Palmer College of Chiropractic -- Chiropractic School Reviews

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Palmer College of Chiropractic

1000 Brady Street
Davenport, Iowa, USA, 52803
Phone: 563-884-5000
Fax: N/A

All applications for admission are welcomed by Palmer College of Chiropractic. The Admissions Department is available for consultation with high school students, college students or others who wish to consider a career in chiropractic health care. A visit to the Palmer campus is strongly recommended as part of the planning process.

Selection Of Candidates
Candidates are selected based on several factors, which may include grade point average (GPA), total number of credits completed, prerequisite GPA, letters of recommendation and the personal profile/essays. Personal interviews may be conducted. We request that you apply one year in advance.

Program Requirements
The chiropractic program is arranged so that a student may choose to complete the curriculum in three and one-third consecutive years. The curriculum contains a minimum of 4,620 classroom hours of instruction, which must be completed within eight calendar years. Students transferring from other chiropractic colleges must complete a minimum of five trimesters at Palmer College.

In order to receive a degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic, a student must have satisfied all academic and clinical requirements and must have a minimum 50 percent of the total credits required for the D.C. degree from Palmer College.

A Reputation for Excellence
Palmer College teaches chiropractic as a complete health care system. When you attend Palmer College, you not only draw from The Fountainhead of chiropractic's heritage but you also place yourself in a professional leadership environment. Not only will you associate with leaders in the profession, but, in time, you can become one of them.

The Palmer curriculum and student experience provide extensive instruction and hands-on training of chiropractic. It is our total commitment to the three pillars of chiropractic, philosophy, art and science, that sets Palmer apart from other institutions.

CCE accredited program since 1979 to present.

Average Rating: (6 votes)

Add Your Review

Palmer is Chiropractic

by SS34

Date posted: (12/13/2006)

My Experience

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I think that like any school you have good and bad. Some instructors were excellent, and some were there simply because they could not make it in practice. I thought the philosophy was great, technique great, Diagnostics great. We had a former 10 year practicing oncologist in my class, and he stated that the academics were better than his Medical School. You can learn all of the best techniques from all of the best instructors because they all come to Davenport. No excuses there if you don't take full advantage. The business classes were worthless. That is the biggest problem.

Suggestions

I felt confident in handling patients, but didn't have a clue on how to run an office. I think you should have a class on business every tri, from communication, handling employees, insurance, etc. The business side of it has to be stressed more. Maybe it is now. We have to figure out how to get some state funding so that you don't come out with such a huge debt. That just kills you in trying to get on your feet.

Overall Opinion

Basically every one that I have talked to in the field says that they wish they would have went to Palmer after they have been out of school. I have heard that 100 times. You also meet some of the best people, and I still have classmates that I talk to on a regular basis after 5 years.

Home is where the Heart is.....

by Stud/Doc

Date posted: (08/16/2006)

My Experience

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Palmer has been a HUGE stepping stool on which I stand to view the world. While here(as I am a month from leaving)I have been given the opportunity to grow my understanding of how the world works to the nth degree. Palmer College has given me all of the opportunities to grow that I would have ever wanted. You get a strong scientific view of the world balanced with a strong philosophy of why the science makes sense. It seems as if the two are hand in hand if you can truly master the art of how it all fits together. My world has been rocked thanks to Palmer, Delta Sigma Chi, and Chiropractic in general. I would not trade these experiences and lessons for the world... well maybe the world.. but nothing less.. Still Guarding it well...

Suggestions

Palmer as well as all other chiropractic colleges has its politics and everything else. I wish that all the A+P classes would make more of a effort to tie in to chiropractic more. Other than that... It's all good...

Overall Opinion

Palmer is an Excellent school if you want to learn to be an Awesome chiropractor. The atmosphere here at Palmer definately provides all the opportunities for one to learn to use the philosophy, science, and art to remove subluxations thus allowing the innate intelligence of the body to flow freely from above-down, inside-out. You will never regret it... if you get it...

