Chiropractic’s Continuing-Education System Is Holding Us Back

The current continuing-education (CE) system for chiropractors is fragmented, inefficient, and holding the profession back. While intended to ensure competence, it has devolved into a costly, box-checking exercise bogged down by regulatory roadblocks. The author highlights how the same educational program can face inconsistent approval processes across different states, not due to content quality but procedural issues. This duplication of reviews adds significant financial burdens on providers, which are ultimately passed on to clinicians. Perhaps most critically, the system discourages engagement with scientific literature by often refusing to grant credit for structured journal reviews, implicitly valuing lecture time over evidence-based learning. This contrasts sharply with medical CE systems, which are more centralized and predictable. The author proposes a modern approach: nationally approved courses should be broadly accepted without redundant state reviews, boards should have clear approval timelines, credit should be expanded to include research activities, and reporting systems should be interoperable. These reforms would strengthen professional standards by redirecting resources toward learning that truly improves patient care, ensuring the profession remains adaptive, evidence-informed, and trusted in a complex healthcare environment. The goal is competence, not just compliance.