Palmer College of Chiropractic

Chiropractors enjoy the respect of patients and society for fulfilling and maintaining the health and welfare of people in their communities. As a doctor of chiropractic, you can make a difference every day. Chiropractic will empower you to help your patients feel their best without medications or surgery. The only tools required? Your hands. Chiropractors are health care professionals whose work reflects a simple yet profound philosophy: The human body inherently strives to be healthy. This revolutionary idea was advanced more than 100 years ago by the founders of Palmer College of Chiropractic.

The flourishing wellness movement bodes well for students who study at Palmer College of Chiropractic. An estimated 50 million Americans see a chiropractor each year, according to a Gallup study. As a chiropractor, you’ll help patients of all ages and abilities live their greatest health potential.

Where it all began 
Chiropractic began at Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1897 in Davenport, Iowa. While the College deeply honors its history, today Palmer remains the largest and most highly regarded chiropractic institution in the world. With two campuses in Davenport, Iowa, and Port Orange, Florida, the College houses the world’s largest chiropractic library and the largest chiropractic research program. In addition, we educate nearly one-third of all chiropractors worldwide. Palmer graduates practice in more than 70 countries.

Palmer faculty members creatively lead the profession, authoring textbooks used in many chiropractic schools. In fact, the chiropractic techniques taught in most chiropractic colleges—the same techniques that are used in contemporary practice around the world—are derived from techniques developed at Palmer College.

Chiropractic and you
Palmer understands the future of chiropractic quite literally rests in the hands of its students. That’s why the Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program includes more hours in anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, and neurology than typical medical school programs. In their first year, students learn all about these sciences, as well as chemistry, pathology, and bacteriology. In the second year, students take classes in chiropractic technique, X-ray, and practice management. During the third year, they dedicate their time to patient care in an outpatient clinic setting and prepare for life after graduation.

While the Palmer DC program is rigorous—it’s equal to a five-academic-year program—most students complete it in a little over three years. But Palmer students don’t spend all their time in the classroom and clinics. Each welcoming Palmer campus provides countless opportunities for students to engage with classmates, connect with the community, and experience all the good things that Palmer has to offer. As a chiropractor, you’ll have many career options available to you, including:
• Private practice: Be your own boss with your own practice, or work for another doctor of chiropractic. In private practice, you’ll work with people of a wide variety of ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
• Multidisciplinary setting: More and more, chiropractors are part of the health-care team at hospitals and in integrative-care settings.
• Sports chiropractor: Work with athletes of all levels. Our alumni have gone on to be team chiropractors for professional sports teams and Olympic teams!
• Corporate chiropractor: With growing recognition of the benefits of chiropractic, some companies offer their employees on-site chiropractic care.