Chiropractic colleges require a minimum of four to five academic years of professional resident study involving no less than 4000 hours. Professional study includes clinical experience under strict supervision by qualified faculty members in institutional clinics. A major part of chiropractic education is devoted to such basic science subjects as anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, public health, diagnosis and treatment of patients. During this period, about half of the chiropractic student's time is spent in a clinic, examining and treating patients under close supervision.

The following is an example of courses studied at the Palmer College of Chiropractic (a typical chiropractic college) for matriculation 1987-88.

DIAGNOSIS  

• Physical Diagnostic Methods 120 hours
• Obstetrics/Gynecology 60 hours
• Pediatrics 60 hours
• Clinical Human Behavior 60 hours
• Neuro-musculo-skeletal
• Exams/Management 120 hours
• Geriatrics/Dermatology 60 hours
• Visceral Disorders 120 hours

PATHOLOGY  

• Microbiology 60 hours
• General Pathology I 60 hours
• Public Health 60 hours
• General Pathology II 60 hours
• Hematology 60 hours
• Neuro-musculo-skeletal I 60 hours
• Cardiovascular/Pulmonary 60 hours
• Gastrointestinal/Genitourinary 60 hours
• Neuro-musculo-skeletal II 60 hours

PHILOSOPHY

• 180 hours

PHYSIOLOGY  

• General 48 hours
• Cellular 60 hours
• Cardiovascular/Pulmonary 60 hours
• Endocrinology 60 hours
• Digestion/Nutrition 60 hours
• Renal 60 hours
• Physiology Lab 60 hours

CHEMISTRY  

• Biochemistry I 60 hours
• Biochemistry II 60 hours
• Chemistry Lab 120 hours
• Toxicology 60 hours

Chiropractic and Medical School: A Comparison
The basic difference between chiropractic school and medical school is that medical schools provide full instruction in surgery and pharmacology. Since chiropractors neither prescribe medication nor perform surgery, chiropractic schools devote those hours to chiropractic principles and general/specific manipulative technique. Medical schools, as a rule, neither require nor offer courses on manipulative therapy. The intensive courses required by chiropractic physicians in the doctoral phase of their education closely parallel those of medical school. In some cases, chiropractic schools require more hours of instruction in many basic science and medical courses including anatomy, physiology, radiology, rehabilitation, nutrition and public health.