In spite of the fact that both physicians and chiropractors are called doctors, there are some big differences. Chiropractors insist that a disease is related to spine alignment, and improving it will alleviate your condition. A doctor believes in treating a particular disease with help of medications and even surgery. In either case, whether a doctor or chiropractor would require a license.
Pros and cons of being a chiropractor
- The career of a chiropractor is much less tedious than becoming a doctor.
- A three year undergraduate degree followed by chiropractor training is all that is required.
- Chiropractors do not need to visit hospitals. But they maintain regular office hours and work much less than physicians.
- But chiropractors have student loans that cannot be subsidized.
- Small business owners make up most of the practicing chiropractors.
- There are not many specialization options for a chiropractor. They can specialize in sports medicine.
- They also tend to earn much less than their physician counterparts.
Pros and cons of a physician
- A physician can practice in a wide area of specialties like ophthalmology, neurology, pediatrics, cardiology and many more.
- There is a wide range of salaries based on the specialization. Also physicians are eligible for subsidy on their medical school loans.
- Employment opportunities are available for physicians outside of private practice. They can work in hospitals.
- Being a physician is much more prestigious than being a chiropractor.
- Physicians spend at least 11 years in training, and up to 15 years.
- Physicians may be required to work for long hours, do night shifts and need to be available for emergencies, even during holidays.
- They graduate with enormous student debt and they would be required to put in more money to be board-certified and even maintain their certification.
