This section is excerpted from chapter nine of
Health Care Job Explosion and features health
diagnosing occupations and assistants. The major occupational groups are:
The chiropractor specialty is included here along with a sampling of
resources from the all new 4th edition of Health Care Job
Explosion!. Dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, physicians, and
veterinarians are featured in the same format as presented for chiropractors in
the text version of Health Care Job Explosion!
Occupational groups are divided into primary and related occupations so that
individuals can investigate other fields for additional job opportunities.
Health Care Job Explosion features over 1,400 career
exploration and job vacancy resources. Resources are grouped with each
occupation and a sample of related resources are included with the first
occupation.
Paul
M. Zubritzky, M.D. graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh in May
of 1973. He graduated from Temple University School of Medicine in May of 1977
and served his residency at Western Pennsylvania Hospital from June 1, 1977
through June 30, 1981. He was certified in 1984 by the American Board of
Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Doctor Zubritzky has been in private practice specializing in Obstetrics,
Gynecology and Infertility for the past 25 years with offices in the suburbs of
Pittsburgh. He is also the Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Ohio Valley
General Hospital.
I asked Dr. Zubritzky why he entered the field, he stated, "I was highly
influenced by my father who was a physician. I never contemplated any other
career." Kiddingly, he followed up with several exceptions. "At age five I
thought about being an auto mechanic. Then at ten a cartoonist and like most 16
year olds I wanted to be a rock star."
Doctor Zubritzky is a member of a number of prestigious professional
organizations including the American Medical Association, Pennsylvania Medical
Society, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Diplomat of the
American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to name a few. I asked him if
he was aware of any unique publications or resources for those seeking career
information or placement services. He suggested a number of publications and
journals including OB GYN News. This publication offers a number of job
classified ads for the field. Many of these resources are listed in this
chapter.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of physicians will grow
faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2008 due to
continued expansion of the health care industries. I asked Dr. Zubritzky what
advice he would give to others who want to enter this field. He stated, "It
takes lots of work and a total commitment. This is a profession and not a nine
to five job. It requires personal integrity, a considerable amount of your time,
and you must realize that up front before entering the field." He further stated
that, "your personal time and life will be sacrificed, however, there is a
balance of both good and bad days." One other point he stressed was that you
must have good people skills to be successful and be cognizant of the fact that
medicine is in evolution and constantly changing. He said, "you must keep
up—more today than when I first started out—with these changes, especially now
with the advances that are being made in all fields."
Note: A complete description of this career choice with
resources is available in chapter nine of the new 4th edition of
Health Care Job Explosion. You will find 221 resources in the book
including web links for all major specialties on pages 270 and 271.
RELATED OCCUPATIONS:
Chiropractors diagnose, treat, and work to prevent disorders and injuries. So
do:
- Dentists
- Occupational Therapists
- Optometrists
- Physical Therapists
- Physicians
- Podiatrists
- Veterinarians
MENU
- Job prospects should be good; employment is expected to increase faster
than average as demand for alternative health care grows.
- Chiropractors must be licensed, requiring 2 to 4 years of under-graduate
education, the completion of a 4-year chiropractic college course, and
passing national and state examinations.
About 58 percent of chiropractors are self-employed.
- Earnings are relatively low in the beginning, but increase as the
practice grows.
Chiropractors, also known as doctors of chiropractic or chiropractic physicians,
diagnose and treat patients whose health problems are associated with the body’s
muscular, nervous, and skeletal systems, especially the spine. Chiropractors
believe that interference with these systems impairs the body’s normal functions
and lowers its resistance to disease. They also hold that spinal or vertebral
dysfunction alters many important body functions by affecting the nervous system
and that skeletal imbalance through joint or particular dysfunction, especially
in the spine, can cause pain.
The chiropractic approach to health care is holistic, stressing the patient’s
overall health and wellness. It recognizes that many factors affect health,
including exercise, diet, rest, environment, and heredity. Chiropractors provide
natural, drugless, nonsurgical health treatments and rely on the body’s inherent
recuperative abilities. They also recommend changes in lifestyle—in eating,
exercise, and sleeping habits, for example—to their patients. When appropriate,
chiropractors consult with and refer patients to other health practitioners.
Like other health practitioners, chiropractors follow a standard routine to
secure the information they need for diagnosis and treatment. They take the
patient’s medical history; conduct physical, neurological, and orthopedic
examinations; and may order laboratory tests. X-rays and other diagnostic images
are important tools because of the chiropractor’s emphasis on the spine and its
proper function. Chiropractors also employ a postural and spinal analysis common
to chiropractic diagnosis.
