Chiropractors are educated as primary health care practitioners, with an emphasis on Neuro-musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most rigorous and stringent of any of the health care professions. The typical applicant at a chiropractic college has already acquired four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard. Because of the hands-on nature of chiropractic, and the intricate adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical training.
In total, the chiropractic curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. This includes extensive training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, neurology, radiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, toxicology, histology, biomechanics, differential diagnosis, and physical examination, nutrition, chiropractic technique, public health, etc. The course of study is approved by an accrediting agency that is fully recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.