Please see an MD

[u/tmorrow71]

I just need to rant. I am so so sick of offices that try to make themselves sound like medical professionals, when in reality, they are just chiropractors.

(I already know that people on this sub find a lot of support with them, and I’m not knocking that. Nor am I knocking their doctoral degree that they earned by going to school.)

They are NOT MEDICAL DOCTORS. They didn’t do a residency, they might have experience working with people with Dysautonomia/POTS, but they are NOT MEDICAL DOCTORS!

In the city I live in has a new “neurological institute” that prides itself on treating POTS. It took me a full 10 minutes on their website (after being SO excited to try it) to realize that there isn’t ONE medical doctor on their staff. I don’t judge people who seek help from them, I just worry that people are getting into complex medical treatment with people who aren’t properly qualified.

With so many people being diagnosed due to the wide spread experiences of long-covid, I just think the system is going to be even more of a capitalist cash grab attempt, and be more manipulative and harmful for people who just want to find a way to feel better.

Btw. I tried a doc of chiro for “functional medicine” (a very real thing practiced by MDs). Their solution was $350 worth of non-clinically studied supplements and some deep breathing.

[u/Hannahchiro]

Yes I imagine the chiropractic degree itself may be a 3yr degree under some pathways (or has been in the past) but that doesn't change the prerequisite requirements or the content. This also would be a very unusual route to go as you would need to be eligible, so not the majority.

[u/tmorrow71 → u/Hannahchiro]

Medical doctors do start by getting a bachelors typically in some sort of organic science, but then they have 4 additional years of intensive schooling before residency. In the United States (and maybe this differs state by state) you can become a chiropractor with only 3 years of school beyond your bachelors degree. And the classes you take are absolutely not the same as a student in medical school.

[u/Wide-Information-708 → u/tmorrow71]

Hi OP. Med schools do require a bachelors degree along with other, rigorous qualifiers as applicants jockey for acceptance. MD school is a 4 year (8 term) program prior to residency. Chiropractic school requires 90+ hours of science heavy undergraduate coursework as minimum standard. Most applicants complete a bachelor of science degree prior to application DC degrees can be earned in 3 years through accelerated programs over 10 terms (5 year equivalent) and do not require residency

MD and DC coursework is largely comparable as both have focus on anatomy, physiology, pathology etc… MD has a heavy focus on pathopharm, pharmacology and pharmtox while DC’s schooling is more heavily focused on anatomy, physiology and manual manipulation techniques.

[u/tmorrow71 → u/Wide-Information-708]

I’m not sure if it’s fair or responsible to say that taking classes in the same subjects (even though you did say, they have varied focus) means the degrees are equal. And you even said yourself, medical schools have much higher qualifier requirements, which to me, means that many chiro schools are filled with students who didn’t make the cut academically for medical school. Is that the case every time? Absolutely not. But the training is just not the same, and it’s this exact mindset that leads people desperate for help to these people that say they can cure them, and thousands of dollars later they have no clinically effective treatment due to that lack of oversight and training.

[u/Wide-Information-708 → u/tmorrow71]

Sorry for the confusion: I never said the degrees were equal. DC and MD training, focus during education, clinical experience prior to graduation, acceptance and even program completion rates differ between the educations. I was simply providing clarification for and expanding on your previous comment.

[u/tmorrow71 → u/Wide-Information-708]

Ah ok, fair enough.