Chiropractors

[omegaseamaster75]

This may be part of where I reside because there is a chiropractic college nearby, but I see a lot of members going to this school. In particular young married couples, often with a kid or two.

I know that this can be a lucrative career opportunity if you have the inside track to a business or are willing to work your butt off once you are out of school, but 1. It seems that LDS are attracted to this profession and I am not sure why, and 2. the cost is prohibitive. Prohibitively expensive if you do it as a single person, but these people are married with kids.

So I guess I just want some understanding about the attraction to this career choice, and how do they deal with the debt?

[Guest]

Omega, are you in Southern California?  We had a large chiropractic college when I lived there.  There was a large apartment complex nearby that we nicknamed "Mormon Village" because so many of the students were Mormons.

To your question.  I've often wondered the same thing.  But I didn't have any overall statistics to back it up.  So I just figured it was a perception thing.

[NeedleinA]

1 hour ago, omegaseamaster75 said:

1. It seems that LDS are attracted to this profession and I am not sure why, 

how do they deal with the debt?

Over the years I have known several LDS "medical" professionals. Loads of dentist and primary care doctors. Honestly, I can say I've never met a LDS Chiropractor. I live near a dental college, where there a loads of LDS dental students, but no chiropractors that I know of. 

I am not in the medical field and have z-e-r-o credibility to stand on. So the following is purely my perception (right or wrong). If someone came and said, "Hey, what do you think about Chiropractors?". I would say:

1. I've never been to one
2. Of the people I know who went to one 90% of them would never go back OR left worse off
3. I always (perception again) see them portrayed as second class citizens in the medical world, meaning, not real doctors
4. If ever I've seen a show with an undercover sting of fraudulent billing etc, funny enough 9 out of 10 times it is a Chiropractor.

As far as starting off in this profession, I would look at buying a business away from a retiring Chiropractor and acquiring his client base rather than starting from scratch. 

When it comes to this subject, I give my opinion less weight than a hairless one-eyed baboon.

Edited March 9, 2016 by NeedleinA

[estradling75]

1 hour ago, omegaseamaster75 said:

This may be part of where I reside because there is a chiropractic college nearby, but I see a lot of members going to this school. In particular young married couples, often with a kid or two.

I think it is entirely because of where you reside...

 

If you were near a medical school you would see young married LDS couples going there.

If you were near a dental school you would see young married LDS couples going there.

If you were near a law school you would see young married LDS couples going there.

If you were near a technical school you would see young married LDS couples going there.

If you were near a... well I think you get the point 

 

Now as to 'why' they chose that career path and what their plans are... well I would expect it to vary just as much as it would for any other school.  Some will be very well thought out and planned... other will still be figuring things out as they go

[Guest]

@estradling75,

I was beginning to post something along those lines.  I'd really like to see the statistics.  But what I'm getting is that

• For highly skilled professions, we're going to see a higher percentage of saints in those fields than in the general population. In Houston, we should only see about 1.5% LDS population.  But in the heavy industry here that is heavily weighted toward engineers and project managers, the percentage is much higher than that.
• For professions that require drug screening and criminal background checks, you're going to see a higher percentage.  
• For professions where you require security clearance, you'll see a higher percentage.  In Denver there is a government contractors' office* that has (according to the Stake Pres.) about 30% Mormons for this very reason.  I believe Colorado is at about 10% to 15%?

*I call it a govt contractors' office because there are multiple companies that work in the same building that do all the work for the feds in the area.  But depending on who wins the contract, a bunch of people shift from one company to another.  As I understand it, each area of the country will have something like this office for various specialties.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Guest

[Kara]

I would wager it to be a draw to alternative medicine that seems, at least by perception, pervasive in the Mormon community.

 

[Backroads]

My cousin is a chiropractor. He does well for himself.

 

My husband used to see a chiropractor, but he hasns't gone in months.

[Guest MormonGator]

My former priesthood leader was a chiropractor. Super great guy, I admire him deeply. I didn't know him well enough to talk about money, but he seemed to do very well. Supported a wonderful wife and two adorable children.