How to choose a chiropractic school
Choosing a chiropractic school is not easy. I haven’t even chosen where I would like to attend yet. However, I have learned an abundance of information that has helped me feel more than prepared for when I am going to apply in the Fall of 2015 for graduate school.
Here at UW- Eau Claire we have had many guest speakers, and visitors come in from all over the country to talk to our pre-chiropractic club about graduate school, how to choose where to go, and how to know it is the correct choice for you. These thoughts are just a variety of things I have experienced and they could become different when I start applying to grad school.
You need to listen to the folks that drive, or fly a great amount of miles to come to your school just to speak with your club about what grad school would be best for you, and most of the time it is more of why their grad school is best for you. It's more so a sales pitch than anything. If you don’t have people flying from all over to come visit your school for a grad school seminar, to visit your club, or even to setup a table in your student center and simply talk to you than you might want to continue reading.
There are just a few things that I have noticed, and learned thus far in my pre-chiropractic experience when thinking about choosing the grad school of my dreams.
1) Grad school is not going to be cheap.
2) Understand your philosophy.
3) Location, location, location…
Starting with number one, grad school is not going to be cheap. This is true, and we all know the likelihood of student loans being needed is high, as well as being in debt when you come out of grad school is high. That isn’t including having debt from your undergraduate studies as well. So make sure you are pursuing this profession for all of the right reasons. This kind of ties in with number two, but you know yourself better than anyone else, create a philosophy, follow your dreams, and understand the profession you are striving towards. If you go into grad school half decided that chiropractic is the career for you, you are in for a rude awakening.
Now number two, understanding your philosophy. As you may have learned in undergrad so far, it is easier to meld our brains when we are babies but in general around new thoughts and ideas because the plasticity for that thought or idea has not been created yet. If you haven’t yet developed a philosophy, think about it. What daily lifestyle choices reflect you the most, and how do you wish to see others live out their lives?
Finally number three, location, location, location. Do not think like this AT ALL. Do not choose a chiropractic graduate school based off of location, better yet based on the school's philosophy, and the school's understanding of the chiropractic profession and what it feels like when you go visit the grad schools. Does it feel right? Does it feel the same as when you chose the undergraduate college of your dreams? Location is merely a perk after you decide where you are choosing to go and where you liked it best from feel, not weather, not city, not where home is for you in relation to the grad school.
I know for a fact that these three items listed above some will not agree with, but this is what I have learned and collected throughout my pre-chiropractic experience thus far.
If you chose a chiropractic school already, please let us know why you chose that specific school, we would LOVE to hear from you, and post your testimony on our website!
