an undergraduate degree before going on to chiropractic college. The DC then attends four more years at a college of chiropractic. In addition to the classroom studies during the last two years, he or she must also serve as an extern at an outpatient clinic where he or she experiences results from thousands of chiropractic treatments with hundreds of patients. There are currently 16 accredited chiropractic colleges in the United States and all are monitored by the federally recognized Council on Chiropractic Education.
Chiropractic students receive about the same number of total hours of education as medical students.
They study all the basic sciences and pass the same basic sciences examination that other doctors, including MDs, are required to pass. Chiropractors are licensed in all fifty states and licensing boards in all the states require successful completion of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners basic science examination and a passing score on clinical sciences and clinical competency examinations. In addition, all but five states also require continuing education hours to maintain a chiropractic license. The spine is made up of 24 individual movable bones called vertebrae which sit on top of the sacrum. This spinal structure is the major support for the body and encases the entire spinal cord.