Overrated Career: Chiropractor

Reader Comments
Back to article

Very interesting article. It would be great if you waited until 2009 to see who consumer reports rated the best for treating back pain. Please check scienitific based research before you write these defaming articles. Chiropractic is the best for treating neck and back pain in all recent studies. Also, I was a 3.9 college student who wanted to be a Doctor of Chiropractic. I do earn 15-20 times the amount you posted. Maybe, interview a happy working Doctor of Chiropractic before defaming an entire profession. I always loved US News before reading thus article.

Dr Brad Bárez, DC of CA 10:47PM February 08, 2012

I just graduated. Today I applied to Academy Sports and Outdoors because I can make more money there than I can working in Chiropractic. The education is complete crap. I have an undergraduate degree from a real University and I was absolutely appalled by what was taking place. Students had copies of all the tests we took and the cheating was absolutely out of control. When I see people saying Chiro school is equivalent to Medical School, you have got to be kidding me. Oh, and any education before chiro school was rare. 3 years of chiro school makes you a Dr, ok?? What did I learn in Chiropractic school, still trying to figure that out, all I really remember is love everyone and fake it till you make it, ok, whatever that means. But this awesome idea cost me almost 200,000 dollars and like I said, today I applied to Academy. I took a position but quickly quit because I was being paid 12.50/hour for a 30 hour work week. Really, thats like 9 dollars an hour for a 40 hour work week. 7 years of college education and 200,000 dollars later and this is what I get. A title, and 9 bucks an hour. Not to mention all the frivolous charges that were being made that I couldnt associate myself with. Is it common in the real world to take cervical x-rays on all your sciatica patients? This is just the tip of the iceberg of all the fraud that was taking place in this office. What did I learn from this experience, if you want to make it in Chiropractic, rape peoples' insurance for all it is worth. Is that how some of you are making all that money. Great, but how am I, a new graduate supposed to get paid by insurance, thanks for ruining it for those of us with ethics. Tell me again that Chiropractors dont eat their young, yeah right, and the leaders of this profession might be the worst at it. Just take a look at what kind of cars and lavish lifestyles some of the leaders of this profession are living, at the students expense. In school we were told that only about 30% of graduates practice and this makes sense because about 30% of my class was either corrupt enough or had loaded parents that are going to take care of them and their practice financially. My experience with Chiropractic thus far has been horrible, but I am not giving up so dont call me a loser or a failure because I am going to try and make it. I dont have loaded parents and my ethics are intact so wish me luck, but with tight budgeting and close assistance working with a banker I hope to be able to open my own practice within a year or two. This profession needs to grow up, get organized, and stop calling stuff that ISNT chiropractic, chiropractic. I would never recommend someone go to chiropractic school and I hope to make some serious changes to this profession once I get going. Alot of you will not like what I have to say but I dont care because whats taking place now, from school to practice is severly messed up.

What a joke of ID 10:12PM February 07, 2012

I am a formerly practicing DC and currently in the military. As such, I travel around the country fairly often. I make it a point to visit a few chiropractic offices whenever I go somewhere. I will say that the vast majority of the offices I've been in are struggling at best. As chiropractors we tend to lie to eachother about how well practice is going, specifically how well we are being paid by ourselves. No one wants to be seen as a failure. My intent on visiting offices is two-fold: 1) get adjusted and 2) see the status of the profession across the country. Nearly every time I go into an office and ask how practice is going I get an answer something like, "It's doing pretty good." Then they start asking me about what I do and how much I make. Since I am in the military my pay is public record (with a little knowledge of my rank, how long I've been in and any extra pay I receive)" In short, when I tell them I make about $93K /yr their tone changes and the truth starts to come out. As a way to treat people, chiropractic is a fantastic method. But, as a profession it is still imature and stuck in the past. When practicing chiropractors and the "primarily self-proclaimed" leadership in chiropractic can't agree on what the profession is about, how can the public, government(s) or insurance companies?
There are some out there that are dong very well. Their ability to do well is certainly not based on their abilities as a chiropractor (completely different topic). It would appear that one's success is based on their ability to market their practice and the economy in the area in which the practice is located.
I will also say that while I practiced I provided coverage for well over 25 offices in a major city. I was appalled at some of the things I saw in some of those offices in order to get reimbursed. I saw my notes changed to bill for services I didn't perform (but the bill it anyway), front office staff asking me to sign super-bills indicating work that wasn't performed (but a standard item billed), no notes at all unless requested for - in which cae the DC would sit down and make-up the information based on the days the patient had been seen according to billing records. I was asked at one office to change the notes of the MD/PA to match what the DC office had as diagnosis and to include statements (from the MD) to recommend continuation of chiropractic treatments (PI cases).
I still feel that chiropractic has great potenetial, but only if as a profession we are able to come together. CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

