Chiropractic Education

What kind of education do Doctors of Chiropractic have?

Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most 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, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. 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.

Like other primary health care doctors, chiropractic students spend a significant portion of their curriculum studying clinical subjects related to evaluating and caring for patients. In total, the curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience.

Before they are allowed to practice, doctors of chiropractic must pass a series of national board examinations and become state-licensed. Chiropractic colleges also offer post-graduate continuing education programs in specialty fields ranging from sports injuries and occupational health to orthopedics and neurology. These programs allow chiropractors to specialize in a healthcare discipline or meet state re-licensure requirements.

This extensive education prepares doctors of chiropractic to diagnose health care problems, treat the problems when they are within their scope of practice and refer patients to other health care practitioners when appropriate.

 

脊科教育

脊骨神經科教育屬於學士後制度。在美國，脊醫師必需先在大學完成醫學預科的基礎課程取得學士學位後，再接受4-5學年的脊科醫學教育。 脊醫教育課程一般包括：

• 基礎醫學課程

  如人體解剖學、神經解剖學、生理學、神經生理學、生化學、組織學、病理學、胚胎學、微生物學及藥理學等。

• 臨床醫學課程

  如骨科、神經科、內外科、兒科、婦產科、耳鼻喉科、皮膚科、精神病學、鑑別診斷學、臨床診斷學及檢驗診斷學等。

• 脊科醫學課程

  包括脊科診斷及治療學、人體生物力學、運動醫學、X光物理學及技術、影像診斷及營養學等。

學生在完成脊科教育課程後會獲授脊骨神經醫學博士學位。之後還需通過四個階段國家考試及州立檢定考才得以核發脊骨神經科醫師執照，准許執業。 脊科教育付予脊醫專業的臨床鑑別能力，並在必要時建議適當轉診至其它醫療科別。

有別於台灣坊間的整骨、整脊速成班，在歐美每位脊骨神經科醫師均須接受嚴謹的脊科醫學訓練，並通過政府的專業考試才能註冊執業。

遺憾的是台灣目前並無專業、完整的脊醫教育制度。

脊椎是人體最重要的器官之一，也正因為它的重要性而不能輕易、草率的亂整亂喬。

若身體有不適，應當找一位受過嚴謹訓練的專業人士為您做評估及建議。