Are Chiropractors “Real” Doctors?
There are a lot of misconceptions about chiropractors. Some people swear by them, but others aren’t really sure if they are actual doctors. So, what’s the truth? Are chiropractors “real” doctors? The short answer is, in a word, yes. Chiropractors are formally known as “doctors of chiropractic,” which is why you see D.C. after their names just as you see M.D. after the name of a medical doctor. So, the longer question is what does it mean, in terms of qualifications and education, when a Plantation chiropractor hangs his shingle and opens a practice?
In order to apply to chiropractic college, an applicant must have at least 90 hours of undergraduate study. These credits include English, social sciences such as psychology, advanced sciences such as organic and inorganic chemistry, biology, and physics. Most candidates for chiropractic already have a bachelor’s degree, which is quickly becoming a basic requirement for entry. Once in a program, future chiropractors must fulfill a minimum of 4,200 contact hours of combined classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. This four-year program emphasizes classroom and laboratory instruction in the sciences during the first two years and clinical experience with manipulation and adjustment as well as diagnostics, neurology, orthopedics, and nutrition in the second two years. Once this program is successfully completed, the D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) is granted.
Once degreed, chiropractors must apply for state licensure. A chiropractor must be licensed in their particular state to practice chiropractic medicine. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have regulations and licensing requirements. Chiropractors must be licensed in the state where they practice, though some states have reciprocal agreements, granting licenses without further examinations if the chiropractor has already been licensed in another state whose requirements are similar to the state in question. Most state licensing boards require a four-year bachelor’s degree; in addition, all boards require the completion of a four-year program in an accredited college of chiropractic culminating in the D.C. degree. Future chiropractors must then pass a four-part test administered by the national board of examiners, and some states further require successful completion of a state examination. Once licensed, chiropractors must fulfill a certain number of continuing education hours each year.
Not only does education and licensing among chiropractors qualify them as “real” doctors, but chiropractors follow the same procedures in order to diagnose and treat their patients that medical doctors follow. They take the patient’s health history, conduct physical examinations and laboratory tests, and utilize x-rays and other diagnostic images in the same way that an M.D. does.
So, as you can see, chiropractors in the Plantation and surrounding areas are “real” doctors who are well qualified to attend to your health care needs.
Chiropractors Plantation – Plantation Chiropractor Dr. Marc Browner has served south Florida for more than 12 years. With offices in Weston and Plantation, we bring professional chiropractic care to you using the latest technology and techniques. To begin your journey to wellness with a chiropractor, visit us online at http://www.drmarcbrowner.com/or call our Plantation office at 954.892.1313 or our Weston office at 954.217.4881.
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