DC MILITARY OFF of AZ 12:19PM January 31, 2012

Jim of MO...you "paid your own way through" in the 70's when it was very economical, even with inflation considered. You practiced in the 70's and 80's when reimbursements were good. You had circumstances that were different than they are now. Each of us has our own set of circumstances and our lives are all unique - thank goodness! Please step down off of the platform on which you are standing in judgement of those of us who are "recent" graduates and are trying hard to figure out how to hold on to our dream of helping people while making a decent living, pay off the debt, etc. I take responsibility for the choice to go to school and for the loans and the debt. I am not asking anyone for pity. I can only say that I know multiple chiropractors who graduated in 2008/2009 who have and are still seriously struggling to find their way and build their businesses (whether cash, insurance, traditional, nutrition, acupuncture or other types of practice) and can barely pay the bills but who are good, well-trained, genuine doctors with patients who love them whom they have helped significantly (myself included). I also know equally as many who are doing well. Though, I will say there seems to be a demarkation somewhere around 2006 - after that, graduates seem to be having more issues than those who came before. Even still, some from before are struggling too. I am not sure I would make the same choice over again, but if it is the only way I would have met my husband and the wonderful friends I have now, I would. Is this what I will do for the rest of my career? Probably always at least on a part-time basis because I enjoy it and if my efforts pay off, then full-time. But Jim, we live in a world requiring financial solvency and, being in my late 30's with $150K plus in student loans and a family to consider, I have to make the choices that are best for me. It is good for you to be in the position you are in - just please be careful about passing judgement. It is impossible to know someone else's life enough to do so with accuracy.
I have helped many and take to heart the well-being of each of my patients. Where I am at this moment is not where I thought I would be at this point. I work every day to move forward in my life. I think anyone going into healthcare right now is likely aware of the questionability of the entire picture/future. My husband is a chiropractor who believes whole heartedly in chiropractic and is a wonderful doctor and is currently back in school full-time (while still practicing) to become a PA. He is excited about that and and I am happy for him. People don't usually pursue careers in healthcare only because of money - we want to help people have good health so they can be happy - it is the same as what we want for ourselves and our loved ones! It is just difficult to know what to do when you are working hard and not seeing results. I wish great success for anyone with a good heart, good business practices, intelligence & intuition.

M.W. of MO 11:13PM January 28, 2012

i have been a chiropractor for 20+ years and it was the worst financial decision i have ever made. I get patients frequently that have been failed by chiropractors, medical doctors, PT's, etc...and usually can significantly improve their conditions and their overall health..Natural Healing is awesome clinically .. but this doesn't translate into financial rewards for me. I should have went into medicine or been a stockbroker or wokred for a large corporation... it would have required less effort and I would have probably been wealthy by now... After all, medicine, chiropractic, financials, and much business in the U.S.A. has deteriorated away from goods and service producing endeavors into maximal profits and minimal risk business models. Most (not all...but most) M.D's, D.C.'s etc that I've visited that are making good money talk the talk of maximal patient benefit but really spend minimize patient time and lack a customized individual examination and treatment to provide optimal healing response in shortest possible time.But really they were much more discerning than me... knowing that the vast majority of patients/clients would simply throw away their greater longevity and new found vitality on T.V. , sports events, voting for the same worthless politicians, promiscuity, listening to longwinded preachers..rabbis, imans, talk show hosts, dis-information newscasts, pornography, caffeine, junk food, etc. So I believe the problem isn't really Chiropractic, medical Doctors, etc...but the 90%+ of humanity that is depending on the 10% of us that produce enough beneficial and services to keep the rest of them afloat.

