Thread: Questions to DCs interested in PCP status

Questions to DCs wishing to practice primary care medicine:

1. Do you believe that 1 year of hospital and outpatient residency would suffice ? Yes / NO and why (to practice as PCP)
2. What would you ADD / DROP from current Chiropractic curriculum in order to be more PCP ready ?
3. Do you believe the profession should be tiered ? DCM vs. DCS (Medical / Mixed DCs versus Straight DCs)
4. What would you like to see changed in your current scope of practice ?
5. If there was such program that would significantly expand your scope that was affordable (<50K) and time efficient (24 months) would you consider it ? or would you rather go back to MD/DO school ? (7 years & 200K+ investment)

Thank you

1. Do you believe that 1 year of hospital and outpatient residency would suffice ? Yes / NO and why (to practice as PCP)

This would depend on the scope of practice for DCs wishing to practice as PCPs. If this entails the prescription of medications, applying and removing sutures, administering injections etc... one year of additional training in these aspects along with studies in pharmacology would be necessary to fulfill this requirement. However, we both know that this is unlikely to occur, as competition from mid-levels (RNs and PAs) that are already well integrated in mainstream health care will likely fill his role.

2. What would you ADD / DROP from current Chiropractic curriculum in order to be more PCP ready ?

This is a moot point in my opinion. But I would suggest dropping any sort of chiropractic philosophy/principles course and replace it with more relevant courses relating to pharmacology, internal medicine etc...

3. Do you believe the profession should be tiered ? DCM vs. DCS (Medical / Mixed DCs versus Straight DCs)

No. This topic was brought up in the past but it makes things so convoluted for the general public. Health care consumers have a difficult time already trying to understand what it is that chiropractors do, as it is very likely that if you visits 5 different chiropractic offices you may experience 5 totally different methods of care. Further convoluting the process by attaching labels to represent philosophical views of certain chiropractors will not provide any sort of clarity and will further disjoint the profession's perceived mandate to treat MSK disorders.

What should occur first is a uniform standard of care should be established where all DCs are to practice in a certain way (i.e. not receiving adjustments at one clinic, MRT at a second clinic, and network spinal analysis at a third clinic etc...)

4. What would you like to see changed in your current scope of practice ?

With further mandated training, it would be nice to see DCs having prescription privileges and enjoying an expanded scope of practice similar to family physicians, so as to fill the role of PCPs with MSK training. However, this is probably not going to occur as PM&R, Rheum, Ortho, and to a certain extent Anes specialties would likely object to this.

5. If there was such program that would significantly expand your scope that was affordable (<50K) and time efficient (24 months) would you consider it ? or would you rather go back to MD/DO school ? (7 years & 200K+ investment)

I'm sure people would consider the program that you are suggesting. I myself will be returning back to school to pursue an MD degree.