Interview With a Chiropractor (FAQ Edition)

For Kinesiology, Pre-Med, Athletic Training, and “I Have to Do This for a Grade” Students

Each semester, I get asked to complete an interview for kinesiology students as part of a project to learn about potential careers.

And honestly, that is a great idea. It is valuable.

But from my end?

It is also… a little tedious.

I truly do want to help young adults find their path. That is actually the direction I hope my career continues to move toward. I’ve even built an entire college-level curriculum called Life Strategies, tailored for two tracks: Sports and Medical. Each course includes 36 lectures (a full semester) designed to give real-world perspective, real direction, and fewer “what do I do with my life?” panic spirals at 2 a.m.

I’ve pitched the course to multiple professors. They were excited. Then reality hits: adding a new class into a college curriculum requires paperwork, committees, meetings, more meetings, and probably a wizard. So far, no takers.

So do not take this page the wrong way. I’m fully supportive of students doing career exploration.

That being said…

These interviews get pretty redundant for me.

I keep getting the same questions:

Where did you go to school?
What does DC stand for?
Are you making big money?

Agh. Let’s do better.

I get it. I did these too. They were annoying as a student, and they are still annoying now. It is the circle of academic life.

So lately I’ve started doing something different. When a student reaches out, I do a quick interview of my own:

“Are you seriously interested in chiropractic as a career… or are you just checking a box for an easy grade?”

Because if you’re genuinely interested, awesome. Keep reading. This is probably the best interview you’ll ever get, because it’s basically every good question I’ve ever been asked, answered honestly.

And if you’re not interested?

That is also okay. No judgement. Been there. Sometimes you just have to finish the assignment and survive the semester.

But also, if you truly don’t care at all, please interview someone else.

My time is extremely valuable these days, and I don’t have the energy to repeat answers that you can find with a quick search, especially for someone who isn’t even listening. I have a client who needs her ankle checked and that is my priority today.

Sound fair?

Cool.

This page is an Interview Series (FAQ). Use it like one. Copy what you need for your assignment and move forward with your life.

Here we go.

What is the official title of your occupation?

DC. Doctor of Chiropractic.

There are lots of “doctor” titles, and people get confused, so here’s the quick version:

MD: Medical Doctor
DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
DVM: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
PhD: Doctorate in a field (often professor/researcher)

There are plenty more. We are all “real doctors,” we just have different lanes and different scopes.

What does “DC” stand for?

Doctor of Chiropractic.

And yes, people ask that constantly.

What do you spend most of your daily work on?

I spend most of my time working directly with patients in a sports-based chiropractic clinic.

There is always paperwork (because healthcare loves paperwork), but the day-to-day is mostly:

Evaluating injuries
Orthopedic testing and diagnostics
Hands-on soft tissue work
Joint treatment (yes, sometimes adjusting)
Rehab and performance-based exercises
Coaching movement and helping athletes train smarter

This is very different from the social media version of chiropractic that makes it look like the entire job is popping backs for views.

If your whole understanding of chiropractic is TikTok cracking videos, you are getting a very narrow slice of reality.

How did you first decide on this profession?

I’ll be honest: when I was younger, I assumed chiropractors made a lot of money.

That is not a crazy reason for a 20-year-old to choose a path. People pick careers based on financial expectations all the time.

The chiropractor in my town seemed to have it all: nice car, nice house, nice life. I thought, “That looks pretty solid.”

I also remember telling my mom something like:
“Relax, I’ll make a million by the time I’m 30.”

Reality check: I ended up about half a million dollars in debt.

So yes, naïve thinking. But that’s part of the process. Most people don’t know what they’re doing at 20.

Now I’ll tell you the truth I wish someone told me early:

You can make money doing almost anything. You do not need to be a doctor.

If you chase money, you will eventually hate your job. Money tends to come when you get really good at something you actually enjoy.

Are you making big money?

Define “big.”

If you mean “rich because I’m a doctor,” not automatically. That’s a myth.

