Today, many students seeking a career in health care wonder whether it would be better to become certified as an athletic trainer (ATC), choose a degree in physical therapy (PT), or earn a doctor of chiropractic degree (DC). This is especially true of students interested in hands-on physical medicine or sports medicine.

There are many advantages to choosing a career in chiropractic medicine over a career as a physical therapist or athletic trainer. All three require training beyond a bachelor’s degree, state licensure, a strong foundation in science, and a genuine desire to help people.

Why Choose Chiropractic Medicine?

In this video, Dr. Randy Cybulski (’09) explains why his second career as a DC is so much more rewarding for him, compared to his previous career working as a therapist.

Advantages for Chiropractic Physicians

Chiropractic physicians enjoy the following advantages over physical therapists and certified athletic trainers:

• Primary care physician standing in most states
• Authority to make diagnoses and prepare treatment plans
• A wider range of modalities to meet patients’ health needs, including: laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging, chiropractic adjustments, nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture and more.
• Because they are often self-employed, DCs enjoy more autonomy. They have more control over their income, work hours, who they will see, where they will work, the ability to specialize, with no ceiling on their success.

More Information

If you would like to discuss more about the advantages that a career as a chiropractic physician can offer, or shadow a chiropractic physician to experience what a day working in a DC’s practice is like, email [email protected] or call 1-800-826-6285.