Are chiropractors doctors

Answer 1

Yes. Chiropractic physicians (also known as chiropractors) are not medical practitioners but undergo a similar education process to obtain a license in the field of chiropractic care. In fact, educational requirements for chiropractors are the most stringent of any health care profession. To learn more information, call Dr. Wasserman at 954-755-1980

Answer 2

In the United States, a DO (doctor of osteopathy) is more like an MD (medical doctor) than a DC (chiropractor). A DO completes a medical residency like a medical doctor and graduates to treat the same conditions with the same tools. One difference is that a DO has training in joint manipulation techniques that they may use on some patients.

The use of joint manipulation is one commonality between DO and DC in the United States. However, DCs use joint manipulation as one of their most common interventions, whereas DOs use it very limited nowadays. While DCs complete 8 years of university like DO and MD, they do not complete a hospital residency like DO and MDs. Finally, chiropractors treat different conditions than DO and MDs. Chiropractors treat primarily irritating musculoskeletal conditions (like Back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, etc) whereas medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy often treat emergency conditions (like heart attacks, stroke, cancer).

______Yes and no... to answer this lets discuss the medical doctor (sometimes called allopathic doctors, although this is never used by them) in relation to D.O.'s and Chiropractors (D.C.).

Doctors of Osteopathy in the United States are actually called Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and have the same practicing rights as Medical Doctors (M.D.). They hold the same residency programs and many actually matriculate into M.D. residency programs in order to enter some of the more competitive specialties. They differ little from M.D's anymore as medicine has moved towards prevention and whole person treatment in the last 40 years. The key difference is that they are trained in OMM (Osteopathic Manual Manipulation) which usually is more gentile and used with less frequency than the manipulation used by chiropractors. Unlike Chiropractors (D.C.), D.O.'s can practice a full range of medicine and have medical schools with competitive entrance requirements.

While the requirements to enter osteopathic medical school used to be much lower than most M.D. schools, recent years have closed the gaps drastically in GPA and MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) scores. Some recent osteopathic schools have GPA averages above 3.7 (which is average for M.D. schools) and MCAT scores a few points behind the average M.D. schools (for example Des Moines University located in Iowa). The disparity between GPA and MCAT scores has been a trend of D.O. schools, since they usually matriculate more non-traditional students. Also, the majority of D.O. matriculates plan and later practice family practice or internal medicine. Interestingly enough, if one considers the MCAT difference between D.O. and M.D. schools, they will note that most M.D. schools who produce similar percentages of family practice or internal medicine doctors usually have very similar MCAT scores, but with lower GPA scores on average. D.O.'s are becoming more popular but currently have less than 30 schools (more being planned) while M.D. schools are about 130. D.O.s are currently about 10% of the practicing physician work force in the United States. Both M.D.s and D.O.s represent the top 25% of their undergraduate classes. Out side of the United States, D.O.s are usually more similar to chiropractors in their scope of practice. There is an increasingly greater amount of foreign countries that will give D.O.'s full practice rights, however few D.O.s have petitioned, leaving some countries unknown as to whether or not they will allow D.O.s trained in the U.S. to have full practice. However, D.O.s in a program like doctors without borders have no restrictions.

Now, chiropractors do not have similar statistics or medical training. In fact, the average chiropractic school is significantly behind both M.D. and D.O. schools. The average is somewhere close to a 3.5 GPA and matriculation is not competitive. No entrance exam or letters of recommendation are required. This tends to create a negative feeling towards them by many of the other professions.

Traditionally, osteopathic medicine started as a social movement away from overuse of dangerous drugs and questionable medical practices in the late 1800's. While autonomy existed rather heavily in the beginning, the majority of current D.O.'s do not use OMM on a regular basis. Currently, they are increasingly represented in competitive specialties even thought the majority are still in family practice or internal medicine. Chiropractics started only a few years after osteopathy but has failed to become a legitimate option to practice medicine as a physician.

Answer 3

The complete answer to this depends on which country the chiropractor has graduated from their chiropractic program.

Although the term doctor historically means "teacher" (thus only a PhD is a true doctor in the historical sense), today our world considers a doctor to be anyone who has graduated from a post graduate doctorate program.

In Canada, Chiropractors must generally have a 4 year undergraduate degree before starting chiropractic school, then they must complete a 4 year, post graduate, doctorate in chiropractic (8 years total). In 2005, the province of Ontario granted the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) the right to offer a professional health care degree under the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act. This decision was based on a thorough review by the government of the curriculum taught at CMCC, and the knowledge that its graduates have upon completion of the program. This degree granting right sets the program at CMCC within the hierarchy of education in Ontario as comparable to that of other primary contact health care professions, such as medicine, dentistry, and optometry. As such, in Canada, chiropractors are indeed doctors, doctors of chiropractic.

In most US states, Chiropractors are considered licensed "physicians" (In 2009, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals changed its policy to include Doctors of Chiropractic as physicians). They attend Chiropractic colleges, which are accredited post-graduate institutions requiring the same 4 year undergraduate education as a pre-requisite for admission as most medical schools. In these five academic year (10 semester) programs they study all the same sciences and medical specialties as medical doctors do. Many people are not aware, in Oregon, chiropractors can perform minor surgery and some even still deliver babies. Thus today in the US, chiropractors are indeed qualified as primary care doctors.

In Switzerland, Chiropractors are trained in medical schools along with medical doctors. Thus, in Switzerland, chiropractors are definitely considered doctors.

In comparison to the previous countries described, in Australia chiropractors complete a 4 year undergraduate degree in chiropractic, followed by a 2 year masters degree in chiropractic. As such, chiropractors trained in Australia are NOT considered doctors.