If you mean “can I make a great living if I become really skilled, communicate well, build a reputation, and treat it like a real business,” yes. Absolutely.

But you do not get paid for your degree. You get paid for value.

That is true in every profession.

where I am rich in is my time. I choose my schedule and get to watch all my kids’ sports. Many of my friends make more money but lack in this department. My tip for younger students. Sit with yourself a bit and ask what rich you truly want. because you cant have them all. Everything has a cost and a trade.

Have you always worked in healthcare?

I’ve always lived in the fitness and wellness world or the sports performance world and I live in the overlap .

After college, I worked as a personal trainer, and I’ve been mostly self-employed throughout my career.

Before that: normal jobs, manual labor jobs, typical high school jobs. Nothing glamorous. Just life.

What education was required?

You typically need:

Undergraduate prerequisites (many people get a degree first, I did)
Chiropractic school (4 years)
National board exams
State licensure

My undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology.

Chiropractic school is another four years to earn the DC degree.

What did you major in during your undergraduate studies?

Kinesiology.

Other common majors include biology, biomedical science, exercise science, and sometimes business, as long as you get the needed prerequisites.

Did your major ever change?

Yes. I changed my major nine times.

Nine.

Try doing that while being an NCAA athlete and see how calm your academic advisor stays.

At that stage, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. And that’s normal.

You don’t have to know your entire life plan at 20. You just have to keep moving, keep learning, and pay attention to what you keep coming back to.

Why did chiropractic end up being the right fit?

I wanted to be around athletes and performance.

Although a college linebacker, I wasn’t good enough for the NFL (shocking, I know), but I wanted a career that kept me in the sports world.

Even once I became a chiropractor, I carved out my own lane and built a clinic that looks very different from the stereotype.

Is there any way to shorten chiropractic school?

Yes, sometimes.

Some schools allow you to enter after about two years of undergrad if you have prerequisites. In some cases you can finish your bachelor’s while you’re in chiropractic school.

That said, I personally think real life experience matters. I wouldn’t rush it just to save time.

What do you like most about your job?

The variety.

Every day is different people, different bodies, different problems.

And about half of what we do is performance work, not just injury care. Helping someone improve, move better, train smarter, and feel confident again is extremely rewarding.

What do you dislike most about your job?

Not much, honestly.

Being a business owner is hard. The stress is not “patients.” The stress is everything around the patients:

staffing
systems
scheduling
money decisions
repairs
keeping the ship running

Also, I work with people I genuinely like, and that can be a blessing and a curse. If you are friends with your staff, you sometimes lose a little “boss authority,” and when you need something done faster or better you can come across gruff.

But if that’s my biggest problem, I’m doing okay.

What would you do differently if you could start over?

I would have marketed my younger self more.

I used to be afraid to spend money on marketing, thinking it was a “waste.” Looking back, the amounts I was worried about were tiny compared to what I understand now.

My clinic grew mostly by word of mouth, which is great, but I probably could have sped things up.

What is your opinion on working for someone else early in your career?

It can be a great move.

Pros:

fewer headaches
no employees
less risk
you learn faster
you can clock out more cleanly

My best friend is a doctor in our clinic and he has no interest in owning a business. After five o’clock, he’s done. Vacation is vacation.

Business ownership is different. It is always in your brain. Even when you’re technically “off.”

Some people thrive as associates. Some people are wired to build. Both are valid.

What advice do you have about working with others in the sports medicine world?

Get along with people.

Coaches. Teachers. Athletic trainers. Other doctors. Parents.

Be a good person. Don’t cut corners. Don’t cheat.

Healthcare is a long game. People don’t forget who helped them and they don’t forget who was arrogant.

High School and Early Life Questions

Where did you go to high school and what year did you graduate?

I went to Huron High School in Huron, South Dakota. My graduating class was about 133 students.

Did high school prepare you for life after graduation?

For me, yes.

