Doctor of Chiropractic

Year 1-2 Quarters 1-5

Basic Sciences: Foundational material that prepares students for licensing exams

Chiropractic Sciences: Technique/Foundational manipulation courses

Clinical Sciences: Diagnostic imaging courses/Associated sciences/Evidence-informed practice courses

Highlights of Year 1

• Q1 students have weekly small group sessions with faculty facilitators to support community building and professional development.
• During Q5, students are eligible to apply for a BS in human biology degree and/or a concurrent program such as an MS in sports medicine or MS in human nutrition and functional medicine.
• During Q 1-5 students have the opportunity to receive free tutoring and academic coaching, attend open lab sessions to practice adjusting skills under faculty guidance, and participate in clubs related to various specializations.
• Q5 clinic observation opportunities – Observations in the Connected Whole Health clinic are first included as a program requirement in Q5. Subsequent clinic observations are also required in Q7 as a prelude to beginning the clinical internship experience in Q8.

Year 2 Quarters 5-8

Clinical practice focus – diagnosis/management/patient interaction

Q 5-8 focuses on integrating Basic Science, Chiropractic Science, and Clinical Science knowledge into clinical practice.

Highlights of Year 2

• Interns begin providing care to patients in the Connected Whole Health clinic under the supervision and guidance of their attending physician. As a prelude to being assigned responsibility for their first patient, each Q8 intern must successfully complete the clinic entrance exam (CEA). The CEA provides opportunities for Q8 interns to demonstrate their proficiency in a variety of clinical skills including taking a history and physical exam, delivering a report of findings, obtaining informed consent, delivering adjustments, and utilizing physical therapy modalities.
• Courses dive deeper into extremity manipulation, taping and splinting, bone pathology, treatment of special populations, clinically applied evidence, and business topics.
• Students are first eligible to sit for the optional NBCE physiotherapy exam following successful completion of the two DC program courses in physical therapy occurring in Q7 and Q8.

Year 3 Quarters 9-12

Clinical practice focus – diagnosis/management/patient interaction

Q9-12 focuses on specialized clinical training for specific populations, business preparation, and advanced diagnosis and assessment skills.

Highlights of Year 3

• In Year 3 (Q9-12), students treat the general public in the clinic under a supervisory clinician with clinic hours increasing each term from 10 hours in Q9 to 25 hours in Q10+Q11 to 27 hours per week in Q12. As interns demonstrate clinical competencies, they may become eligible for clinical offsite rotations through local Community-Based Internships, Veteran’s Administration healthcare facilities, and other affiliated local clinical care sites. Students have opportunities to give back to the community through community outreach events to underserved populations.
• Q12 Interns who have demonstrated attainment of all required clinical competencies may be eligible to participate in a preceptorship beginning in Q12. Preceptorships may be located in the Portland area, in the state of Oregon or another state or U.S. territory, in Canada, or in limited cases, other international locations.

Licensing Exam information

UWS student exams

In addition to student assessment conducted in educational courses and during the clinical internship experience, students in the DC program must successfully complete the standardized clinical skills assessment (CSA) which evaluates students’ attainment of clinical competencies. The CSA is administered at the end of Q9 and modeled after NBCE Part IV. The comprehensive written and practical examination draws from all Q1-Q9 coursework. Students perform a series of specified procedures including history, examination, and simulated treatment on a trained standardized patient.

Exams required for licensure in the U.S.

• First eligibility to sit for NBCE Part I occurs in correlation with completing Q5.
• First eligibility to sit for NBCE Part II occurs in correlation with completing Q9.
• First eligibility to sit for NBCE Part III occurs in correlation with completing Q9. Also requires successful completion of NBCE Part I.
• First eligibility to sit for NBCE Part IV occurs in correlation with completing Q10 and requires successful completion of NBCE Part I.

Exams required for licensure in Canada

• During Q10-12, students seeking licensure in Canada are eligible to take the CCEB Exams. Component A may be taken following the completion of Q9, Component B following the completion of Q10, and Component C following the completion of Q11.

Exams required for licensure in Oregon

• Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners (OBCE) exam – must pass to be eligible for licensure in Oregon. First eligibility to sit for the OBCE exam occurs in correlation with completion of Q10 for those students who have completed the minor surgery lecture and lab courses. Also requires successful completion of NBCE Parts I, II, III, IV, and the PT exam.

Note: licensure in Oregon requires successful completion of the CSC 8178 Minor Surgery/Proctology Lab elective in addition to the core program coursework.

