26 Year Old Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Student

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

A 26 year old premed student e-mailed me earlier this week about attending chiropractic school. I get frequent e-mails similar to the one I’m sharing here, so I wanted to address some of these questions in a post, rather than have to e-mail each person back individually.

Dear Dr. Dorausch,

I just read your article “Assessing the Salary of a Chiropractor” and I found it both realistic and insightful. I am a 26 year old post baccalaureate pre-medical student from Boston, MA. I have one more year before I complete the prerequisites needed to apply to medical school. Lately I have been seeking information on the chiropractic industry with few quality results. I am glad I found this article plus your reactions to the blogs posted by other inquiring individuals.

I find this career very intriguing. I am trying hard to figure out if it would be a good fit for me. My goal is to seek as much information as possible, including interviewing some Chiropractors in my area.

Thank you and good luck,
Sean C.

First off, thanks on the article. Being realistic can save people lots of unneeded heartache. You mention you are nearly done with your prerequisites for medical school, and as you may already know, they’re almost identical to what’s required to enter chiropractic school.

It’s unfortunate that there are few quality results available online, which is one of the reasons I dedicated a significant amount of energy to the topic of both schools and salaries. Most of the successful chiropractors I know don’t have any online presence, simply because they’re fully engaged in their lifestyles.

If you find a chiropractic career intriguing I’d suggest you continue your research. No one is going to be able to determine whether it’s a good fit for you. That is something you’re going to have to discover on your own. Seeking as much information as possible during this next year shows you’re being responsible and working towards making educated decisions. Whether you decide to train as a medical doctor or chiropractor, you won’t have made an emotionally charged and quick decisioned choice.

Interviewing some chiropractors in your area is exactly where I would start. I did that myself many years ago. It was an eye-opening experience, since in the same town, I met a chiropractor that was absolutely miserable, met a few that were just going through the motions, and met some that were knocking down the doors on their dreams. They were charismatic, ran their businesses like a popular restaurant where everybody loves the food and service, and appeared as though everything came easy to them. One of those chiropractors wrote my referral letter for CCCLA.

Since you’re located in Boston, I’d visit the chiropractors listed on the Massachusetts page. I’d specifically recommend you speak to Drs. Peter Kevorkian and Patricia Giuliano and ask them about New Beginnings, a chiropractic program that takes place in New Jersey, three times per year.

Visit at least a dozen chiropractic offices and try to attend at least one educational seminar in your area. You may even find a chiropractor in Boston that will bring you to an event so you can meet other chiropractors. I’d also recommend you visit some hospitals and medical clinics. These steps should help you to discover whether it’s the right career choice for you.

If you’re not wanting to travel far for school, look into Life, NYCC, Palmer, and other schools located closer to your state. If you’re willing to travel, make the trip to Life West in Northern California.

All the best in your search!