March 2004

Florida lawmakers consider state chiro college

A state-supported college of chiropractic is on the current (2004) legislative agenda of Florida lawmakers.

Introduced into both state legislative chambers, S2002/H-1089 would authorize Florida State University in Tallahassee to establish a chiropractic medicine degree program. If passed and signed into law, it is believed this would be the first state-supported chiropractic college in the nation.

The vision for a state chiropractic college was created several years ago. In 1999, the Florida legislature commissioned a study on the need for and feasibility of a school of chiropractic medicine at FSU. The study, presented to the governor in February 2000, concluded that if a new chiropractic college were established within the state university system or an independent postsecondary institution in Florida, it would be feasible to locate the chiropractic college at a school that has a diversity of health professions education programs as well as a program in exercise/movement science.

The legislature provided funds for FSU to develop an implementation plan for a chiropractic college, which would have a 10-term chiropractic educational program.

The Office of the Provost at FSU reports that the mission of the School of Chiropractic Health Care at FSU would have the following goals:

• To provide a comprehensive chiropractic education leading to a doctor of chiropractic degree;

• To provide joint degree opportunities to develop clinician scholors;

• To prepare students for chiropractic practice in the changing healthcare environment of the 21st century;

• To produce chiropractic physicians who are committed to practicing evidence-based clinical education in a variety of healthcare settings;

• To provide a distributed community-based clinical education in a variety of healthcare settings; and

• To develop a center of excellence for research in chiropractic, complementary and related health sciences.

Proposed admission requirements to the school include a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited school; minimum 3.0 grade point average; satisfactory Graduate Record Examination scores; participation in a structured interview; and demonstrated participation in community service or volunteerism, as well as pre-chiropractic courses in the basic sciences.

Source: The Florida Senate, www.flsenate.gov

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