Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida

Academics

D.C. Program
 

Purpose

The purpose of the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Palmer Florida is to educate and prepare students to become Doctors of Chiropractic qualified to serve as primary contact health care providers and to serve humanity through patient care and community education.

All applications for admission are welcomed by Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida. Entries to the program can be made four times a year: in January, April, July or November. The Admissions Department is available for consultation with high school students, college students or others who wish to consider a career in chiropractic health care. A visit to Palmer Florida campus is strongly recommended as part of the planning process.

Selection of Candidates

Candidates are selected based on several factors, which may include Grade Point Average (GPA), total number of credits completed, prerequisite GPA, letters of recommendation and the personal profile/essay. Personal interviews may be conducted. We request that you apply one year in advance.

Applications received later than 60 days prior to enrollment may not be considered. Only written communication directly from the Admissions Department is considered official.

Chiropractic Degree Requirements

Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida operates on the quarter system, with an academic program consisting of 13 quarters that can be completed in 3.25 calendar or 4.33 academic years. The curriculum contains a minimum of 4,944 contact hours of instruction, which must be completed within eight calendar years.

In order to receive a degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida, a student must have satisfied all academic and clinical requirements and must have earned not less than the final 25 percent of the total credits required for the D.C. degree from Palmer Florida, allowing up to 75 percent of the total credits through advanced standing.

National Board Examinations

The National Board examinations are divided into two sections: written examinations (Part I, II, III and Physiotherapy) and practical examinations (Part IV). The written exams are administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners in March and September at multiple test sites in the United States and Canada, while the practical examinations are administered at multiple sites in the United States in May and November. Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida is a test site for the National Board examinations offered in March and September. Tests are also given in France and Australia.

NBCE Pass Rates

In the following links are weighted arithmetic averages of consecutive first-time percent pass rates of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) examinations. Palmer Florida student pass rates are compared to average pass rates of student from all chiropractic colleges.

NBCE Pass Rates  Adobe Acrobat™ required

Graduation Rates

The following are measures of the percentage of each matriculating class that has graduated at the 100th percentile and within the 150th percentile of the program over the past two years. Graduation rates do not include transfer students in and out of the program.

Licensure Requirements

Due to the various licensure requirements in each of the 50 states, as well as other countries, it is strongly recommended that applicants contact the respective Boards of Examiners regarding pre-chiropractic educational requirements in states and countries where they may consider practicing after graduation. The prerequisites for admission to the Palmer Doctor of Chiropractic degree program are established in compliance with the standards, rules and guidelines for the Council on Chiroprac-tic Education (CCE). Neither acceptance for admission into the program nor the subsequent earning of a Doctor of Chiropractic degree guarantees that a state or foreign country will grant a graduate a license to practice chiropractic. Each state and foreign country, through its legislative and administrative process, defines the standards of competency and scope of practice of chiropractic within its jurisdiction. Such standards may include, but are not limited to, the pre-chiropractic and chiropractic education of the applicant for licensure. State board licensure reports and international licensing information are available in the Registrar’s Office.

Technical Standards Policy

Palmer Florida defines the purpose and practice of chiropractic through its Tenets. Recognizing that the academic, clinical, social and personal preparation for the practice of chiropractic requires both mental and physical abilities, Palmer College of Chiropractic requires that all qualified students admitted to the Doctor of Chiropractic program must be able to perform the following essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Candidates must have sufficient use of sense of vision, hearing and somatic sensation necessary to perform the chiropractic and general physical examination, including the procedures of inspection, palpation, auscultation and the review of radiographs as taught in the curriculum.
• Candidates must have sufficient physical strength and coordination to stand alone and perform the common chiropractic examination and adjustive procedures as taught in the curriculum.
• Candidates must have sufficient physical strength and coordination of both upper extremities necessary to apply chiropractic adjustments as taught in the curriculum.

Palmer College of Chiropractic does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admissions process. After a candidate has been admitted to the chiropractic degree program, the College invites and encourages voluntary self-identification of students with disabilities. The College seeks to accommodate students with disabilities on an individual basis if supported by specific information and assessment data documented by appropriate licensed professionals.

The degree of Doctor of Chiropractic, in and of it-self, does not entitle the recipient to practice chiropractic. Those who earn the degree must apply for a license to practice in the jurisdiction of their choice.

