A Unified Direction The case for standardizing chiropractic education By Maria DiDanieli D CURRICULUM iscussions surrounding education within the chiropractic profes-sion are not new, but have certainly been taking on compelling dimensions, particularly vis-a-vis the expanding global chiro-practic community. Woven into the tapestry of fundamental issues that face the profession, education is significant because training is the point at which directions for each practitioner are forged and, thus, where the public, other health-care practices and governments may look to under-stand what a chiropractor should be and what levels of excellence can be expected from the discipline. Although much is – indeed, should be – learned after graduation, it is an education system’s job to lay foundations for best practices, clinically and in practice management, further learning and discovery, respectful vigilance, interaction within and outside of the profession, and more – all of which must reflect the unique and distinct features of the discipline of chiropractic. Worldwide, training in chiropractic has taken on many forms, some-times to the general consternation – and detriment – of the profession. From weekend courses aimed at tacking “chiropractic manipulations” on to the roster of practitioners from other disciplines to fully accred-ited university-based programs, this scattered situation has resulted in a hodgepodge of graduates that range from astute clinicians and research-ers to those who are far from qualified to perform chiropractic work. Furthermore, even among accredited institutions, great differences can be found in focus – dif-ferences that perpetuate the diversifications (and concomitant claims of supremacy) that have threatened the survival of chiropractic by compromising clarity in identity. Not only does this situation put patients and the public at risk – particularly in countries where non-accredited programs are offering chiropractic education that falls far short of international standards – but it also clouds the persona of chiropractic as it is understood by patients, others in heath care, and government regulating or legislating bodies. Although this lack of understanding from the outside world serves to prevent the profession from moving forward on many levels, chiroprac-tic leaders are quite clear in pointing out that the problem stems from within the profession – and, also, that it can be remedied from within the profession. In his recent address at the 84th Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) Edu-cational Congress, president of the Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec and distinguished 20th annual Joseph Janse lecturer, Dr. Andre-Marie Gonthier, touched on this concept. Dr. Gonthier noted, “We do not live in an ivory tower or on an island and we are, more than ever, in the history of mankind, all interlinked, on a “www.worldwide scale”. The whole world is really looking at us. We are in Cybermonitoring. They can look in our backyard . . . . We have to come together, with all our members, to help each other to unite, in a strong way, and this, more than ever.” STANDARDIZING CURRICULA – A DEBATE It begins to become evident that the education system training chiropractic practitioners is a good place to root urgently needed minimum standards in a way that instils a unified chiro-practic purpose, or paradigm, while recognizing the potential that intraprofessional diversity has to stretch boundaries of excellence. Standardizing chiropractic education internationally, and thereby unifying the stream through which DCs are matriculated into their careers as practitioners, educators, researchers and so forth, says Dr. Gonthier, will serve to increase the profession’s clinical, academic and cultural authority, thereby ensuring its survival as a unique and distinct entity. The case for standardizing chiropractic education is countered by concerns about ex-cessive uniformity imposed by a minority’s interpretation of chiropractic scope, loss of true 8 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | JULY/AUGUST 2010 www.canadianchiropractor.ca feature
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