Of note – Each state and Canadian province has its own licensure board which regulates chiropractic practice in the respective jurisdiction. It is the responsibility of each student or graduates to be informed about the licensure requirements pertinent to the jurisdiction in which they intend to practice.

As a result of success in the doctor of chiropractic program , the student will be able to:

1. Perform appropriate patient assessments and formulate a diagnosis/es.
2. Execute and update appropriate case management plans.
3. Promote health, wellness, safety, and disease prevention including public health issues relevant to patients.
4. Communicate effectively and appropriately in patient care and professional interactions including producing, updating, and protecting accurate patient records and relevant documentation.
5. Demonstrate ethical conduct and knowledge of the legal responsibilities of a health care provider and clinical practice owner or employee.
6. Critically access, appraise, and apply scientific literature and other health information resources to provide effective patient care.
7. Deliver safe, appropriate, and effective treatments including spinal manipulation.
8. Communicate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals regarding patient care.
9. Integrate knowledge of basic and clinical science.

What is Chiropractic and what does it mean at UWS?

At the University of Western States, chiropractic health care is viewed as a systems-based, whole-person approach to health and wellness. A Doctor of Chiropractic recognizes and honors the body’s innate mechanisms for adaptation and homeostasis, and understands that physical structure, biological function, and mental well-being are harmoniously interrelated. Effective health care is aimed at optimizing and supporting the body’s natural self-healing and intrinsic regulatory systems to address the root cause of disease and dysfunction.

A chiropractic physician evaluates the overall health of the patient with a particular focus on the integrity of the structural component. Evaluation includes a detailed history and examination, along with specialized laboratory tests and imaging procedures as indicated. In the management of patient care, emphasis is placed on the appropriate use of the most conservative and least invasive measures. Treatment approaches may involve: manual therapy including spinal manipulation, therapeutic exercises, mobilization and stretching, rehabilitative measures, physical therapy (such as electrotherapy, laser, hydrotherapy, and ultrasound), diet counseling, nutritional therapy, lifestyle coaching, mindfulness practices, stress management counseling.

UWS instills in every graduate the dedication to care that is always “for the good of the patient.” The Doctor of Chiropractic degree curriculum at UWS is focused on this core understanding and enduring commitment as we prepare graduates to provide conservative, whole-person, integrated health care.

Why become a Chiropractic Physician?

• Make a difference in the life of patients.
• Participate in improving health and providing comfort as a member of the greater healthcare community.
• Advocate for whole-person wellness and conservative, non-invasive care
• Own and operate your own clinic.
• Gain independence and control over your practice and work schedule.
• Satisfying income and ability to collaborate with other integrative health care professionals.

Career Outlook

• Once in established practice, chiropractic physicians earn an average salary of $89K, with total compensation of $122K. (chiroeco.com)
• In 2015, chiropractic medicine ranked among the top 50 most employable careers with an unemployment rate of just 0.1 percent.
• Chiropractic physicians in the U.S. receive 190 million patient visits annually.
• More than 40 percent of all chiropractic physicians are self-employed and own their own businesses.
• The chiropractic profession is ranked the second most profitable small business by Forbes.
• Chiropractic medicine is the fastest-growing healthcare profession in the world.
• The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates a 28% increase in jobs for chiropractic physicians through 2020.
• Ranked the #1 profession with the best job security by MarketWatch.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, the employment of chiropractors is expected to grow 12% from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. Forbes

Data from Discover Chiropractic, Msn, Salary.com, and Marketwatch.

What do Chiropractors do?

Chiropractic physicians have the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of practice methods and specialties. Many chiropractors own their own practices or work in an integrated care clinic. Day-to-day work as a chiropractic physician typically consists of diagnostics and treatment, but these areas can vary widely depending on the strengths and interests of the individual clinician.

Diagnostics

• Physical examination procedures
• Clinical lab tests
• Imaging (X-rays, CT scans, MRI, diagnostic ultrasound)
• Orthopedic and neurologic tests

Treatment

• Manual therapies: adjustment, manipulation, mobilization, soft tissue
• Exercise strengthening and rehabilitation protocols
• Taping, bracing, orthotics, supports
• Physiotherapy modalities (diathermy ultrasound, etc.)
• Dietary and nutritional counseling
• Ergonomic assessment
• Stress management
• Wellness promotion and lifestyle coaching

Chiropractic Licensure

The UWS DC program qualifies graduates for licensure in all U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions and in other foreign countries. Licensure regulations vary from one jurisdiction to another and are subject to change. Students should contact individual licensing boards for information on the most current and accurate requirements of a particular area.