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Dr. Lowe How to Prepare Patient-to-Patient Fibromyalgia Research Foundation 
The Metabolic Treatment |
Summary: The educational requirements for the MD degree (doctor of medicine) are often exaggerated, and that of the DC degree (doctor of chiropractic) underestimated. Here, we compare the actual requirements for each degree. A couple of years ago, I became alarmed over several posts to Internet newsgroups regarding chiropractic education. Those who wrote the posts grossly underestimated the educational requirements for the Doctor of Chiropractic degree. We spent a few days locating documents to verify the educational requirements for both MD and DC degrees. We then posted the information to the Internet. By doing so, we thought we officially set the record straight. In short order, however, I came to my senses: Presenting information that contradicts a human's well-entrenched false beliefs is not a particularly effective way to alter the beliefs. What brought me to my senses was communication with a friend, a medical physician, who read our post. As you'll see below, our post clearly shows that compared to medical colleges, chiropractic colleges require more courses for admission and more classroom hours for graduation. The documentation (see below) is a matter of public record that anyone can easily verify. Despite the facts we presented in our post, my friend/physician commented to me, "Well, yes, I see what the documentation says . . . but you know, John, MDs really do have more education." If some friends, despite learning the facts, tenaciously hold to their false beliefs about chiropractic education, I figure the public in general is even more likely to do so. Nonetheless, truths are more likely to be accepted, eventually, if broadcast persistently. So, with this in mind, I here present the documentation again--just to set the record straight. —Dr. John C. Lowe Comparison of the Education of DCs and MDs Both chiropractic and medical schools require certain course work for admission. These vary from school to school. Very few schools of either type require a bachelor's degree, although some specify that they prefer the applicant have such a degree. Chiropractic colleges do not require the MCAT. Some medical schools do. Contrary to common belief, some medical schools (including high profile institutions) require the bare minimum of undergraduate requirements. We took the admission requirements for medical schools from the publication titled: Medical School Admission Requirements, 1997-1998: United States and Canada, 47th edition (published by The Association of American Medical Colleges). Admission requirements for accredited chiropractic schools are dictated by the Council on Chiropractic Colleges (the agency appointed by the U.S. Dept. of Education to accredit chiropractic colleges). There has been some question on the newsgroup about the qualifications of the DC to diagnose fibromyalgia. We encourage the reader to note that chiropractic school involves between 400-to-600 more classroom hours than medical school. This was shown by two studies in the 1970s. The Parker College study more recently reported that on average, chiropractic college involves 372 more classroom hours than medical school. Chiropractic students also have more hours of training in anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, and orthopedics (the musculoskeletal system). It should be apparent from looking at the data below that in general, the chiropractic student has a more extensive classroom education and practical training in these areas, particularly in diagnosis, than the medical student. Requirements for Admission to Parker College of Chiropractic Biological Science (with lab)..............1 year Harvard Medical School Biology (with lab)..............................1
year Stanford University School of
Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Biological Science (with lab).........8 semester hours The following is published by the Parker College of Chiropractic, 2500 Walnut Hill, Dallas, Texas 75229 (214) 438-6932: Degree Requirements These basic educational requirements for graduates of both chiropractic and medical schools show that although each has its own specialties, the hours of classroom instruction are about the same. (The class hours for basic science comparisons were compiled and averaged following a review of curricula of 18 chiropractic colleges and 22 medical schools, based on the 1988-1989 Association of American Medical College Curricula.)
Minimum Required Hours 456.........Anatomy &
Embryology............215 College Faculty The U.S. Department of Education, through the separate accrediting agencies for chiropractic and medical schools, dictates the credentials of faculty members. In both chiropractic and medical schools, the classes for the first two academic years are usually basic sciences. Faculty members in the basic sciences divisions are either Ph.D.s in each subject taught (such as microbiology or biochemistry), or D.C.s, M.D.s, or D.O.s who also have bachelors, masters, or Ph.D. degrees in the basic science subjects being taught. Classes in the clinical sciences division are usually taught by D.C.s, M.D.s, or D.O.s. In many chiropractic colleges, M.D.s or D.O.s are permitted to teach certain courses, such as laboratory diagnosis. However, D.C.s must teach courses in which M.D.s or D.O.s don't have sufficient education or practical clinical experience. Some chiropractic colleges have active research departments in which researchers conduct both basic science and clinical studies. The subjects of study range from biomechanics to biochemistry. Traditionally, chiropractic colleges had only minuscule research funding compared to medical schools. I recall political medicine using this fact as evidence that chiropractic wasn't legitimate. However, the medical critics failed confess that the minimal funding or lack of it was a result of political medicine doing everything in its power to block funding of studies in chiropractic college. Obviously, political medicine used a circular and disingenuous argument to deceive the public. Today, chiropractic colleges are receiving more funding for research. Some medical schools have D.C.s as full-time faculty members. The University of Colorado School of Medicine, for example, has a full-time chiropractic radiologist as a faculty member. Dr. James P. Barassi, a chiropractor, is Research Fellow in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. D.C.s occasionally teach part-time or special classes through medical schools. It's not unusual for D.C.s and M.D.s to co-teach both medical and chiropractic audiences. Most often, chiropractic physicians and medical neurologists or neurosurgeons co-teach. In the late 1980s, Dr. John C. Lowe co-taught classes in myofascial pain syndromes and fibromyalgia with Robert Nash, M.S., M.D., a Virginia Beach neurologist. In 1996, Dr. Lowe also co-taught (with Baylor University College of Medicine faculty member Richard Garrison, M.D.) a continuing education class for M.D.s on myofascial pain syndromes. This class was presented through the post-graduate education department of the family medicine department of Baylor University College of Medicine. On another occasion, Dr. Lowe and Dr. Garrison co-presented grand rounds in the Baylor family medicine department. The presentation was about Dr. Lowe’s hypometabolism hypothesis and his treatment protocol. A research nurse who recovered from fibromyalgia with our metabolic treatment protocol (administered by a family medicine resident under the supervision of Dr. Garrison) attended for questioning from medical students, faculty, and residents. Dr. Lowe has also lectured on his studies of fibromyalgia to the research staff at the Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine, University of Texas, Houston Health Science Center in Houston, TX. Such cooperative interactive teaching between chiropractic and medical physicians is become progressively more common. Licensing and Postgraduate Education The chiropractic physician must pass three levels of national board exams and a physical therapy exam to be eligible to sit for state board examinations. State board exams involve both written examination and oral practical exams involving clinical practice and x-ray interpretation. After graduation, the DC may undergo postgraduate training to become board certified as a chiropractic radiologist, neurologist, orthopedist, internist, family practitioner, sports physician, rehabilitation specialists, clinical nutritionist, or pain management specialist. Medical physicians also may become board certified. Options such as surgery are open to medical and osteopathic physicians. Board certification is not necessary for either type of physician to become licensed and to practice. Chiropractic physicians are required to obtain continuing education units each year for license renewal. Caveat Emptor | MD
& DC Education | New Healing Arts Paradigm
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