Answer 4

This is a good question, often asked. A DO is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, they prescribe drugs, perform surgery and function in all capacities of Medical Doctors (MD). They are trained to adjust but it depends on the doctor. I've found that the older DO's are more likely to provide an adjustment, but that's just my experience. A local DO told me once that he cannot afford the time it takes to adjust patients because he makes more writing prescriptions and performing pain management injections. Again, just my experience but a possible explanation as to why DO's who adjust patients are difficult to find. A Chiropractor is your alternative to prescription drugs and surgery. Chiropractors only perform adjustments and often physical rehabilitation in order for the body to function better, including pain relief. As for the adjustment itself, DO adjustments tend to be more general, a Chiropractic adjustment is directed at a specific motion segment.

Hope that helps!

Jennie L. Yates DC

CoreHealth of Clearwater LLC

Answer 5

In short, yes!

However, they are not medical doctors, they are Doctors of Chiropractic.

Chiropractors are specialists of the spine and primarily treat neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Many people are not aware, in Oregon, chiropractors can perform minor surgery and some even still deliver babies.

Although the term doctor historically means "teacher" (thus only a PhD is a true doctor in the historical sense), today our world considers a doctor to be anyone who has graduated from a post graduate doctorate program. In Canada and the United States, for example, Chiropractors must have a 4 year undergraduate degree before starting chiropractic school, then they must complete a 4 year, post graduate, doctorate in chiropractic (8 years total). As such, in North America, chiropractors are indeed doctors, doctors of chiropractic. Similarly, dentists do a 4 year postgraduate doctorate, medical physicians do a 4 year post graduate, optometrists, podiatrists, and veterinarians. Thus, we also have doctors of medicine (M.D.), doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.), doctors of dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), doctors of optometry, doctors of podiatry (D.P.M.), and doctors of veterinary medicine. People with a PhD are typically referred to as doctors of philosophy.

In comparison to North America, in Australia, chiropractors complete a 4 year undergraduate degree, and then a 2 year masters degree in chiropractic. As such, in Australia chiropractors are not called doctors because they do not have a post graduate doctorate degree.

To further validate the use of the term doctor, at least for chiropractors in Canada,

in 2005 the province of Ontario granted the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) the right to offer a professional health care degree under the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act. This decision was based on a thorough review by the government of the curriculum taught at CMCC, and the knowledge that its graduates have upon completion of the program. This degree granting right sets the program at CMCC within the hierarchy of education in Ontario as comparable to that of other primary contact health care professions, such as medicine, dentistry, and optometry.

Answer 6

The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees are equivalent medical degrees. Both are full-fledged physicians that have attended four years of medical school, both types of physician can receive residency training to specialize in any medical field, sit for board certification, etc. So, to answer your core question, yes, both DOs and MDs make for excellent physicians. The difference is that D.O. physicians, on top of the standard curriculum of medical school, receive 300-500 hours of training in a form of manual therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). They are both equivalent degrees with a slightly different approach to patient treatment and care, but both types of physician are highly trained professionals.

Answer 7

If you're asking if a DO is a physician, then the answer is yes. However, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) went to an osteopathic medical school which is slightly different from the medical school that a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) goes to. Both M.D. and D.O. medical schools are four years of training in the biomedical sciences (first 2 years didactic, years 3 and 4 clinical rotations in different medical specialties) but the osteopathic medical school students also receive 300-500 hours of training in a form of manual therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) on top of the standard medical curriculum. After completion of medical school, both DOs and MDs can apply for licensure, for the same speciality residencies, (e.g., DO and MD graduates both can apply for residency in internal medicine), and both can sit for board certification examinations.

Answer 8

To answer your question, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and Doctors of Medicine (M.D.) are both full-fledged physicians with similar training (both types of physician attend four years of medical school and are trained rigorously in the basic and clinical sciences and must successfully complete licensing exams). Both types of physician also can go on to attend residency and specialize in any field of medicine and sit for board certification. The difference is that, in addition to the standard training, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine receive 300-500 hours of additional training in a form of manual therapy known as osteopathic manual manipulation (OMM). So, to answer your probable intended question, yes, a D.O. is also a physician just like an M.D. and are extremely similar, but they are not identical.

Answer 9

The MD and the DO are equivalent degrees. The DO is trained in much the same way as the traditional MD, with a different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO believes in the power of the human body to help in the healing process and attempts to facilitate that process.

The MD and the DO are equivalent degrees. The DO is trained in much the same way as the traditional MD, with a different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO believes in the power of the human body to help in the healing process and attempts to facilitate that process.

The MD and the DO are equivalent degrees. The DO is trained in much the same way as the traditional MD, with a different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO believes in the power of the human body to help in the healing process and attempts to facilitate that process.

The MD and the DO are equivalent degrees. The DO is trained in much the same way as the traditional MD, with a different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO believes in the power of the human body to help in the healing process and attempts to facilitate that process.

The MD and the DO are equivalent degrees. The DO is trained in much the same way as the traditional MD, with a different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO believes in the power of the human body to help in the healing process and attempts to facilitate that process.

The MD and the DO are equivalent degrees. The DO is trained in much the same way as the traditional MD, with a different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO believes in the power of the human body to help in the healing process and attempts to facilitate that process.

Answer 10

The MD and the DO are equivalent degrees. The DO is trained in much the same way as the traditional MD, with a different approach to treatment and patient care. The DO believes in the power of the human body to help in the healing process and attempts to facilitate that process.