In cases in which difficulties can be traced to the involvement of
musculoskeletal structures, chiropractors manually adjust the spinal column.
Some chiropractors use water, light, massage, ultrasound, electric stimulation,
acupuncture, and heat therapy. They also may apply sup-ports such as straps,
tapes, and braces. Chiropractors counsel patients about wellness concepts such
as nutrition, exercise, changes in lifestyle, and stress management, but do not
prescribe drugs or perform surgery.
Some chiropractors specialize in sports injuries, neurology, orthopedics,
pediatrics, nutrition, internal disorders, or diagnostic imaging.
Many chiropractors are solo or group practitioners who also have the
administrative responsibilities of running a practice. In larger offices,
chiropractors delegate these tasks to office managers and chiropractic
assistants. Chiropractors in private practice are responsible for developing a
patient base, hiring employees, and keeping records.
Chiropractors work in clean, comfortable offices. Their average workweek is
about 40 hours, although longer hours are not uncommon. Solo practitioners set
their own hours, but may work evenings or week-ends to accommodate patients.
Like other health practitioners, chiropractors are sometimes on their feet for
long periods. Chiropractors who take x-rays must take appropriate precautions
against repeated exposure to radiation.
Chiropractors held about 53,000 jobs in 2004. Approximately 58 percent of
chiropractors are self-employed. Most chiropractors are in solo practice,
although some are in group practice or work for other chiropractors. A small
number teach, conduct research at chiropractic institutions, or work in
hospitals and clinics.
Many chiropractors are located in small communities. However, there still often
are geographic imbalances in the distribution of chiropractors, in part because
many establish practices close to one of the few chiropractic institutions.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Educational Opportunities
- Online healthcare degree & certificate programs
All states and the District of Columbia regulate the practice of chiropractic
and grant licenses to chiropractors who meet the educational and examination
requirements established by the state. Chiropractors can practice only in states
where they are licensed. Some states have agreements permitting chiropractors
licensed in one state to obtain a license in another without further
examination, provided their educational, examination, and practice credentials
meet state specifications.
Most state boards require at least 2 years of undergraduate education; an
increasing number are requiring a 4-year bachelor’s degree. All boards require
the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited chiropractic college leading
to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
For licensure, most state boards recognize either all or part of the four-part
test administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. State
examinations may supplement the National Board tests, depending on state
requirements. All states except New Jersey require the completion of a specified
number of hours of continuing education each year in order to maintain
licensure. Chiropractic associations and accredited chiropractic programs and
institutions offer continuing education programs.
In 2005, 15 chiropractic programs and 2 chiropractic institutions in the United
states were accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education. Applicants are
required to have at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate study leading
toward a bachelor’s degree, including courses in English, the social sciences or
humanities, organic and inorganic chemistry, biology, physics, and psychology.
Many applicants have a bachelor’s degree, which may eventually become the
minimum entry requirement. Several chiropractic colleges offer pre-chiropractic
study, as well as a bachelor’s degree program. Recognition of prechiropractic
education offered by chiropractic colleges varies among the state boards.
Chiropractic programs require a minimum of 4,200 hours of combined classroom,
laboratory, and clinical experience. During the first 2 years, most chiropractic
programs emphasize classroom and laboratory work in basic science subjects such
as anatomy, physiology, public health, microbiology, pathology, and
biochemistry. The last 2 years stress courses in manipulation and spinal
adjustment and provide clinical experience in physical and laboratory diagnosis,
neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics, physiotherapy, and nutrition. Chiropractic
programs and institutions grant the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic.
Chiropractic colleges also offer postdoctoral training in orthopedics,
neurology, sports injuries, nutrition, rehabilitation, radiology, industrial
consulting, family practice, pediatrics, and applied chiropractic sciences. Once
such training is complete, chiropractors may take specialty exams leading to "diplomate" status in a given specialty. Exams are administered by specialty
chiropractic associations.
Chiropractic requires keen observation to detect physical abnormalities. It also
takes considerable manual dexterity, but not unusual strength or endurance, to
perform adjustments. Chiropractors should be able to work independently and
handle responsibility. As in other health-related occupations, empathy,
understanding, and the desire to help others are good qualities for dealing
effectively with patients.
Newly licensed chiropractors can set up a new practice, purchase an established
one, or enter into partnership with an established practitioner. They also may
take a salaried position with an established chiropractor, a group practice, or
a health care facility.
