BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – After an unimaginable seven years of intense study, most chiropractic students are more than ready to complete their education and begin practicing. However, students in Northwestern Health Sciences University’s residency program show a dedication that is even harder to imagine – they attend Northwestern for an additional three years, adding up to a grand total of 10 years worth of education. The additional three years are in the University’s residency program, which offers diagnostic imaging or geriatric specialties.

The programs have been an option for Northwestern graduates since September 2006, and the University hopes to open the residency to non-Northwestern students in the future. The main goals are to train scholars, teachers, and specialists in chiropractic care during the three yeas of the residency. “I believe the residency programs considerably enhance our University,” says Renee DeVries, DC, DACBR, associate professor and director of radiology consultation services. “They demonstrate Northwestern’s commitment to quality education and advancement of the profession.”

According to Michael Wiles, DC, interim provost, dean of the College of Chiropractic, and administrator of the geriatrics internship program, “The residencies serve as a source of advancement in science. They also train our students to be future leaders in the field. Residencies in chiropractic schools are not very common – we’d like to see them in more institutions.”