Basic Science Prerequisites – College of Chiropractic
Why Basic Science prerequisites are important
To ensure your academic success with a solid foundation
We want you to be successful in the doctor of chiropractic program at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Basic science courses, including Biology, Physics, and Inorganic Chemistry, are the foundation for the understanding of chiropractic science and the application of chiropractic methods.
To successfully progress through our rigorous chiropractic curriculum, it is very important for you to have a solid foundation in the basic sciences. In our experience, we have found that students who enroll in the College of Chiropractic having taken the proper sequence of basic sciences courses as prerequisites are more likely to do well in their coursework.
The graduate-level basic sciences courses you will be taking in your first and second trimesters are very demanding. The stronger your undergraduate background in the basic sciences, the more confident and capable you will be in meeting these challenges.
How Basic Science courses ensure your success
Biology and Inorganic Chemistry
Doctors of chiropractic are specialists in neuromusculoskeletal systems. These systems, especially the neuromuscular system, are electrochemical systems. If you enter the College of Chiropractic with a solid background in biology and inorganic chemistry, you’ll understand these fundamental concepts that will help you progress through the chiropractic curriculum:
- Membrane potentials
- Electrical and chemical gradients
- Capacitance, ion motion and force
- Binding of chemical transmitters to receptors and the interaction with drugs
Physics
Doctors of chiropractic are also biomechanical experts. Physics is very helpful in understanding the vectors and forces associated with line of drive and the velocities of thrust – important concepts that directly apply to chiropractic methods.
In your prerequisite physics courses, you’ll also gain knowledge of work, power, force, and the effects of time – which are all very helpful in understanding the science of chiropractic.
We can help
Contact one of our admission representatives to help you plan your undergraduate curriculum. We can review your courses and suggest basic science courses that will help ensure your success.
Northwestern also offers accelerated basic science courses through the Undergraduate Health Sciences to help you fulfill your prerequisites.