Program Structure
The Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program is a full-time program delivered over a total of eight academic terms including two summer terms (32 months). The curriculum is designed to expose students to patient-centered, evidence-based clinical training every term of the program.
Didactic and clinical opportunities will span across the diverse departments in SHRS such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant Studies as well as Pitt’s schools of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health. Courses will be led by Doctor of Chiropractic faculty.
All courses are designed to incorporate chiropractic clinical relevance and context. The first year’s science classes will be combined with clinical field trips to reinforce hands-on learning. The second year will focus on diagnostics, clinical management skills and the refinement of clinical reasoning skills while attending grand rounds at facilities such as the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. These lessons and trainings will culminate in the final semester of their third year with a full-time clinical chiropractic experience.
The Doctor of Chiropractic program curriculum information will continue to be updated as we near fall term 2024 (August).
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Areas of Study
The general curriculum will include:
- Foundational biomedical sciences such as anatomy and physiology.
- Clinical diagnosis and diagnostic imaging.
- Training in hands-on manual therapy and supervised rehabilitative exercise skills.
- Integration of basic and clinical sciences, with an introduction to clinical practice.
- Supervised clinical practice (clerkship).
Clinical Education
This chiropractic program will offer students several unique clinical training opportunities that are available only in an integrated education and clinical system such as the one that currently exists between the University of Pittsburgh, the UPMC healthcare system and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Students will be exposed to complex clinical training working with real patients living with a wide variety of injuries and disabilities.
Clinical training will be a stepped approach over the length of the program and practiced with real patients. Students will begin with four hours per week of observational training in their first year, followed by assisting with clinical tasks in their second year, finally working up to a full-time clinical placement in the final semester of their third year within integrated health care systems and private practices of chiropractic.
Plan of Study
Fall Term
- Molecules and Cellular Biology
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Clinical Microbiology and Immunology
- Chiropractic Therapeutics
- Introduction to Chiropractic Practice
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15
Spring Term
- Embryology and Genetics
- Gross and Spinal Anatomy
- Neuroscience
- Chiropractic Therapeutics
- Chiropractic Practice
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15
Summer Term
- Pathology
- Chiropractic Therapeutics
- Chiropractic Practice
- History and Examination of the Patient
- Introduction to Orthopedics
- Introduction to Diagnostic Imaging
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15
Fall Term
- Chiropractic Therapeutics
- Chiropractic Practice
- Nutrition in Chiropractic Practice
- Systems Disorders
- Orthopedics and Rheumatology
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15
Spring Term
- Chiropractic Therapeutics
- Chiropractic Practice
- Physical Agents and Modalities
- Neurology
- Chiropractic Geriatrics
- Women’s Health and Chiropractic Pediatrics
- Cases in Diagnostic Imaging
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15
Summer Term
- Chiropractic Therapeutics
- Chiropractic Practice
- Rehabilitation and Exercise Therapy
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Emergency Care
- Public Health and Epidemiology
- Cases in Diagnostic Imaging
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15
Fall Term
- Chiropractic Practice
- Public Health and Epidemiology 2
- Topics in Contemporary Health Care
- Cases in Diagnostic Imaging
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15
Spring Term
- Clinical Education
Credits: 15