John Eagle of IL 5:24PM December 19, 2011

been a chiropractor for 15 years IT IS THE BEST it is not a job but a life style. Love helping people from 1 or 2 days old to 95 years plus live life at its best. chiropractic is unlimited. You must attend a school that teaches real chiropractic not some medical wanabe stuff. Many chiropractors just never learned what true chiropractic can do. I have never advertised and my office is the absolute best.

Judd of NY 11:02PM December 17, 2011

Chiropractic has the highest debt to income ratio of any other professional school I can find. You pay close to $200,000 for school and jobs offer $3,000-$4,500/ month. That will give you about a $1200 a month school loan payment, license renewal for $400/yr and malpractice is about $1000/year. Go to physical therapy school for approximately 25% of the cost of chiro school, have 90+% multi-professional acceptance (chiropractors have none), make $10,000 more a year on average with job benefits such as malpractice paid for, PTO, health insurance (almost no chiropractic jobs have this).
I am a chiro, worst decision I ever made. I am not a con artist and this job requires a lot of that. They should be trusted less than used car salesmen.

Chiropractor of 3 years of TX 10:41AM December 05, 2011

Its true that some Chiropractors claim the ability to heal various conditions that are not musculoskeletal in nature.
This is not what is taught in chiropractic college, those few that say they can cure asthma other like conditions should not call themselves a Chiropractor. This and unapproved techniques that are taught in a weekend seminar then use to treat patients give chiropractic a bad name.
If a chiropractor wants to practice using other than mainstream methods-FINE, just dont call youself a Chiropractor. Its mis-leading as to what patients should expext as they may change from my office to yours.

Dr. J. D. Harrell of AL 9:26PM November 22, 2011

I wanted to add to the already very honest and accurate comments: The only thing that is worse than still being in student loan debt as so many in this overly expensive, grossly underpaid,disrespected and unappreciative profession are, is doing what I did. Working like a madman for ten years after graduation to build a successful practice without loans(which are unattainable due to the $140,000 student loan debt you will be in at graduation), sacrificing time, family and whatever else was neccessary to diligently pay off my entire student loan debt, only to have my practice and career ripped out from under me by the AZ chiro board and patients who make a living suing successful practices. So, you thought you were done jumping through hoops after 4 years of chiro school, National boards parts 1-4, juror's prudence exams, being an exam doc, an associate and finally starting your own practice and managing to pull out a paycheck when it is all said and done? Well guess what? Unless you are willing to submit to to whim and will of your state board (5 angry little people who would love to see the world as miserable as they are),and pray they are nothing like Arizona's, your practice hangs by a thread every minute of every day. Thinking of going to chiro school, think long and hard, and when your done,if you're still considering it, start all over again!

Alfred Lamanna DC 8:58PM September 30, 2011

Lets be absolutely honest about this profession. I have been a chiropractic physician for 15 years specializing in holistic and nutritional medicine. Many in the area utilize me as a primary care physician, but the truth is this. I do not know of a worse profession to have picked for career. Half the time I work for free. There are no benefits. After 15 years of school , my student loans still are not paid off and i will probably be dead before they are. Chiropractors do eat their own. There are some many scum bag doctors that screw up the profession for the rest of us that it is impossible to make what I do valid to anyone in the medical community. As far as the schools, they just out right lie to you upon entrance about the future. The chiropractors making the big dollars with the great comments on here normally have high volume practices that have led to audits for the entire profession. Chiropractic helps so many people it is a shame that that the chiropractor can hardly survive financially. If you want to deal with low self esteem and depression go to chiropractic school. The debt , inability to find a real job when your office fails , and stress on your family will do you in mentally.

bfgdgd of IL 5:59PM September 14, 2011