A Comparison of Chiropractic Student Knowledge
Versus Medical Residents

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:    Frankp@chiro.org

FROM:   Proceedings of the World Federation of Chiropractic Congress 2001 Pgs. 255

Tuchin, P.J. , Bonello, R.

You may review the Full Exam.

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Objective:   To assess the knowledge of Chiropractic students in orthopedics and neurology.

Design:   A previously published knowledge questionnaire designed by chief orthopedic residents was given to a Chiropractic student group for comparison to the results of the medical resident group.

Setting:   Chiropractic Research Center of Macquarie University.

Participants:   51 volunteers, between the ages of 20 to 47 were given the questionnaire in their first week of their final semester of the Master of Chiropractic degree.

Main Outcome Measures:   Students were asked to complete the entire questionnaire to the best of their ability within a 30 minute time period. The questionnaires were then independently marked by lecturer/practitioners utilizing the grading system published by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Results:   Based on the marking scale determined by the chief residents, the Chiropractic group (n = 51) showed statistically significant higher average grade than the orthopedic residents. Expressed in other terms, 70% of chiropractic students passed the knowledge questionnaire, compared to an 80% failure rate for the residents.

It needs to be mentioned, for clarity sake, the distinct difference between the chiropractic and the medical participants in these studies. The chiropractic group were still just 10th trimester students. The medical group had already graduated from medical school, been awarded their MD degrees, then had completed all their hospital departmental rotations, and then had been accepted into a highly competitive orthopedic residency program. One would expect that during their rotations that they *might have* picked up a little more musculoskeletal knowledge. Evidently this is NOT the case.

Conclusion:   The results of this study suggest that chiropractic student neuromusculoskeletal knowledge is as good or better than medical residents.

You may review the Full Exam.

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