FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Chiropractic POSTGRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 2018
2 POSTGRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 2018 A health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on the function of the nervous system and general health. There is an emphasis on manual treatments including spinal adjustment and other joint and soft-tissue manipulation. World Federation of Chiropractic, 2001 What is Chiropractic? The patient s welfare is of paramount concern to a chiropractor. The profession bases its practice on principles of evidence-based care with an acknowledgement of the biopsychosocial model of healthcare. Chiropractic education is underpinned by science-based theories, peer-reviewed research and an appreciation of clinical experience. Chiropractic is a licenced profession in most countries, including Australia. Chiropractors have the privilege of being able to positively impact people s lives through the provision of natural and non-invasive healthcare methods. They have a deep understanding of the body s structures and how each interacts to affect our health. Using spinal adjustments, manipulation and other physical means to improve neuromusculoskeletal function, chiropractors can assist us to live healthy and active lives. ACCREDITATION The degrees offered at Macquarie University in chiropractic are accredited and internationally recognised. Professional accreditation under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) requires the completion of an accredited five-year chiropractic program conducted at a university within Australia, or the completion of an accredited program overseas that satisfies the standards set by The Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia Inc (CCEA). Through Macquarie University, there are two pathways to gain registration as a chiropractor in Australia. The most common pathway is through completing both the Bachelor of Chiropractic Science and the Master of Chiropractic (minimum of five-years full-time study) programs at our University. An alternative pathway is through our three-year Master of Chiropractic program after completing a science or health undergraduate degree with sufficient anatomy and physiology. WHY STUDY CHIROPRACTIC? The Department of Chiropractic has state-of-the-art facilities to enable teaching of manual therapy and patient assessment. These include purpose-built rooms for radiology, orthopaedics, rehabilitation, and case management. Audio-visual equipment allows for the recording and presentation of chiropractic and other procedures for presentation during practical class. Multiple camera angles and mixed media presentations are used. The Radiographic Positioning Laboratory contains X-ray equipment that allows the student to simulate radiographic positioning and image capture without exposing students to ionising radiation. The Radiographic Learning Laboratory provides an X-ray reading library with viewing stations so that students may improve their diagnostic skills and report writing. The department runs comprehensive anatomy and histology units at Macquarie. We use the wet lab facilities in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences where second- and third-year students are privileged to study anatomy with the use of cadavers. The department maintains three chiropractic clinics, which are located in Summer Hill, Eastwood and on campus. These clinics provide clinical intern training for final-year Master of Chiropractic students. DEGREES OFFERED Bachelor of Chiropractic Science three years Master of Chiropractic two or three years Graduates of the Bachelor of Chiropractic Science degree from Macquarie enter the two-year Master of Chiropractic program. If accepted, graduates with other degrees in relevant disciplines will enter the three-year Master of Chiropractic program. Students graduating with a Master of Chiropractic are eligible to practice in Australia.
POSTGRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 2018 3 CAREERS The majority of chiropractors are self-employed in private practice. Other opportunities include positions in teaching, research, and consulting in healthcare-related fields. Career opportunities: chiropractic sports medicine consultancies in allied health areas health insurance assessment medico-legal advising work health and safety private practice rehabilitation research and teaching It is typical for new graduates to spend their first couple of years working in an established practice. Current Australian visa policy allows international students who graduate to remain in Australia and work for up to two years. BACHELOR OF CHIROPRACTIC SCIENCE The Bachelor of Chiropractic Science offers fundamental health science training, teaching a wide range of diagnostic and chiropractic therapeutic skills in the context of anatomical, physiological and biomedical sciences. It provides the prerequisite academic background to enable you to apply for entry into the Master of Chiropractic, which is required for professional registration within Australia. The Master of Chiropractic is a rigorous postgraduate chiropractic science degree. It prepares you for assuming the full diagnostic and clinical management responsibilities of a primary contact health practitioner. Students are required to participate in a year-long internship working in one of Macquarie University s chiropractic clinics. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS The Bachelor of Chiropractic Science requires an ATAR of 80.00. We recommend a good knowledge of mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics. Introductory units and bridging courses are available for students without the recommended prior knowledge. The Master of Chiropractic requires: 1. Completion of the Bachelor of Chiropractic Science; in this case, only the two-year master degree will be required. or 2. Students who have completed a bachelor degree in health or medical science may be eligible for entry into the three-year master degree. These applicants must have satisfactorily completed undergraduate units in anatomy and physiology. Please refer to page 4 for more information on prerequisite knowledge.