Job prospects are expected to be good for persons who enter the practice of
chiropractic. Employment of chiropractors is expected to grow faster than
average for all occupations through the year 2014 as consumer demand for
alternative health care grows. Because chiropractors emphasize the importance of
healthy lifestyles and do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, chiropractic
care is appealing to many health-conscious Americans. Chiropractic treatment of
the back, neck, extremities, and joints has become more accepted as a result of
research and changing attitudes about alternative, noninvasive health care
practices. The rapidly expanding older population, with its in-creased
likelihood of mechanical and structural problems, also will increase demand for
chiropractors.
Demand for chiropractic treatment, however, is related as well to the ability of
patients to pay, either directly or through health insurance. Although more
insurance plans now cover chiropractic services, the extent of such coverage
varies among plans. Increasingly, chiropractors must educate communities about
the benefits of chiropractic care in order to establish a successful practice.
Median annual earnings of salaried chiropractors were $69,910 in May 2004. The
middle 50 percent earned between $46,710 and $118,280 a year. In 2005, the mean
salary for chiropractors was $104,363, according to a survey conducted by
Chiropractic Economics magazine.
In chiropractic, as in other types of independent practice, earnings are
relatively low in the beginning and increase as the practice grows. Geographic
location and the characteristics and qualifications of the practitioner also may
influence earnings. Self-employed
In this occupation, replacement needs arise almost entirely from retirements.
Chiropractors usually remain in the occupation until they retire; few transfer
to other occupations. Establishing a new practice will be easiest in areas with
a low concentration of chiropractors.
Over 221 total resources are presented in the paperback version of
Health Care Job Explosion! 4th edition by Dennis V. Damp for this
occupational group. Resources include Job Ads, Job Hotlines, Job Fairs,
Placement services, Associations, Books, Directories and Internet (Web) Sites.
Your local library may have this book in their reference section or you can
purchase a copy for $19.95 plus shipping with all major credit cards from our
toll free service at 1-800-782-7424 (Orders Only).
American Chiropractic Association (ACA) - 1701 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA
22209; 800/986-4636. (www.amerchiro.org,
memberinfo@acatoday.org) The ACA
has about 20,000 members who are doctors or chiropractic assistants. The
Education and Training section of the web site, accessible in the patient
information tab, has information about education requirements and includes lists
of colleges and state licensing boards. The membership tab includes job ads and
practices for sale.
Canadian Chiropractic Association - 1396 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario
M6R 2H2, Canada; 416/781-5656. Information on education, certification and the
Student Canadian Chiropractic Association is located on this site. To access
information about becoming a chiropractor in Canada go to their web site at (http://www.ccachiro.org,
ccachiro@ccachiro.org).
Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, 5401 W. 10th Street, Suite 101,
Greeley, CO 80634; 970/356-3500.(http://www.fclb.org,
info@fclb.org) Organization of state boards
in the US, Canadian provinces and Australia. Contact for information on state
education and licensing requirements. Also has directory of educational
programs.
International Chiropractic Association (ICA) - 1110 N Glebe Rd., Suite 650,
Arlington, VA 22201; 800/423-4690. Association of chiropractors. (http://www.chiropractic.org,
chiro@chiropractic.org) Student
section has scholarships, health insurance, and seminars.
Federal Jobs Net (Career Center)
http://federaljobs.net The federal government employees
over 100,000 health care professionals. Use this site to explore all
occupations. Includes a comprehensive skills to agency index, application guide,
and job search techniques and resources, including valuable web site links. This
service steers visitors to civil service job vacancies.
Environmental Health and Safety Jobs & Career Center - Visit
http://ehsjobs.org for
information on EHS Safety and Environmental jobs.
Opportunities in Chiropractic Health-Care Careers - by Bart Green, Claire
Johnson, and Louis Sportelli, McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN: 007141164X. Provides
essential information for a career in the chiropractic field, including advice
on selecting a college and financing education.
The following nursing occupations are featured in the all new 4th edition of
Health Care Job Explosion!. Each of the following occupations are featured
exactly like the Chiropractor occupational
description and includes resources for each listing. Your local library may have
this book in their reference section or you can purchase a copy for $19.95 plus
$5.75 shipping with all major credit cards from our toll free service at
1-800-782-7424 (Orders Only). Also available at bookstores nationwide.
- Dentists
- Optometrists
- Physician assistants
- Physicians
- Veterinarians
