At the clinic we often get asked what education is required in order to become a Chiropractor or a Naturopathic Doctor (ND). They graduate with degrees in chiropractic medicine and naturopathic medicine respectively. Please read on to learn about the journey to receiving those degrees!
Education Merits
Chiropractors and ND’s go through eight years of higher education before they can be licensed. Like most people in the medical field, chiropractors and ND’s generally have four years of an undergraduate education. They tend to complete pre-med programs and have taken courses in the sciences but is not always the case. After this is completed, an application to the Chiropractic or Naturopathic schools is required (both located in Toronto). Then there is an interview, and if the applicant is successful they are accepted to the program. To complete a chiropractic graduate program, the student must complete four years of school with 4,200 hours of course credits. To practice, Canadian Chiropractors must pass written and practical exams administered by the Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board (CCEB). The Naturopathic program is similar to the Chiropractic one, as it is also four years and similar hours are spent on course credits. ND’s must complete a 2 part NPLEx exam administered by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners. Then, both Chiropractors and ND’s can apply for licensure in a province or territory. Regulatory boards will also need letters of reference, a passing grade on the legislation and ethics exam, and criminal screening before the applicant is able to practice.
What is taught during the programs
Chiropractors focus a lot of their learning on anatomy of the body, learning about bones, muscles, nerves, and blood flow. Many Chiropractors will focus on manipulating the spine. They have also studied how the spine affects the functioning of the body, so adjustments do not just help with pain, they can also affect digestion, asthma symptoms, and vertigo to name a few. They can adjust and heal lower back pain, whiplash-related conditions, and neck pain, as well as extremities (shoulders, elbows, wrists, TMJ, knees, feet). Chiropractors can also administer posture testing and analysis and other tests to promote healthy practices.
Naturopathic Doctors are sometimes referred to as the ‘jack of all trades’ as their curriculum is dense and many modalities are learned. Nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, hydrotherapy, massage, chiropractic manipulations, diet and lifestyle, herbs, homeopathy and counselling are all apart of the Naturopathic curriculum. Most ND’s will use a combination of these therapies in your treatment plan, and often the combination works well to get you to optimal health.
Chiropractic and Naturopathic Medicine at the Dronyk Health Clinic
Both Chiropractic and Naturopathic medicine are practiced at the Dronyk Health Clinic. Often patients are treated thoroughly and all aspects of their health are assessed and treated. Preventative medicine is also a large part of what we focus on at the Dronyk Health Clinic. Chiropractic and Naturopathic services are included in most work health insurance plans. Please give the clinic a call at 519-894-0024 if you have further questions or would like to book an appointment.
