California Code of Regulations
Title 16 - Professional and Vocational Regulations
Division 4 - State Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Article 4 - Approved Schools and Qualifications of Applicants
Section 331.12.2 - Curriculum

Universal Citation: 16 CA Code of Regs 331.12.2

Current through Register 2022 Notice Reg. No. 14, April 8, 2022

All applicants for licensure shall be required to comply with this section in order to qualify for a California chiropractic license.

(a) Course of Study: Every school shall have a curriculum which indicates objectives, content and methods of instruction for each subject offered.

(b) Required Hours and Subjects: Each applicant shall offer proof of completion of a course of instruction in a Board-approved chiropractic college of not less than 4,400 hours which includes minimum educational requirements set forth in Section 5 of the Act. The course of instruction completed by the applicant shall consist of no less than the following minimum hours, except as otherwise provided:

Group I

Anatomy, including embryology,

histology and human dissection.

616 hours

Group II

Physiology (must include laboratory work).

264 hours

Group III

Biochemistry, clinical nutrition, and dietetics.

264 hours

Group IV

Pathology, bacteriology, and toxicology.

440 hours

Group V

Public health, hygiene and sanitation, and

emergency care.

132 hours

Group VI

Diagnosis, including E.E.N.T. and serology,

dermatology and sexually transmitted diseases,

geriatrics, X-ray interpretation, and neurology.

792 hours

Group VII

Obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics.

132 hours

Group VIII

Principles and practice of chiropractic to include

chiropractic technique, chiropractic philosophy,

orthopedics, X-ray technique, and radiation

protection.

430 hours

Clinic, including office procedure.

518 hours

Physiotherapy.

120 hours

Psychiatry.

32 hours

Electives.

660 hours

Total.

4,400 hours

(c) Subject Presentation: Laboratory teaching with actual student participation shall be included in human dissection, histology, chemistry, physiology, bacteriology, pathology, X-ray and physiotherapy. Each school shall have and use at least one phantom or equivalent equipment for X-ray class and other courses as may be necessary for adequate teaching.

Classes shall be presented in proper academic sequence. Each student shall be taught micro and gross anatomy, human dissection, and physiology before pathology; biochemistry before or concurrent with physiology; and diagnosis before or concurrent with the study of pathology. Clinic hours shall be taken only after a student completes all hours in or concurrently with diagnosis.

(1) ANATOMY: To include gross anatomy, human dissection, embryology and histology.

(2) PHYSIOLOGY: To include the physiology of blood and lymph, circulation, respiration, excretion, digestion, metabolism, endocrines, special senses and nervous system.

(3) BIOCHEMISTRY AND NUTRITION: Biochemistry to include the chemistry of foods, digestion, and metabolism. Nutrition to include dietetics and clinical nutrition in the prevention and treatment of illnesses.

(4) PATHOLOGY AND BACTERIOLOGY: Pathology to include general and special pathology. Bacteriology to include parasitology and serology.

(5) PUBLIC HEALTH, HYGIENE, SANITATION AND EMERGENCY CARE: To include sanitary and hygienic procedures, First Aid, minor surgery, prevention of disease, and Public Health Department regulations.

(6) DIAGNOSIS: To include physical, clinical, laboratory and differential diagnosis; E.E.N.T., geriatrics, serology, dermatology, syphilology, roentgenology (technique and interpretation) and the rules and regulations of the Radiologic Technology Certification Committee of the State Department of Health Services.

(7) OBSTETRICS, GYNECOLOGY AND PEDIATRICS: To include the standard routine diagnostic procedures and clinical and laboratory examinations.

(8) PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF CHIROPRACTIC, DIETETICS, PHYSIOTHERAPY, AND OFFICE PROCEDURE: To include history and principles of chiropractic, spinal analysis, adjustive technique of all articulations of the body, orthopedics and patient counseling in curriculum subject matters.