Palmer College is Chiropractic

by Lombard

Date posted: (07/18/2006)

My Experience

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I had a good experience at Palmer. Chiropractic schools are not public universities. Their funds come primarily from student tuition and alumni support. There's no way one can fairly compare a chiropractic school to a public university. Think of all chiropractic schools more like trade schools in the sense that nearly all the schools are focused on one subject. When selecting a chiropractic college, I was not interested in the size of the campus, if there were lots of trees, babbling brooks, or what ever. I wanted to learn the stuff that I needed to in order to successfully pass all state and national exams and not have any hassles in doing so. I must inform you that chiropractic education can be incredibly time-consuming. I knew we'd be taking lots of classes but I was not expecting the sheer daily study efforts that were required in order to keep up with the curriculum. I was convinced some of the academics wanted us to be better educated than medical doctors. There was so much time spent in school addressing topics involving differential diagnosis, numerous types of cancer, skin conditions, or orthopedic and neurological conditions, that I sometimes wondered how we'd ever get around to covering chiropractic topics. Be prepared for rigorous academics while there. My father was a medical doctor in the New Hampshire area and while at first he was not ecstatic about me becoming a chiropractor, he did warmup to the idea. My parents helped me pay for school so I didn't have the issue of student loans. I can't imagine coming out of school with $200,000 in debt while preparing to open your practice, raise a family, and serve a community. Anyone considering going to any chiropractic College had better get their financial life tidied up or they will find themselves in a hole most difficult to get out of.

Suggestions

More chiropractic technique, more time focused on adjusting the spine, why we adjust the spine, how we adjust the spine, and what effects adjusting the spine has on human performance. There is a lot more to chiropractic than correcting scoliosis and healing people from sciatic pain. Yes the academics are important, but we are not training to be medical men and women. The same focus and intensity to education could easily be geared toward a chiropractic education. One that is less alopathic and more holistic.

Overall Opinion

I can't say Palmer is the best chiropractic school but for me it's in the top five. I base that on the chiropractors I've worked with, where they went, who's involved in professional activities now, and who's not burnt out like a piece of old charcoal. I graduated in 1996 and I've heard lots of crying and bitching about insurance, Worker's Compensation, various laws, and what ever. For me in my office, chiropractic practice has continued to get better each year, regardless of what's going on in the insurance world. BJ Palmer said get the big idea and all else will follow. I am finding people are getting the big idea in greater numbers these days. They are sick and tired of the medical merry-go-round and they are actively seeking organic, natural, non-hormone filled, authentic, pure, healthcare food lifestyle you name it. I have to remind myself when we are closing up and people are still coming in that this is what we are here to do. Serve your community and it won't make a difference where you went to school.

Good technique but that's it

by drjason

Date posted: (04/19/2006)

My Experience

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I graduated in 03 and during my time at Palmer I learned that the school does a very good job at teaching you technique but that's where it ends. The classes on philosophy, practice management, and even diagnostics are sub-par at best. There were definite problems with the politics of the school. If you agreed with the views of certain teachers you did miraculously well in their classes and if you didn't.... well figure it out. If you keep your head down, ignore the contradictory teaching and learn how to adjust you'll make it out with a good idea of how to adjust.

Suggestions

Spend MORE time teaching students what it's like in the real world, how business and insurance works, what problems you'll face, etc. and LESS time trying to convince us of the holiness of BJ Palmer and that we'll all open up our doors and make a million dollars on our first day of practice. Patients are our focus not a yacht but that wasn't how they tried to teach us. Go back to focusing on the patient and how to diagnose.

Overall Opinion

My overall opinion is that if the school doesn't change it's way of teaching then you need to ask yourself if you can ignore the bad dogma and filter out all the bad politics then you can definately learn how to adjust very well. As for the diagnosis and the business ideals you'll need to pick that up on your own.

