For a professional to get additional letters after his or her name is a big deal. At Greater Life Chiropractic, our doctors spent about three and a half years in chiropractic college to earn the “DC” after their names, and any additional letters should mean they’ve spent a great deal of time studying a topic thoroughly and acquiring expertise on the subject. Additionally, any certifications should require focused and involved coursework with exams, papers, and clinicals where the doctors prove their expertise.

Unfortunately, however, that is not always the case. Some chiropractors have acquired certifications that are questionable at best. Not only are some of these programs minimal in their requirements, but they don’t require in-person participation, they don’t have tests, and they may not even have a doctor demonstrate what they’ve learned. Some certifications are one-off online courses that just about anyone could participate in and then claim expertise in the subject.

We’re not okay with this, and you shouldn’t be either. Here’s why.

Ethics Matter

As healthcare practitioners, ethics matter a great deal. The driving force behind all medical professionals should be to help people live healthier lives. Some of these certifications are less about serving a community and more about manipulating the market. They’re about claiming something that’s not entirely true, like expertise in a subject, to make more money.

Rather than referring someone to an actual expert or admitting that they don’t have an answer for a particular problem or question, some chiropractors will claim to have the solution because of their “expertise” gained from certifications. This is entirely unethical in our opinion. Pride should never get in the way of someone getting the help they need and achieving true health and healing.

One example of a questionable certification that brings ethics into question is a BCN, or Board Certified in Neuropathy. A medical doctor is offering this course to a variety of medical professionals, and it costs a whopping $5,000 for only nine hours worth of online coursework. Those who complete this program get to add BCN to their title and can then claim that they are Board Certified in Neuropathy. Not only is neuropathy a massively in-depth area of study that absolutely cannot be covered in nine hours, but the “board certified” label makes it sound far more legitimate than it is. Even the listed benefits of this course have nothing to do with enhancing knowledge or acquiring expertise. The course itself claims the benefits as increasing income, elevating status, and adding credentials. The purpose of this course isn’t to become an expert or advance a person’s education. Instead, it’s about bogus labels and making money.

Being an Expert vs. Being Qualified

A big discrepancy exists between being an expert and being qualified. Qualification generally deals with meeting the minimum requirements, while expertise involves a whole lot more. Months or years of studying, researching, practicing, and getting feedback are part of establishing expertise. Just because someone is qualified or certified doesn’t mean they are an expert.

While a chiropractor may know more about a topic than most people or even more than other chiropractors, what they really gain from those sketchy certifications is relative expertise. It’s not true expertise—it’s simply knowing more about something than the people they’re interacting with. Relative expertise can be a good thing, but when we’re talking about people’s health and wellbeing, it’s a matter of being unethical to earn a dime.

Think about medical doctors. Would you want a medical student who is qualified to do surgery because they took a course or an experienced surgeon who has spent years focusing on surgical education? The same rings true for chiropractors. We are laser-focused on chiropractic because it’s what we do best. We are true experts in the spine and nervous system. We would never claim to be a better option for PT than a doctor of physical therapy simply because we’re qualified to do physical therapy with you.

Commitment to Chiropractic

While many chiropractors are truly in their profession to serve their communities and bring about restored health to our nation, we’re afraid that many are not. Or perhaps they do value health, but they also want to navigate the current market with shortcuts and loopholes to make more money and come across as more than they really are.

Our chiropractors have several certifications that are highly regarded in their profession, and many of them took several years to acquire. The high cost of these legitimate certifications includes not only financial expenses, but also time away from family, traveling for coursework and seminars, and continuous studying to learn the content to earn the certification. It’s about making the effort and pushing harder to learn more to better serve people.

If you’re looking for a new chiropractor and are in or near Charlotte, contact Greater Life Chiropractic today. If you’re not local, be sure to check out the certifications of any chiropractors you’re considering and be aware of other red flags you may need to look out for. We want nothing but the best for our profession and those that we serve in our communities, and we are always committed to helping further the message of principled chiropractic and its many benefits.