Pre-Chiropractic
About the Profession
Chiropractors are licensed practitioners that focus on the restoration and enhancement of health by altering the neural regulation of body systems, primarily, but not exclusively by adjustment of the spine or other articulations of the body.
Preparation Starts Now
From the time you begin college, you are assembling a complete dossier with which to apply to chiropractic schools. Applicants are expected to have:
- Completed chiropractic school course requirements; some programs require a bachelor's degree in any major
- Achieve excellent grades; GPAs should, at a minimum, be at a 3.0
- Letters of Recommendation: academic and clinical
- Involve yourself in sincere, sustained health related shadowing and/or volunteer experience
Course Requirements
Start planning as a first-year student to meet the following course requirements for chiropractic schools. Below are the courses at SUNY Geneseo that are recommended you complete based on the requirements for Northeast College of Health Sciences:
Course Requirements |
SUNY Geneseo |
Notes |
| One year of Biology | BIOL 117, 119, and 116 (lab) |
Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring) One lecture with the lab can count as an N/ General Education requirement |
| One year of General Chemistry | CHEM 116, 118, and 119 (lab) |
Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring) One lecture with the lab can count as an N/ General Education requirement |
| One year of Organic Chemistry | CHEM 211, 213, and 216 (lab) | Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring) |
| One year of Physics |
General Physics: PHYS 113, 114 (lab), 115, and 116 (lab)
Analytical Physics: PHYS 123, 124 (lab), 125, and 126 (lab) |
Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring)
One lecture with the lab can count as an N/ General Education requirement |
| One year of English | INTD 105 and one ENGL course | INTD 105 is the Basic Communication General Education requirement |
| 15 credits of Humanities/Social Science | H/ and S/ General Education requirements can count toward this prerequisite | |
| One semester of Intro to Psychology | PSYC 100 |
A candidate for the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program must have abilities and skills in five areas:
Technical Standards:
- Observation and participation
- Communication
- Motor
- Intellectual (conceptual, integrative and qualitative)
- Behavioral and social
It is recommended that course requirements are completed at SUNY Geneseo, but there are instances where a student would need to complete one or two courses elsewhere. If that is the case, it is suggested that coursework be completed at a four-year higher education institution. All course requirements must be taken for a grade and demonstrate mastery, no lower than a C, for most professional schools.
For more information on the profession as well as chiropractic school requirements, please visit the Association of Chiropractic Colleges website.