There has been a significant rise in online degrees, and an increasing number of schools are offering online or hybrid courses. You might be wondering, “Are there any online chiropractic schools?”
While it’s an interesting thought in theory, and certainly convenient for learning, in reality, you wouldn’t want your medical team educated exclusively online. It would leave you with an ill-prepared clinician, which is why chiropractic degrees are not typically offered in an online format. You simply would not be able to gain the necessary hands-on experience vital to chiropractic work. But perhaps some of the degree could be accessible online?
Below, we’ll further explore the question, “Can you get a chiropractic degree online?” As well as why programs require in-person training and how this will benefit your future as a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic (DC).
Restrictions of online learning
While online learning has become increasingly popular for its flexibility and convenience, it’s not a universal answer for education. But because it’s such a great option for students wanting to pursue fields like business, psychology, and information technology, many people have started wondering if there are any online chiropractic schools available.
However, when it comes to healthcare and direct patient care positions, online education is limited in its ability to teach the skills needed. For example, it’s particularly important to develop observational and tactile skills in a chiropractic program. Students need to learn how to perform physical adjustments and manipulate the musculoskeletal system without causing discomfort. You’ll learn how to observe patient responses and evaluate complex conditions to better your diagnostic skills. These are functions vital to working as a chiropractor and cannot be taught through videos alone.
Still, students are curious if it’s possible to get a chiropractic degree online. The short answer is no.
Without in-person experience, students miss out on:
- One-on-one mentorship: Immediate feedback from professors and clinicians who will guide you through proper form and technique.
- Hands-on training: The ability to physically practice spinal adjustments and palpation techniques.
- Clinical immersion: You’ll have real patients to work with and develop your diagnostic skills under careful supervision.
Imagine if your doctor had never practiced on a real patient before entering the workforce. It would be highly unethical. The same concept applies to a Doctor of Chiropractic school. In-person training is vital to your education as a chiropractor.
Help heal lives with a Doctorate of Chiropractic
Understanding anatomy, practicing adjustments
Chiropractic requirements include a deep understanding of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. A chiropractic degree is meant to prepare you to identify misalignments in the spine and musculoskeletal system. Then, after initial identification, you’ll adjust patients’ musculature to improve movement and overall well-being.
In the absence of in-person classes and labs, students would not have the hands-on experience of observing adjustments and practicing under the guidance of a professional. Online learning is valuable as a foundation for understanding anatomical structures, but it does not compare to working with real people in a supervised setting.
In short, since you can’t offer chiropractic services in a fully online setting, you can’t receive quality training that way either.
Patient assessment and diagnostic skills
One of the most important aspects of completing chiropractic requirements is the in-person assessment skills. Being able to visually observe, perform palpation, range-of-motion tests, and postural analysis is critical to diagnostics.
In an in-person setting, you’ll learn how to:
- Observe how a patient walks, moves, and carries themselves.
- Feel for tension, misalignments, and temperature differences in muscle tissue.
- Perform neurological and orthopedic tests that require touch and precision.
These diagnostic skills can only be properly taught through real-world interaction with patients. Working directly with patients helps students learn the importance of bedside manner and personability with patients. These skills are just as important to your future as a successful chiropractor.
Your licensing and clinical hours
Licensing requirements are one of the many reasons chiropractic degrees are not offered online. Doctor of Chiropractic degree programs are regulated to ensure proper care of patients.
Every state’s licensing board requires a specific number of in-person clinical hours before a student can be approved for graduation and allowed to sit for the national board exams. These hours include:
- Supervised clinical practice: Treating real patients in a university clinic.
- Laboratory coursework: Dissection labs, physiology demonstrations, and technique practice.
- Internship rotations: Exposure to different patient populations and specialties.
These requirements are established by accrediting bodies, such as the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). They established a mandate that requires chiropractic programs to include extensive hands-on instruction.
Your journey to becoming a chiropractor starts in person
So, can you meet chiropractic requirements online? The simple answer is no. There are many types of degrees available online, but chiropractic degrees are in-person only, and for good reason.
If you’re passionate about chiropractic work, pursuing an in-person Doctor of Chiropractic is your next step. You can help people improve their movement through hands-on treatment and specialized care.
Learn more about a Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Bridgeport University
At University of Bridgeport, you’ll find a wonderful, well-rounded Doctor of Chiropractic school. As a student, you’ll experience rigorous academic instruction balanced with extensive clinical experience.
Students in the Doctor of Chiropractic program benefit from:
- An on-campus chiropractic clinic, where you’ll complete the majority of your required clinical hours and get to treat real patients under supervision.
- Small class sizes and individualized attention from experienced faculty members.
- In interprofessional collaboration, you’ll work alongside students from other healthcare disciplines to understand integrative care.
- State-of-the-art facilities, including anatomy labs, motion analysis equipment, and radiology suites.
University of Bridgeport’s chiropractic program cultivates a learning environment that propels graduates into a chiropractic career of their dreams. University of Bridgeport provides an education in hands-on patient care training, laboratory experience, and test preparation.