How Long Does It Take to Become a Chiropractor?

Every year, hundreds of students enroll into chiropractic school and begin their journey to gaining their degree. Becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic is an amazing opportunity; however, many find themselves asking how long it takes to become a chiropractor.

For most, the journey can be finished within just a few short years. The average chiropractic program will be three and a half years for those who finish the way it was designed. Not all students complete the degree in that amount of time, though, for a number of different reasons.

Entering a graduate program, many students have already reached the age where they have started a family or have previously held another career job. These students, along with many others, often choose to take the program at a slower pace. Students have the option of choosing between a full-load schedule or going modified for their chiropractic education.

Full-Load Schedule

Taking classes in the full-load schedule means the student will potentially complete the program in the amount of time that it was intended - usually in three and a half years. These students take on a complete schedule of classes each quarter and will essentially spend all their time at school much like having a nine to five job.

Being a full-load student can be stressful, but students learn how to manage their time well and allocate the needed amount of time for studying and learning the material. Having all those classes often means that some extracurricular activities will have to be forfeited, so students should plan accordingly and see how they best fit into their new schedule.

Modified Schedule

Many students choose to take the program at a slightly slower pace in order to have more free time for learning the material better, spending more time in clubs and seminars, or just having free time for extracurricular activities.

The downside of going modified is that students will graduate at a slower pace that the full-load student. How much longer their graduation takes depends upon the number of courses they choose to take on each quarter. These students often rely much more on advisers for assistance on which classes to take and when to take them since their schedule is different from the intended full-load schedule.

So, Which Schedule Do I Choose?

Choosing between modified and full-load is a very personal choice. The biggest factors come down to what the student can personally handle and how much of their free time they don't mind giving up in order to complete the courses. Student do have to consider their financial options while picked their course load to ensure their schedule is meeting the recommended number of hours.
Chiropractic schools allow students to change between being a full-load student or a modified student, so the choice does not have to be made right away. Many students choose to start out full-load to get a feel for the program before they decide if the modified schedule is right for them. Take the time to research your school's course load and see what program personally works best for you.