(9) PHYSIOTHERAPY: To be eligible for licensure, each applicant must furnish proof satisfactory to the Board of successful completion of the required 120 hours of physiotherapy course work and additional clinical training in which the theory, principles and use of the standard recognized physiotherapy equipment and procedures were demonstrated to and used by the applicant. This shall include a minimum of thirty (30) patient office visits in which physiotherapy procedures are performed by the student on their own clinic patients. If physiotherapy course work is not offered by the chiropractic college where the student matriculated, the required instruction and clinical training in physiotherapy may be completed at another Board-approved chiropractic college, provided such course is a regular credit course offered primarily to matriculated students.

Physiotherapy course work not completed prior to graduation from chiropractic college may be fulfilled by course work taken subsequent to graduation at a Board-approved chiropractic college in conjunction with clinical training in physiotherapy offered by that college. Such course work and clinical training must be regular credit course work and clinical training offered primarily to matriculated students.

(10) OFFICE PROCEDURE: To include private office and case management, the writing and completion of reports and forms for insurance claims, and the provisions, rules and regulations of the Chiropractic Act, and the Radiologic Technology Certification Committee of the State Department of Health Services.

(d) Additional Hours and Subjects: It is recommended that a school offer elective subjects, including chiropractic meridian therapy, counseling, hypnotherapy and biofeedback. The school may offer and require for graduation courses of more than 4,400 hours.

(e) Clinics: Each student shall be provided with actual clinical experience in the examining, diagnosing, and treatment of patients. Such clinical experience shall include spinal analysis, palpation, chiropractic philosophy, symptomatology, laboratory diagnosis, physical diagnosis, X-ray interpretation, postural analysis, diagnostic impressions, and adjusting of various articulations of the body, psychological counseling and dietetics. Individual case files on each patient together with a record of dates and treatments given and student treating shall be kept and available to the board for inspection.

Clinical hours, as described in this section, including those relating to physiotherapy, must be completed in a clinic operated or supervised by a chiropractic college.

Each student shall be required to complete, as a minimum for graduation, the following:

(1) Twenty-five (25) physical examinations of which at least ten (10) are of outside (not student) patients.

A physical examination shall include an evaluation of all vital signs, case history, orthopedic and neurological testing.

Students shall also have practical clinical laboratory training, including twenty-five (25) urinalyses, twenty (20) complete blood counts (CBCs), ten (10) blood chemistries, and thirty (30) X-ray examinations. Students shall perform ten (10) proctological and ten (10) gynecological examinations. Proctological and gynecological examinations may be performed on a phantom approved by the Board. Gynecological and proctological examinations not completed prior to graduation may be completed after graduation at a Board-approved chiropractic college.

(2) Students shall perform a minimum of two hundred and fifty (250) patient treatments (visits), including diagnostic procedures, chiropractic adjustive technique and patient evaluation.

(3) Written interpretation of at least thirty (30) different X-ray views, either slide or film, while a senior in the clinic, in addition to other classroom requirements which shall include the spinal column, all other articulations of the body, and soft tissue.

(4) Minimum of five hundred eighteen (518) hours of practical clinical experience (treating patients in the clinic).

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 16, § 331.12.2

Note: Authority cited: Section 1000- 4(b), Business and Professions Code (Chiropractic Initiative Act of California, Stats. 1923, p. 1xxxvii). Reference: Section 1000- 4(g) and 5, Business and Professions Code (Chiropractic Initiative Act of California, Stats. 1923, p. 1xxxvii).

1. Repealer and new section filed 8-19-77; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 77, No. 34).
2. Renumbering of Section 331.12.3 to Section 331.12.2 and amendment filed 2-27-78; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 78, No. 9). For history of former Section 331.12.2, see Register 76, No. 50.
3. Amendment of subsection (e) filed 6-4-80; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 80, No. 23).
4. Amendment filed 4-17-2001; operative 5-17-2001 (Register 2001, No. 16).
5. Amendment of subsection (e)(1) and amendment of Note filed 9-10-2002; operative 10-10-2002 (Register 2002, No. 37).

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