Technical Standards Procedure

It has been recognized that individuals may self-identify as having a disability at four different stages in the education process:

1. prior to applying for admission;
2. during application process;
3. after acceptance as a student but prior to attending classes; or
4. while currently attending classes.

While inviting and encouraging voluntary self-identification by students with disabilities, the College has always related to their students as responsible adults with the independent right to make such life decisions. One of those responsibilities is to work with the Office of Student Learning and Development (OSLD) in requesting reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids and services pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Handbook for Students and Applicants with Disabilities.

Individuals who self-identify their disabilities during any of the four stages, referenced above shall be referred to the coordinator of the OSLD. The OSLD coordinator will work in concert with the Disability Steering Committee whenever a question arises as to an individual’s ability to meet the requirements of the technical standards. A Disability Steering Committee has been established at each College in order to adjudicate this process in a timely manner. The OSLD coordinator will serve in a systems role to ensure compliance with this policy.

In considering a self-identifying prospective or actual applicant with a disability, the coordinator and/or the Committee may require an interview with the candidate to determine if the individual meets the technical standards sufficient to complete the curriculum. The coordinator and the Committee may request supporting documentation to be provided by the self-identifying individual from an appropriate licensed professional. All such professionals will be asked to identify what academic adjustments or reasonable accommodations, if any, would be required. If the coordinator and the Committee assess the individual as meeting the technical standards, the prospective applicant will be encouraged to apply. Similarly, if the coordinator and the Committee determine that an applicant has met the technical standards, the admissions review process will continue. If the coordinator and Committee determine that an individual does not meet the technical standards, that individual will be withdrawn from further consideration.

In considering a matriculated student with a disability, the coordinator shall proceed pursuant to the Policies and Procedures for Enrolled Students under the Handbook for Students and Applicants with Disabilities.

Prerequisite Education

The Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida prerequisites for admission to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program are in compliance with the standards, rules and guidelines of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). The intensive Palmer Florida curriculum demands a thorough undergraduate preparation. In the admission procedure, each candidate is evaluated on academic performance, science courses performance and the total number of hours of college credit completed. All applicants must furnish proof of having acquired a minimum of 90 semester hours or equivalent of college credit leading toward a baccalaureate degree at an institution or institutions accredited at the college level by an accrediting body that has been listed as nationally recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. All entering students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale for the required prerequisite courses and the required 90 semester hours. In situations in which one or more courses have been repeated with equivalent courses at the same institution, the higher grade(s), regardless of sequencing, may be used for grade point average computation and the other grade(s) may be disregarded.

If your grade point average falls below the present CCE minimum, feel free to contact the Admissions Department. We may be able to help you meet the matriculation requirements. Call us toll free at (866) 585-9677 if you have any questions about requirements.

Please note: Although it is not a prerequisite for admission, a Bachelor’s Degree is required in order to graduate from the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Palmer Florida. Applicants that have earned a Bachelor’s Degree prior to being accepted into the Palmer Florida program will be awarded priority seating. Individual state licensing boards may also require additional education prior to entering a chiropractic college. Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the United States Virgin Islands require a Bachelor’s Degree in order gain state licensure. It is imperative that you confirm all information with the licensing board of the state, province or country in which you desire to be licensed. Licensure telephone numbers are available by calling (800) 722-3648 and asking for the Institutional Planning and Research Department.

Each individual prerequisite credit must be earned with a grade of 2.00/4.00 or better. Undergraduate credit earned at an accredited college or university must be applicable toward a baccalaureate degree. Inquires regarding the acceptability of specific prerequisite courses satisfying Palmer Florida requirements are welcome. Please include a photocopy of your college’s course offerings and course descriptions with your questions. This will enable us to assist you in selecting the proper courses.

The following table shows the number of students enrolled in the most recent year distributed into pre-admission grade point average ranges:

Prerequisite courses must be completed before matriculation at Palmer Florida. No applicant is eligible to matriculate with less than a 2.50 GPA in the 48 hours of required prerequisites and fewer than 90 total semester hours (135 quarter hours) completed. Call toll free (866) 585-9677 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) if you have any questions about requirements.

An educational institution may contact the Admissions Department for assistance and advice concerning its particular scholastic curriculum, as well as the introduction of a pre-chiropractic program at its institution.

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