Live A Pain Free & Healthier Life Through Chiropractic Care

Is a chiropracrator really a doctor?

Becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic is every bit as rigorous as becoming an MD. A Doctor of Chiropractic, or DC for short, must complete four years of undergraduate pre-med. They study anatomy, physiology, chemistry, biology, physics, and psychology. Once accepted into an accredited College of Chiropractic, they must undergo another four to five years of rigorous study, including at least one year doing actual patient care in a clinical program.

Legal Requirements

Once a student has received their degree in chiropractic, and met all the requirements, they still have to undergo–and pass—extensive National Board exams. Once those are successfully completed, they then apply to the state for a license. Only when that license has been granted can they practice as a chiropractor in that state.

In order to provide chiropractic care in Rockville, Maryland or anywhere else in the state, the following must be completed by every applicant.  There are no waivers or exceptions including time deadlines, fees, or scores.  Every applicant must:

The Following Requirements MUST be met by every Applicant – No Exceptions or Waivers, including, scores, fee, and time deadlines, Each Applicant Must:
  • Have been awarded a Bachelor and Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. The Bachelor Degree must be from an accredited college and may have been achieved before, during or after Chiropractic College.
  • Have graduated from a chiropractic college from the above CCE approved list and received his/her degree.
  • Have achieved minimum score of 375 for parts I, II, III and IV and the Physiotherapy Exam.
  • Request all transcripts and exam scores; which must be sent under seal directly from the school and NBCE; directly to the Board. No documentation will be accepted from the applicants.
  • Submit a completed application for licensure, a non-refundable application fee of $200.00 and an examination fee of $300.00. Only bank checks, certified checks or money orders are acceptable. Applications may be downloaded in the ‘Forms’ menu of the website at https://health.maryland.gov/chiropractic/. Note: All transcripts, applications, fees and supporting documentation must be received by the Board at least 45 DAYS (postmarked) PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED EXAMINATION DATE – NO EXCEPTIONS OR WAIVERS. Copies of transcripts are NOT acceptable – only signed, sealed transcripts mailed directly from the school and from NBCE are acceptable. Checks or money orders must be made payable to: “Maryland Board of Chiropractic & Massage Therapy Examiners”.
  • Take/Pass the Maryland Jurisprudence Exam with minimum score of 75%;
  • To practice Physical Therapy, applicants must have passed Physical Therapy (PT) Part of NBCE Exam with a minimum score of 375.

Source: https://health.maryland.gov/chiropractic/Pages/licensurec.aspx

There are obviously other measures that need to be taken in order to get your DC license.