Palmer College of Chiropractic

Academic Programs

D.C. Program
 

Purpose

The purpose of the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Palmer 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. Entries to the program can be made three times a year: in March, 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 the Palmer 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/essays. 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 operates on the trimester system, with an academic program consisting of 10 trimesters that can be completed in 3.35 calendar or 5 academic years. The curriculum contains a minimum of 4,620 classroom hours of instruction, which must be completed within eight calendar years.

In order to receive a degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic, 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, 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 examinations are administered in March and September at multiple test sites in the United States and Canada by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, while the practical examinations are administered at multiple sites in the United States in May and November. Palmer College of Chiropractic is a test site for all of the National Board examinations. Tests also are 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 Davenport student pass rates are compared to average pass rates from students from all chiropractic colleges.

NBCE Pass Rates Adobe Acrobat ™ required

Graduation Rates

63 percent of students graduating from 2002 through 2005 completed the program on time, in ten trimesters. Eighty percent of students graduating during the same time period completed the program in either ten or eleven trimesters.

Licensure Requirements

Due to the various licensure requirements in each of the 50 states, as well as in other countries internationally, 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 Chiropractic 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 Department of Institutional Planning and Research.

Technical Standards Policy

Palmer 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 Colleges invite and encourage voluntary self-identification of students with disabilities. The Colleges seek 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 itself, 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, Palmer College of Chiropractic 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 intensive Palmer 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 as well as 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 at (800) 722-3648 if you have any questions about requirements.

Please note: Although it is not a prerequisite for admission, Palmer College of Chiropractic recommends students complete a Bachelor’s Degree prior to entering the D.C. program. Individual state licensing boards may 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 to 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. Inquiries regarding the acceptability of specific prerequisite courses satisfying Palmer 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 College. 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 (800) 722-3648 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST 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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