Want to help others with natural therapy? Resolve medical concerns with not only hands-on treatment, but healthy lifestyle advice? Why not consider becoming a chiropractor?
With the chiropractic care industry continuing to grow in recent times, and amounting to one billion AUD in market value, becoming a chiropractor may be a worthwhile career choice. Below are the steps you need to take to become a professional chiropractor in Australia.
- Complete a five-year university degree
In Australia, chiropractors must first complete a five year university degree before registering with the government as a healthcare professional. The university degree must be an accredited chiropractic program which satisfies the requirements outlined by the Australian Chiropractic Regulating authority.
Individuals can acquire their degree in chiropractic care from four universities in Australia:
- RMIT University (located in Melbourne, Victoria), where individuals will need to study a Bachelor of Health Science (Chiropractic), followed by a Master of Clinical Chiropractic
- Macquarie University (located in Sydney, New South Wales), where individuals will need to study a Bachelor of Chiropractic Science, followed by a Master of Chiropractic
- Murdoch University (located in Perth, Western Australia), where individuals will need to complete either a Bachelor of Applied Science (in Chiropractic) and Bachelor of Chiropractic (as a double degree)
- Central Queensland University (located in different campuses around Australia), where individuals will need to study a Bachelor of Science (Chiropractic), and then a Master of Clinical Chiropractic
- Register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
AHPRA works to protect the public by holding Australia’s registered health practitioners accountable for their actions. They set standards and policies which health professionals must meet before being able to practise their medical skills on Australian citizens. Chiropractors will need to be registered with AHPRA before being able to treat patients.
Not only will chiropractors need to register with AHPRA fresh out of university, they will also need to continue registering annually. This is so that AHPRA can review each professional’s performance on a year-by-year basis.
- Keep learning with Continued Professional Development (CPD) courses
Like most other health professionals, chiropractors will never stop learning about their field. Registered and practising chiropractors are required to complete a set of mandatory CPD courses before practising, and must also continue to undertake CPD courses each year throughout their career.
When it comes to CPD courses in the chiropractic care industry, training can include practical demonstrations and upskilling, as well as updates on medical research and new scientific discoveries in the field. In Australia, all CPD chiropractic courses must:
- Aim to improve patient health safety, experiences and outcomes
- Draw on the best available and well-established evidence
- Aim to improve competence of practising chiropractors
- Build on existing knowledge in the field.
Professional chiropractors will need to complete (or continue to complete) the above three steps in order to continue practising legally in Australia. If you’re looking to become a chiropractor, be sure to do your research to make sure you meet all the qualifications required. Alternatively, you can also visit your local chiropractor to learn about their professional experiences.