'06 Grad, would do it again if I had to.

by Dr. Z

Date posted: (02/15/2007)

My Experience

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Great school. I had a rigorous BS degree program before I attended Palmer, which helped through a lot of the 1st year classes but I still felt challenged on a regular basis. I agree with some of the comments of the other reviewers here regarding the course load and the integration of the science, philosophy, and art of chiropractic. I will add this however, the school makes it a point of allowing each student the space to develop their own philosophy, rather than some canned script or self righteous platform. Are you interested in straight chiropractic or upper cervical only or the Above-Down, Inside-Out principles? The information you seek is available. You want to focus on nutrition and sports rehab? Think there is nothing more to this than musculoskeletal syndromes? Guess what, you are free to explore those options. The school does not try to tell you what you have to believe. As a result, I see many of my classmates have a level headed attitude, taking the traditions of chiropractic philosophy and elevating to todays standards with recent research and practices. A truly contemporary chiropractic education. Also, Palmer being where it all started, the Beacon and the Fountainhead are more than just figures of speech. Every thing chiropractic comes to Davenport, IA to give seminars on new techniques and office management and philosophy. Whatever you are looking for you can find it here, just know what you are looking for. Also, there are a ton of local docs in the area who teach techniques and take students under their wings, so to speak. Most of the faculty run part time practices as well. The technique faculty and the clinic docs harp on technique. Having observed students and graduates from other schools, I tell you without reservation or hesitation, no other school will teach you adjusting skills like Palmer. You may learn how to cavitate joints from other schools, but specificity is what separates an adjustment from general manipulation.

Suggestions

My suggestions are directed less at Palmer and more at chiropractic education in general. I had to take about 15 credits worth of classes that I feel were not needed. Biochemistry, cell physiology, histology, microbiology, etc. Not that we don't need to know these subjects, but really, I took them in undergrad; these classes should be prerequisites instead of wasting our time in chiropractic school on them. But the schools teach them because it is tested for on National Boards. Is it really necessary to my career to know that Streptococcus pyogenes infects 3rd degree burns and grows blue and slimey? Maybe I can win a round of Jeopardy someday with all this trivia. I would recommend that those classes be replaced with more technique options, or maybe a 'technique and clinical applications' course to bridge the science curriculum with the adjusting curriculum. But again, that would go for all chiropractic schools, not just Palmer. Palmer's business classes are okay, I learned the terms, but they need someone more credible to teach them. To students, I suggest you learn as much as you possibly can, wherever you go. The seminar and extracurricular opportunities at Palmer are unmatched in my mind. Take advantage of them.

Overall Opinion

Over the last several years Palmer has been collecting the best the profession has to offer to teach chiropractic to its students. A former clinic director from Logan and a doc who had the biggest practice in Arkansas are clinic faculty at Palmer, the former editor of JMPT, a peer reviewed Journal is part of the research department as well as the former head of Sherman's research department. THE #1 chiropractic radiologist, love him or hate him, is the chief clinic radiologist, a former chiropractor to the US olympic bobsled team is also on staff in the rehab dept. Palmer is where its at. The science is solid, the philosophy is strong without being dogmatic; despite what some may say, and the technique is unmatched. Fresh out of school I feel confident adjusting the neck of an 85 year old osteoporotic woman, and confident I'll get results, where most docs in my area who have been at this for years seem afraid to touch anyone's cervical spine with anything more that hot or cold packs. Sad but true. The administration has been through some rough patches and shake ups but I think its all on the up from here, on out.

My thoughts on Palmer

by Dctorlynn

Date posted: (02/12/2007)

My Experience

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As a 2005 graduate, I found that while they prepared me well in techniques, it was the huge gap in insurance knowledge and patient case management which really hurt me in the first 6 months of owning my own practice. It's a wonder I kept my head above water. Thanks to some good friends who graciously offered to guide me in these areas, my practice is now booming.

Suggestions

Palmer has class after class of philosophy. The last few were not even related to philosophy. They were refreshers in neuroanatomy. We needed classes in things that practice management companies teach. Our education doesn't come cheap and I would have rather my tuition dollars go to something that would have saved me and many others a ton of worries and struggles as we start our practices.

Overall Opinion

I loved Palmer. I got a great education, but I feel there's plenty of room for improvement is we want to continue to see ourselves as the Fountainhead of Chiropractic. We need to excel not only in creating well rounded Chiropractors, but also successful business leaders in our communities. That will help in making Chiropractic recognized as a strong legitimate resource for health care.

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