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No Chiropractic Schools in Los Angeles

What chiropractic schools are in Los Angeles? That is a question patients in my office frequently ask. They also want to know where I went to chiropractic school, how much it costs, and how long will it take to graduate. For those that are truly interested, I share as much information as I can to help them find a chiropractic school that is right for them. There are numerous factors to consider when choosing a chiropractic school, I've covered that in several previous posts, and I will share several links below. First I want to address the question of Los Angeles and chiropractic schools, let's begin with a bit of local chiropractic history.

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

What chiropractic schools are in Los Angeles? That is a question patients in my office frequently ask. They also want to know where I went to chiropractic school, how much it costs, and how long will it take to graduate. For those that are truly interested, I share as much information as I can to help them find a chiropractic school that is right for them. There are numerous factors to consider when choosing a chiropractic school, I’ve covered that in several previous posts, and I will share several links below. First I want to address the question of Los Angeles and chiropractic schools, let’s begin with a bit of local chiropractic history.

Currently, in the year 2013, there are no chiropractic schools located in the city of Los Angeles. That was not always the case. In fact, in the early 1900s (about 100 years ago) Downtown Los Angeles was a mecca for chiropractic education. While Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport Iowa was the first chiropractic college (often referred to as the Fountainhead), Los Angeles experienced a boom in chiropractic education early on. Take a look at this newspaper clipping from a 1921 Los Angeles Times.

Study Chiropractic in Los Angeles
Study Chiropractic – Los Angeles Chiropractic College
The newspaper clipping shows 4 advertisements, one for a chiropractor practicing in downtown Los Angeles on Broadway Street, and the other 3 were for local chiropractic colleges and schools. Eclectic College of Chiropractic was on Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles, Ratledge System of Chiropractic Schools (aka Ratledge Chiropractic College) was in the Pacific Electric building in downtown Los Angeles, and Los Angeles Chiropractic College was located on South Hill St. in downtown Los Angeles.

At the time that these schools were bustling, Los Angeles featured the largest electric railway system in the world. Pacific Electric (which had a chiropractic school inside the terminal building), operated a Red Car railway that was centered in downtown Los Angeles. In 1921 a person could travel by rail to attend chiropractic school in Los Angeles from locations such as Burbank, San Bernardino, Santa Monica, and even as far away as Newport Beach. The reality is that today people are not getting around Los Angeles with the ease that they could in those times. Being that chiropractic school requires a physical presence (students work hands on), the best chiropractic colleges are going to be in locations that feature ease of transportation, plenty of parking, and nearby affordable housing.

I mentioned that students work hands-on while attending chiropractic school so don’t expect to be attending online chiropractic schools anytime soon. In all likelihood, we are moving in the direction of increased online education, especially for prerequisite courses, but coursework such as palpation and spinal adjusting (as well as laboratory work) will require human presence. I sat in loads of traffic going to and from chiropractic school each day (in Los Angeles) and it wasn’t fun. In my opinion it’s better for everyone that the majority of current chiropractic schools are not located in major metros.

One of the schools shown in the advertisement above (Los Angeles Chiropractic College) still exists today. The school is now known as Southern California University of Health Sciences (formerly LACC) and it’s located in Whittier, California. Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, so for locals that’s as close as we are going to get to the city of LA.

If you live in Los Angeles and you are seeking to attend chiropractic school, expect to travel and research at least a few schools, and then expect to move. My recommendation to everyone that asks me about attending chiropractic school is to visit at least four different campuses. Chiropractic education is a significant investment, so invest the time in selecting the right school. Personally, I would visit the campuses of Life University in Marietta Georgia, Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg South Carolina, Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport Iowa, and Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward California.

That’s not to say one won’t become a great chiropractor attending a chiropractic school not mentioned, I am sharing what I know based on my experiences of visiting those campuses, meeting instructors, meeting current & former students, and knowing current leadership. We have several terrific leaders in chiropractic education today, and from what I have experienced, it’s a great time to be a chiropractor.

Are those chiropractic schools accredited? As far as I know, all of the chiropractic schools in the United States currently have accreditation with the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). While accreditation is important, I know some spectacular chiropractors that graduated from non-accredited chiropractic institutions. Throughout the years I have noticed that too often chiropractic students focus on fear versus setting goals for the future, make sure you’re in the latter category, and develop plans to be a successful chiropractor.

Here are 6 articles I pulled from previous news archives related to chiropractic education. They may be of value for you to read.

Question Regarding Chiropractic Colleges
Considering Going to Chiropractic College
Can You offer Advice about Chiropractic Schools?
Things you may consider when choosing a chiropractic school
Chiropractic as a Mid Life Career Change
Did your Chiropractic College experience Suck?

I’m into my 18th year in chiropractic and I can honestly say I’m more excited today than I was in 1995, and if you knew me in 1995, I was seriously excited about becoming a chiropractor.

planetc1.com-news @ 12:23 am | Article ID: 1370492633

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