Chiropractic college was an amazing experience. I learned so much about myself as a person, my study habits, what I want in life, and of course…how to be a chiropractor. But there are a lot of things that I wish someone around my age (I’m 28 years old, I know to some people I’m a fossil) knew before attending this rigorous post-graduate school course.
For those of you who are interested in attending chiropractic college to live your dream of being a Doctor of Chiropractic, I highly recommend it! Especially if you believe chiropractic is your passion. It’s a great profession that is so rewarding, both for yourself, and the countless patients that will seek out your expertise and help with their everyday life. HOWEVER, it’s not just as simple as taking a course on adjusting and calling it a day. There is a lot that you should know beforehand, but specifically, there are 5 key points that you need to know before attending chiropractic college.
- It’s hard.
This is by far one of the most academically rigorous paths that you will ever go through. On your first trimester (or semester if you’re going through the classic method of going through school, you start out by taking around 22 credits to get “oriented”. Now that sounds crazy…right? I mean in undergrad, I only took a maximum of 18 credits. By the time I made it to the 4th trimester, the average student takes 28 credits during this time. IT IS CRAZY. Like, how is this even possible?
But just remember, you’re learning how to be a graduate school student in the midst of all of this. You’ll figure out how to manage your time. Just like every other chiropractic student.
- You will burn out/It is okay to fail.
This is something that you just have to accept. It’s gonna happen eventually, no matter how hard you fight it. But in the end, it’s up to you whether or not how much you’ll let this interfere with your life. Whether it be a night where you just don’t stop playing video games, or a weekend getaway to relax somewhere to escape talks of cranial nerves and adjusting, if you come out of your slump stronger than before then it’s all good! It’s important to know how to relax well and relax efficiently!
I also cannot stress enough how important it is to know that it is okay to fail. You may fail an exam. You may fail a class entirely. IT IS OKAY. You are human, and if you want to be a chiropractor, you WILL earn it as long as you want it. I promise.
- Board exams are the absolute worst.
So this is something that I believe all professional healthcare schools go through. But for some strange reason, chiropractors are required to have 4 board exams completed, as well as another board exam for Physiotherapy in half the states in America. But what really grinds my gears about this is that there is barely any prep for this exam. I took part 1 when it was 110 questions for 6 subjects. This sounds weird, but I personally enjoyed that. It was a test of your knowledge, you can make a good amount of mistakes, and it helps you really buckle down to take exams. But they just changed part 1 and part 2 to make it only 50 questions per subject. Now that sounds amazing, right?
WRONG. The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners didn’t adjust any of the study guides or material needed to study. So now, the information is the same, and you have a much smaller margin of questions you can get wrong before you fail it. It’s the largest pain in the butt in the middle of taking all of the exams for your regularly scheduled degree. The worst part is, the cost of board exams keeps going higher and higher. Sure when you’re actually making money, it’s not a big deal. But when you’re trying to earn a professional degree, and have a job, and pay for boards? It can be so financially stressful if you don’t pass and have to pay for it AGAIN. Which leads me to my next point:
- Your parents (or immediate caretakers) are your best friends
To be honest, I’ve always tried to be independent from my parents. I joined the Army National Guard to have funds to spend on rent, food, and other things while I attended chiropractic college. So that was like my “part-time gig” while I was studying. However, I failed my part 2 and 3 of board exams for chiropractic college. I was so bummed out, and I didn’t know how I was going to function financially while I was doing this.
My parents were the most amazing and supportive human beings when this happened. They lifted up my spirits, let me pour my emotions out to them while I was so disheartened, and just gave me a general shoulder for me to lean on. Not to mention, they helped pay for my board exams for the re-take. I am so grateful for everything they’ve ever done and continue to do for my support. Never think that you can tackle this journey without the shoulders of your parents.
- Unless you’re going to live with your significant other near the college, are already married, or both want to be chiropractors, just break up.I know what you guys are thinking. Probably thinking of the one or two outliers that are successful. But to me, this isn’t the case. At school, I know of a dozen people who entered chiropractic college in a relationship, with a lot of them long-term! Only to have ended in the middle of the school. If it makes you feel any better, I am one of them! My ex-girlfriend and I of 5 years broke up near the end of my time at school, and now I am engaged to a fellow chiropractic student (I’m older, she’ll get there in a year. She can taste that degree.). But the point is, not a lot of people will understand the struggles that you go through and how passionate you are about earning your degree. It’s definitely hard for the significant other. So like what’s stated in the bullet, unless you fall under those 3 categories listed, I’ll be one of the first ones to bet money on how long your relationship will last.
That’s all I got for you! If you have any questions in regard to this, find my LinkedIn and reach out! I’d be glad to help out with any questions! Good luck to all my fellow chiropractic students, I can’t wait to call you my colleagues!
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