Chiropractors provide life-changing care to patients experiencing pain and discomfort. Through their holistic approach to medicine, they’re able to provide relief to patients experiencing back pain, musculoskeletal pain, headaches, and a wide variety of other conditions. In fact, chiropractors provide care to at least 35.5 million American adults every year . If you’ve completed a bachelor’s degree, have an interest in science, and are considering a career in healthcare, you may want to consider pursuing a Doctor of Chiropractic education.
- You Want to Make a Difference
Millions of people – about one in five Americans – suffer from persistent or chronic pain. Chiropractors can make a considerable difference in their lives. Chiropractors work to alleviate lower back pain, neck pain, tension headaches, migraines, sacroiliac pain, and even whiplash in patients. According to a 2017 Consumer Report, of the 14% of adults who seek the care of chiropractors every year, 95% describe the treatment as effective. Patients under a chiropractor’s care are also 64% less likely to receive an opioid prescription than pain sufferers who do not seek out a chiropractor’s care. In light of these statistics, it’s clear that for patients living in pain, a chiropractor’s care can be life-changing. Chiropractors can also provide care for children. Children with musculoskeletal conditions frequently benefit from the care of Doctors of Chiropractic. Athletes who have experienced a sports-related injury may also seek out care from chiropractors, speeding their return to athletics. If you want to improve the physical well-being of patients without prescribing medication, you may consider pursuing a Doctor of Chiropractic education.
- You’re Interested in Physiology, but Physical Therapy Isn’t For You
Many students find their way to chiropractic education by realizing that physical therapy doesn’t quite fit their career goals. Only a small percentage of physical therapists use manipulation or adjustments to ease their patients’ pain. Plus, patients are required to get a referral from a medical doctor in order to seek treatment from a physical therapist. Chiropractors, on the other hand, are accessible to the general public. Many students are drawn to the idea that their patients won’t have to face multiple hurdles in order to receive their care. Lastly, chiropractic students receive a more holistic and comprehensive education during their course of study. They take classes in physiology, pathology, clinical examination, radiology, laboratory testing and interpretation, and diagnosis. These are areas in which physical therapists are not typically educated. In simple terms, chiropractors are trained to treat the whole patient, which may better align with your professional goals.
- You Want to Run Your Own Business
While some chiropractors work in hospitals or in the offices of physicians, many enter the field because they’re interested in becoming independent business owners. According to their 2020 survey, Chiropractic Economics magazine reports that 56% of practitioners own their own business. Solo practitioners (small business owners) reported an average annual billing of $352,100. These business owners reported an average annual salary of $118,000. While Doctors of Chiropractic who worked in a larger group practice tended to take home a higher annual salary, there are benefits to owning your own business. As an owner of a chiropractic practice, you can control what services are provided, how you will accept payment from patients, whether you want to work in an urban or suburban area, and whether you want to specialize in a particular field of chiropractic (e.g. sports and rehabilitation). In other words, you’ll be your own boss. If working as a healthcare provider while simultaneously running a business is appealing, you should consider pursuing a Doctor of Chiropractic degree .
- You Want to “Pay it Forward”
As a new chiropractor, you will likely want to work in close partnership with a more established practitioner. In other words, you’ll find a mentor. A mentor can help you navigate the ins and outs of building a new business, finding and retaining patients for your practice, and may even consult on some more challenging cases with you. Once you become an established chiropractor yourself, you’ll have the opportunity to provide mentorship for a new practitioner, as well. As a mentor, you’ll meet with your mentees, allow them to shadow you, and help them learn additional skills that will enable them to become successful. If becoming a leader and paying it forward is of interest to you, then you may find working as a chiropractor gratifying.
- The Need for Chiropractors is Growing
Doctors of Chiropractic are in high demand and the need for their services is unlikely to diminish. According to Grand View Research, the market for chiropractic services is going to reach $18 billion by 2025. It isn’t much of a surprise, then, that employment of chiropractors is also expected to grow 4% by 2029. As both Baby Boomers and Millennials age, they’ll experience more age-related aches and pains that will require the attention of a chiropractor. As most patients make chiropractic care a long-term pursuit, chiropractors will not find themselves in want of patients. It’s safe to say that as a chiropractor, you’ll experience a fairly high level of job security.
If you resonate with any of these reasons to pursue a Doctor of Chiropractic education, reach out to our admissions office at gradadmissions@bridgeport. edu or visit us online to learn more about our School of Chiropractic .