Why I Left Chiropractic
A good response from a former chiro student, who saw the light in time and got out. I'll give it a title for him:
Dear *****,
I left Palmer this last November, and I have absolutely no intentions to ever attend another Chiropractic college. I found the profession to be wholely without any measurable merit regarding clinical science, therapy, and yes even philosophy.
My decision is not based on this website, or even on chirobase, but simply a severe dissatisfaction with chiropractic as a whole.
Here is a following list of my primary problems with Palmer's educational problems, and indeed all chiropractic programs
1) There is no subluxation complex as stated in both chiropractic philosophy and so called clinical practice.
2) Chiropractic has no identifiable scope of practice outside of a limited physical medicine practice, that is woefully inadequate to treat enough patient problems that justifies a doctorate dedicated to its practice.
3) Even though the general sciences may have some merit, they are not linked in kind with chiropractic's clinical protocol. ie we learn anatomy, physiology, and pathology, however we are not trained to deal with problems related to these sciences.
4) Chiropractic assumes everyone should be under consistant chiropractic care, even though their primary lesion isn't real, or at least has never been proven. This very problem ignores the complexity of the human system, and prevents any real "doctor" to evolve out of a chiropractic education.
5) The admissions criteria for entry are entirely to lax for a health professions standards. When I attended Palmer in Davenport there was rampant cheating, disrespect for instructors who were trying to teach legitimate subjects, not to mention the majority of students seemed to think that all pathology and microbiology was a joke because it didn't make them better adjusters.
6) There was a severe problem with students arguing pseudo-science specialties as if each one was legitamate. For example, Upper cervical specific vs. applied kinesiology vs. full spine practice vs extremity adjusting vs. whatever some person without science skills and a powerful imagination could potentially throw at you.
7) A disproportinately high concentration of clinical quacks training students with unproven, disproven, or outright ridiculous clinical diagnostics, and treatment modalities. I speak specifically of X-ray diagnosis of chiropractic subluxations, insturmentation, motion palpation, and SOT techniques.
8) A constant and consistant effort from the philosophy faculty trying to indoctrinate a suspicion of other health care professions, especially MD's and blaming them for the dire straights of people's health.
9) Again a constant and consistant use of anecdotal evidence as proof of chiropractic, instead of using proper diagnostic tests to eliminate variables in patient diagnosis.
10) A general anathema to real problems in patient healthcare.
11) A political agenda to support quack sciences and to suppress legitmate health professions
12) The publication of "studies" supporting quackery, but failing to meet minimum scientific standards or known pathological conditions. For instance there was a study in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Complex studying upper cervical manipulation on MS patients. Their conclusion stated a remission period was evident in some patients, however the study failed to differentiate between the normal relapse/remittance of MS pathology.
13) The failure of chiropractic to convert to a legitamate profession by supporting licensing and education credentials to become the "dentists" of physical medicine, a needed specialty in most states.
That is all for now, hope this answers your question.
Why I Left Chiropractic
Dear *****,
I left Palmer this last November, and I have absolutely no intentions to ever attend another Chiropractic college. I found the profession to be wholely without any measurable merit regarding clinical science, therapy, and yes even philosophy.
My decision is not based on this website, or even on chirobase, but simply a severe dissatisfaction with chiropractic as a whole.
Here is a following list of my primary problems with Palmer's educational problems, and indeed all chiropractic programs
1) There is no subluxation complex as stated in both chiropractic philosophy and so called clinical practice.
2) Chiropractic has no identifiable scope of practice outside of a limited physical medicine practice, that is woefully inadequate to treat enough patient problems that justifies a doctorate dedicated to its practice.
3) Even though the general sciences may have some merit, they are not linked in kind with chiropractic's clinical protocol. ie we learn anatomy, physiology, and pathology, however we are not trained to deal with problems related to these sciences.
4) Chiropractic assumes everyone should be under consistant chiropractic care, even though their primary lesion isn't real, or at least has never been proven. This very problem ignores the complexity of the human system, and prevents any real "doctor" to evolve out of a chiropractic education.
5) The admissions criteria for entry are entirely to lax for a health professions standards. When I attended Palmer in Davenport there was rampant cheating, disrespect for instructors who were trying to teach legitimate subjects, not to mention the majority of students seemed to think that all pathology and microbiology was a joke because it didn't make them better adjusters.
6) There was a severe problem with students arguing pseudo-science specialties as if each one was legitamate. For example, Upper cervical specific vs. applied kinesiology vs. full spine practice vs extremity adjusting vs. whatever some person without science skills and a powerful imagination could potentially throw at you.
7) A disproportinately high concentration of clinical quacks training students with unproven, disproven, or outright ridiculous clinical diagnostics, and treatment modalities. I speak specifically of X-ray diagnosis of chiropractic subluxations, insturmentation, motion palpation, and SOT techniques.
8) A constant and consistant effort from the philosophy faculty trying to indoctrinate a suspicion of other health care professions, especially MD's and blaming them for the dire straights of people's health.
9) Again a constant and consistant use of anecdotal evidence as proof of chiropractic, instead of using proper diagnostic tests to eliminate variables in patient diagnosis.
10) A general anathema to real problems in patient healthcare.
11) A political agenda to support quack sciences and to suppress legitmate health professions
12) The publication of "studies" supporting quackery, but failing to meet minimum scientific standards or known pathological conditions. For instance there was a study in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Complex studying upper cervical manipulation on MS patients. Their conclusion stated a remission period was evident in some patients, however the study failed to differentiate between the normal relapse/remittance of MS pathology.
13) The failure of chiropractic to convert to a legitamate profession by supporting licensing and education credentials to become the "dentists" of physical medicine, a needed specialty in most states.
That is all for now, hope this answers your question.
posted by Sitemaster | 2:22 PM
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