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Come Out of the Closet

If you have been following chiropractic news, you have probably read about several recent changes being made at some chiropractic colleges. The landscape of chiropractic colleges is surely changing and though some will argue whether this is good or bad, it might well be a very good thing for chiropractic.

For example, in September, National Chiropractic College will reportedly be changing the name and the focus of the school. The name change will be to the National University of Health Sciences which is to reflect their move towards teaching various alternative therapies.

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, the colleges change in focus was based on declining enrollments that have resulted in staff cuts. One might wonder why a chiropractic college would have declining enrollments in a time of such huge popularity of chiropractic services and chiropractic life philosophy.

National is not alone, Los Angeles Chiropractic College is also changing their name and focus. The California University of Health Sciences (CUHS) is the reported new name for this school of manipulative therapeutics.

Again, declining enrolment in a time of such huge popularity of chiropractic services and life philosophy? Is it possible, to put it bluntly, that these schools are just not teaching chiropractic? Is it possible that these schools are just not providing a chiropractic education and the marketplace is responding by seeking out other schools to enroll in?

It would make sense that schools which excelled at teaching chiropractic, would be the most successful schools since our colleges are tuition driven. What are the most successful chiropractic colleges? Ask a doctor in the field and your likely to get this answer:
“Life University, Palmer, Life West, Sherman, and Parker.” (in no particular order)

College presidents should be listening to field chiropractors and students. Many would love to say, “all chiropractic colleges are great” but that’s just currently not the case.

The following comes from a student:
I am a student at LACC, which will soon no longer be a chiropractic college but will instead become an allied health university. My reason for writing to you today is because I want to learn more about upper cervical work. There are very few resources at my school and I really don’t know any doctors that exclusively practice upper cervical. Also, where can I find some good books that will introduce me to this work? Any information would really help me. Thank you for your time.

What is this student looking for? Chiropractic. And he has to write to someone in the field for info when he is attending a chiropractic college? Upper cervical text: Subluxation Specific – Adjustment Specific. Where can you find it? The bookstores and libraries of the five colleges mentioned above. Is his school missing something here?

The following also comes from a student:
Just the other day President Reed Phillips held a meeting to announce that LACC (Los Angeles Chiropractic College) is planning to incorporate a massage therapy school and an acupuncture school and changing the name of the college to something like Southern California Institute of Health Sciences.

From the information we have gathered, the school will be named “The California University of Health Sciences (CUHS).” That’s not too bad being that many chiropractors refer to their former school as “LACK.”

When hundreds of practitioners refer to their former college in mockery, what does that say about the college? Is it a surprise when enrollments are down?

Are there good instructors at these schools? There probably are some very fine instructors yet it is most likely the leadership that is misguided which results (imhp) in misguided students and angry practitioners.

It’s no secret which schools are teaching chiropractic and which ones are not. Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge the one’s that do and allow the others to go their separate ways.

planetc1.com-news @ 8:35 am | Article ID: 964712137

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