Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida

Catalog

Academic Program
 

Purpose

The academic core program of Palmer Florida’s Clinical Mastery Curriculum consists of 412 credits of course study and includes 4,944 contact hours of lecture, active learning sessions, laboratory and clinical education. It comprises 13 quarters of education articulated in a prerequisite sequence. The degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) is awarded upon the successful completion of the required course of study prescribed by graduation. Each student graduating must have earned not less than the final 25 percent of the total credits required for the D.C. degree from Palmer Florida.

The academic program may be completed in 3.25 calendar years of continuous residency. Graduation, however, is contingent upon completion of the program in accordance with the standards of the College, which meet or exceed those of its accrediting agencies.

In addition to courses included in the core curriculum, a variety of procedure electives are available to the students. These electives are designed to complement the study of adjustive procedures included in the Palmer Package and facilitate investigation of specialized techniques.

Doctor of Chiropractic Degree

The Doctor of Chiropractic program is the foundation and purpose of the educational experience at Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida. The course of study prepares the graduate for successful clinical practice as well as for future postgraduate study(ies) if desired.

The Palmer Florida curriculum is designed to thoroughly develop the cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills necessary to set up and maintain a successful practice of chiropractic. Accordingly, the clinical experience is central to the D.C. program. The College’s Clinics, with their apprenticeship-style of training and emphasis on the highest quality of patient care, provide the student doctor with an ideal learning experience.

Clinical Curriculum

Palmer Florida’s Clinical Curriculum continues the Palmer tradition of excellence in chiropractic technique and philosophy while expanding emphasis on chiropractic patient care management and the D.C.’s role as a primary care provider. Palmer Florida’s Clinical Curriculum standardizes the student’s first nine quarters at PCCF to an average of four or five classes (approximately 33.2 hours). Perhaps the most significant feature of the College’s program are the “tracks” of courses, including a series that emphasizes the development of primary-care skills, which focus on specific areas of instruction and are linked by common subject matter over a period of several successive quarters.

Another distinguishing feature of the Palmer Florida program is a curricular synchronicity in which instruction and skill-building in one track prepares students for the next course in the sequence and/or courses in a related track. The Level I Instruction (first two academic periods) focuses significantly on the basic sciences; however, this phase of the program also includes a considerable amount of hands-on activity. Level II Instruction (third and fourth academic periods) focuses on correlative clinical sciences, patient management and business management, including personal and professional development.

The “Structure of the Human” track emphasizes macroscopic anatomy (structures, topographic, palpatory), microscopic anatomy, normal radiological/imaging anatomy, X-ray physics and X-ray positioning, embryonic development, post-natal development and normal age-related changes.

The “Function of the Human” track emphasizes the study of disciplines including Physiology, Pathology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry and the application of basic science disciplines to associated clinical sciences focusing on Physical Examination Skills and Emergency Procedures. This phase of the program also includes a considerable amount of hands-on activity. During Level II instruction, this track emphasizes “primary care” skill development including differential diagnosis and radiological interpretation.

The “Care for the Human” track focuses on chiropractic technique and management skills referred to as the “Palmer Package,” which includes significant laboratory experience as well as clinical rotations. Lectures associated with the labs in this track emphasize technique and focus heavily on care and management of the patient with specific neuromusculoskeletal conditions, heath promotion and wellness care throughout the developmental phases of the lifespan. The sequence of courses in this track begins with regional chiropractic clinical evaluation courses, which are followed by correlative chiropractic clinical evaluation courses.

Separate but related to the focus of this track are additional courses devoted specifically to the evaluation, care and management of the upper and lower extremities, as well as courses focusing on elective adjusting techniques. Several courses, including “Active Care” and “Passive Care,” teach rehabilitation and exercise management and occupational and preventive health, which further prepare PCCF graduates for the duties and responsibilities of the role of primary care provider.

The “Foundations for Practice” track spans the entire program, and includes the study of the history of the chiropractic profession, the philosophy of chiropractic, personal development, ethics, jurisprudence, public health and business management skills necessary to enhance entrepreneurial skills required for success in private practice.

Practice Development Quarter

Another unique feature of the Palmer Florida program is the Practice Development Quarter (PDQ), the 13th (and concluding) quarter of study in the PCCF curriculum. The PDQ program further prepares graduating students for the business and clinical challenges of practice and assists them in exploring professional opportunities for making the transition from student to doctor. PDQ students enjoy a unique opportunity to gain practical experience via field training in the office of a practicing doctor. As an alternative to field practice, the PCCF PDQ program also offers students opportunities to participate as teaching assistants in the PCCF clinical and academic program to explore professional opportunities in academia, research or specialization in preparation for a residency program.

The practical element is but one component of Palmer Florida’s PDQ program. The PDQ program also offers a course in professional development aimed at integrating the practical office experiences gained in the field training program with didactic information.

Where legally permitted by law, students may complete their PDQ contract in areas where they wish to establish a practice. The PDQ preceptorship experience may lead to immediate post-graduate employment in an associateship, thus facilitating easier practice startups.

Chiropractic Philosophy and Research

Philosophy may be defined as that which makes the Doctor of Chiropractic at once akin to other health care practitioners and at the same time unique and different. Chiropractic thus incorporates many important principles, with research as the method used to refine them. A sequence of courses is designed to introduce students to these principles in historical perspective. Palmer Florida is built upon the respected reputation enjoyed by Palmer College of Chiropractic. The Palmer Colleges have become leaders in integrating these concepts into the classroom as well as the profession. The program is at once didactic and at the same time experiential and clinical.

Educational Technology

The entire Palmer Florida campus has a wireless network system, providing for convenient network access anywhere on campus. Classroom facilities are equipped with the capacity to provide adequate electrical power supply for the use of a computer by each student.

The Clinical Mastery Curriculum uses educational technology to enhance the student learning experience. Consequently, each student is required to purchase a notebook computer equipped with applicable software. The necessity for all students to purchase a notebook computer through the college-sponsored program ensures the College’s ability to provide support for the required hardware and software.

Each course within the PCCF program utilizes WebCT as the course management software, and incorporates computer-based features including, but not limited to, course communication between faculty and students, as well as communication among classmates, distribution of course materials, submission of assignments, administration of formative quizzes and reporting of grades.

A full-time Instructional Technologist serves on the faculty of PCCF to support both faculty and students in the use of educational technology to enhance the learning experience. Support is also available to assist students with basic computer literacy skills.

The curriculum focuses on the teaching and subsequent evaluation of student performance in 14 areas of clinical competency required by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), plus six additional areas originally defined by Palmer. These competencies along with the Palmer Abilities present our vision of the specific knowledge, skills and attitudes that will be demonstrated by all Palmer graduates.

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