4 POSTGRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 2018 Typical study plans BACHELOR OF CHIROPRACTIC SCIENCE Unit code Unit name Credit points YEAR 1 24 BIOL 108 Human Biology 3 CBMS107 Foundations of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science 1 3 CHIR113 Chiropractic Sciences 1 3 CHIR114 Chiropractic Sciences 2 3 HLTH108 Introduction to Anatomy 3 HLTH109 Anatomy of the Limbs and Back 3 HLTH201 Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Health Sciences 3 Elective People Unit 3 YEAR 2 24 BIOL247 Systems Physiology 3 CBMS223 Biochemistry and Cell Biology 3 CHIR213 Chiropractic Sciences 3 3 CHIR214 Chiropractic Sciences 4 3 HLTH213 Anatomy of the Head, Neck and Trunk 3 HLTH215 Principles in Health and Disease 1 3 PSYC104 Introduction to Psychology 1 3 Elective HLTH200 Contemporary Health Issues or ANTH202 Illness and Healing 3 YEAR 3 24 BIOL257 Neurophysiology 3 CHIR315 Chiropractic Science 5 3 CHIR316 Chiropractic Science 6 3 CHIR322 PACE, Preclinical Foundation 3 HLTH214 Neuroanatomy 3 HLTH304 Radiographic Physics, Practice and Protection 3 HLTH316 Principles in Health and Disease 2 3 HLTH317 Principles in Health and Disease 3 3 Unit code Unit name Credit points If completing the 3-year program, the subjects in the first year of the degree will be as follows: CHIR602 Chiropractic A 8 CHIR603 Chiropractic B 8 CHIR604 Medical Sciences A 4 CHIR605 Medical Sciences B 4 CHIR606 Radiographic Science 4 CHIR607 Diagnostic Sciences 4 For those students entering the master degree after completing the Bachelor of Chiropractic Science, the typical study plan will be as follows: CHIR873 Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis 1 4 CHIR874 Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis 2 4 CHIR891 Clinical Chiropractic 1 4 CHIR892 Clinical Chiropractic 2 4 CHIR896 Clinic Internship 1 4 CHIR897 Clinic Internship 2 4 CHIR903 Clinical Chiropractic 3 4 CHIR904 Clinical Chiropractic 4 4 CHIR916 Diagnostic Imaging 1 4 CHIR917 Diagnostic Imaging 2 4 CHIR918 Physical and Functional Assessment 4 CHIR919 Clinical Management 4 CHIR923 Postgraduate Advanced Research 1 4 CHIR924 Postgraduate Advanced Research 2 4 CHIR931 Diagnosis and Management 1 4 CHIR932 Diagnosis and Management 2 4
POSTGRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 2018 5
6 POSTGRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 2018 Testimonials DAVID MCNAUGHTON My five years at Macquarie Uni studying Chiropractic gave me a solid foundation of human science, diagnostics and critical analysis, which led me to pursue a higher degree in research. Throughout clinical placement I observed a lack of understanding around chronic illnesses and their association with mental health which lead me to do more research in the psychology. The five years I spent studying Chiropractic at Macquarie were intense both physically (learning techniques) and mentally but it has set me up for a lifelong career as a clinician. The friends you make in the course and the skills you learn are invaluable. VERA SCHRÖDER I am from Germany and when I was looking to study chiropractic I spoke to a family friend who works as a chiropractor in Italy. She was a graduate of Macquarie and she wholeheartedly recommended it to me, so that is how I ended up coming to study here. Macquarie has been teaching chiropractic for over 25 years and this shows because the teaching staff are very experienced, both at chiropractic and at teaching others. Their experience becomes very helpful when working in one of the student clinics as an intern. Something which is different from Germany is that all the teaching notes and classes are saved and made available online, so you can go back and review them. I found this immensely useful, especially in the beginning, because English is not my first language and sometimes I did not recognise some of the words used in class. For me personally, the best thing about the undergraduate degree is that you get to work with real cadavers in an awesome modern anatomy lab. At most other places you have to learn anatomy from books and models and it s just not as effective as learning on the real thing. STIAN AANDAHL In Norway it is not possible to study to be a chiropractor, so all Norwegians must go overseas to learn this profession. Quite a lot of Norwegians go to Denmark or the UK because it is closer to home and more cost-effective, but I decided to come to Macquarie, which has a strong reputation in Norway. My main reasons for coming here were the lifestyle opportunities that you have in Sydney alongside studying. I love travel, the great outdoors and sports and spending five years in Sydney gives me the best opportunities to indulge my passions. An impressive part of the Macquarie degree is that you spend a lot of time in the University-run clinics during the final year, treating the general public. You get to learn what it is like to run a clinic, but you have the security of a very experienced chiropractor on site who can verify that your treatment plan is correct, and which helps you to build confidence. The other big drawcards for me are becoming highly proficient in English and the ability to stay in Australia and work after graduation. I hope to work as a chiropractor on a sports team and Australia has many professional teams in contact sports like AFL, so there is good scope for me to gain experience in this field.
POSTGRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 2018 7
Faculty of Science and Engineering Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia T: +61 2 9850 6410 chiro.mq.edu.au Photos: All photos by Chris Stacey unless otherwise noted. Disclaimer: This publication is correct at time of printing, November 2017. Macquarie University reserves the right to change program details at any time and change its fees without notice. CRICOS Provider 00002J FSE3589