Only Ross and SGU, and maybe AUC? have federal funding. The rest don't but they have loan programs that are not horrible. They are around 8% interest. Teh market has been very hard on all lenders lately, and we've lost, then gained several. These loans are based on your credit score, not your income history. You have to have pretty good credit, or have a very good cosigner. There's also this school Davenport, who will allow you to lend federally guaranteed loans (much better) up to about 10K per term, which can make it all possible. It's a univesity with online degrees, very legit., but you do have to do the degree, generall an mba, while in med school. I believe you do 1 class at a time, and it takes an average of about 10 hours a week.

Hope that helps.

Fotl,
Can you tell me what the named of the school in Davenport is? How do you do it? Pay for it? Federal Loans? Or private loans?

It is called Davenport University. I believe the funding they have is Stafford type. Here's a link for their website.

Hope this helps.

Davenport University > Microsites > Davenport, Medical Schools Partnership

Yes there is alternative, private, funding. You need to talk to the financial aid offices at the schools you are considering applying to. They will fill you in on the possibilities.

With that said, I went to med school with several chiropractors, and one of my good MD friends was a chiropractor. According to them, although people like to draw parallels between the fields, they are in fact extremely different. None of the chiropractors I knew in med school graduated by the way. But of course, that's a very isolated view.

Personally, I would highly recommend going after it if you really want it. I would really look at it more like starting over than "making the jump". It isn't a lateral move IMHO.

If you really have some core beliefs in manipulative therapies, you might consider DO school. Though they still aren't as widely accepted outside the US, in the US they work just as MDs do. In addition, it's still easier to get into than MD programs in general. Just a thought.

I understand the situation with chiropractors. The one that I know well actually makes is money in the winter driving a snow plow.

As for my direct knowledge of chiropractic I can only relate one story. When I was a med student I had the opportunity to sit in on a class at a chiropractic school that shall remain nameless. I was invited to. The professor began with "As chiropractors, we can cure endometriosis." I walked out and never went back.

I try to remain open minded, but sometimes it's difficult....that was one of those times.

[quote=Chopdoc;872926]As chiropractors, we can cure endometriosis." I walked out and never went back.
[quote]
I would like to know which school and class you were in... its to bad a school and teacher like that puts a sour taste in your mouth. We are not all like that. I don't claim crap like that, I know of a few of my class mates that would and do, but they are few and far. Snow Plow, maybe he just likes driving one... Its hard starting out in chiropractic, but if your good at what you do the money to survive comes.

I've been a DC for 18 years, most DCs' have to do side work to survive, undisputable fact. Wether it's multi level marketing, weekend mall shows, or actual jobs.

Simple economic fact is Chiro degreee costs about the same as MD degree, and has the earning power of abotu 1/5th and declining. On top of that are many ethical issues and pressure of "patient control" to maintain a succesful chiropractic practice. And you have to be good at convincing people to refer their whole family and friends in for care, wether they need it or not. Ok, Philosophy, but that's not flying with me. IF it floats your boat, then you may be able to make it, maybe.

Check out this link from dept. of labor.

Chiropractors

I'm not sure where you are located, but none of the chiro's around here hold down 2 jobs or are struggling. Your link really didn't explain all the much, to me it reads its a favorable job and has a good outlook for the future. I suppose value md is a bad location to try to support chiropractors in, its full of MD wanna be's that can't get into a real school in the states.

I had no idea how positive sounding that Dept of Labor page is.

wow, very different from my experience.

As far as "wanna be's", yes, most Chiro posts here are about wanting to change to medicine, or wether to choose medical or chiropractic education, not about being a chiropractor.

I think wannabe is insulting and name calling, pretty juvenile if you want to resort to it. I changed because I was sick of selling. I guess it works for some, or some don't even think of it as selling, it just is, to them.

And it must vary by area, because my whole state was dying. It was interesting to see that mean income was 103K in 2005, according to DC magazine, and yet 63K roughly, according to DOL in 2006.

There is a big diff when you have the gov reporting the income off of tax returns vs a person filling out a survey...

Wannabe was for those students that no nothing of a chiropractor nor are able to stand a chance getting into school in the states. Most of them know they are, some are to delusional to figure it out. My little brother put all his eggs in one basket for med school and didn't get in. So he took the next easy route and stated AUC. He knows he missed the boat, and is happy with how it turned out. Some of his fellow class mates brag that the carriabean was their first choice, saying they choose this over the state school they got into and he rips them down for bragging about something that just isn't true for 99% of the kids in these schools.

Yes diff areas are doing better then others. BCBS just gave us a 2% raise across the board and our other major PPO is set to rise 5% in January. Big thing in Nebraska is we (the Chiro's) own the PPO... Thats right the chiro's own the BCBS PPO and set our fees with BCBS and we control the other Major PPO. We are the first in the nation to do so with success.

I know that in Iowa, just a state away, they are getting screwed over, my buddy that graduated with me and we both started up from scratch is making 25-35 a visit, I make from 65-100 a visit on average. And mine is set to rise based on our schedule with our PPO's.

I won't name the chiropractic school. Sorry. And yes, I know that many chiropractors do not make such outlandish claims. There are simply different schools of thought in that regard within the field. That is well known.

As for the whole Caribbean school thing. More and more students are actually making it their first choice.

When I went there, I was wait-listed for University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. I could have gone the following year. I went to AUC instead since they accepted me for that year, that was in 1995, and I have no regrets.

One of my classmates at AUC was a Harvard grad. When I asked why he went there he simply said "Are you kidding?" and pointed to the beach.

The simple truth is, those schools are not the third rate schools they once were. In many cases they are actually well regarded. I know that many of my peers from AUC are not just practicing doctors, but are very accomplished in their fields.

I don't have to defend the schools really. The reality speaks for itself.

There are still third rate fly-by-night schools though. Hard to believe they get students but by all accounts they fill up.