Academics mattered, but the social part was huge. Real life is learning how to deal with different personalities:

Jerks, introverts, loud people, anxious people, confident people, insecure people, hard workers, slackers.

Those people all walk into your clinic later.

High school is a testing ground for learning how to connect with people who aren’t exactly like you.

Also, life gives you opportunities to reinvent yourself multiple times. High school feels permanent when you are in it. It is not.

Are you still in contact with high school friends?

Yes. Social media keeps people connected.

And I will say this: do not judge people by who they were at 18. Most of us are completely different humans later.

Was science always your favorite subject?

No. I liked history, writing, public speaking, sports.

Sports shaped how I built my clinic and how I think about performance and teamwork.

The Profession and the Industry

Is this field growing enough for me to succeed?

Let me ask you a better question:

Can you be better and care more than 90% of the people in the field?

If yes, there is room for you. And you can be elite.

The easiest way to avoid competition is to play a different game.

You only compete head-to-head when you offer the exact same thing as everyone else. Create a lane that feels like your own.

Also, do not underestimate this: owning a business is hard. If you just want a paycheck, there are easier ways to make money.

Are too many people entering the field?

It has definitely become more popular.

Chiropractic tends to attract people who like fitness, health, and performance.

I jokingly divide chiropractors into three broad archetypes (it’s a stereotype, but it helps explain how different styles exist under the same title):

The granola/hippy natural-lifestyle type
The sports-minded performance type
The personal injury/work comp/attorney-liaison type

My advice is always the same: build your own niche.

How have changes in the last 5–10 years affected the profession?

Insurance has changed dramatically.

The cost of care is not five dollars a visit anymore. It is closer to $65–$80 per session in many places.

That means you need to be excellent at what you do or excellent at explaining why it matters. Preferably both.

Many chiropractors have closed their doors. My business has grown, because we built a specific reputation and a very specific style.

Why do people leave the field?

A few reasons:

They entered thinking the “doctor title” automatically equals wealth
They burn out
Insurance reimbursement frustrates them
They never built a niche or reputation
Business ownership drained them

And honestly, sometimes leaving is a good thing. If it’s not for you, it’s better to pivot than suffer.

Lifestyle and Family

Do you have time outside of work for your family?

This is one of the most important questions.

It’s also a major reason I became a business owner.

I leave to watch my kids play sports. I take trips with my wife. I take time off.

I take what I call “mini retirements.” Some people grind for 15 years then start living. I prefer living now, even if it means slower debt payoff.

How much free time do you get?

I have a good amount, but I also know many doctors who don’t.

I considered surgery at one point. Then I realized the lifestyle is often 80 hours a week. That is not what I wanted.

So I built something smaller, more controlled, and more aligned with real life.

Money and Salary Expectations

What is a reasonable salary range when entering this field?

If you start a business from scratch, expect to make very little or nothing early on. Many service businesses take 3–5 years to become consistently profitable.

As an associate, starting salaries often range around $40,000 to $60,000 depending on the clinic, the market, and the structure. I start my associate doctors like this too, with a base pay and they earn bonuses at certain levels. For me – it keeps the low stress of being an associate with the drive and work wthic of a part owner. In my clinic, what you make is highly up to you.

As healthcare starts to shift toward corporate national companies, young doctors will see job postings promising much higher pay, but they usually come with production requirements and penalties.

Here is the truth: if you are a brand-new doctor, with no patient base, no reputation, and no experience, you have to ask yourself:

What value am I bringing to the clinic owner?

Owners think about this constantly. Not because they are evil. Because payroll is real. It is very common for young, recently graduated doctors to think they demand a certain salary because they passed their board exams and are finally a doctor.

But think from my seat for a second. Can I and even should I, pay you more than what you bring into the clinic?

That’s why I set my salary up like I do. You’re safe, you won’t starve – but you need to control your own salary.

What is the advancement potential?

You can make as much money as you want, depending on:

skill
communication
reputation
how many patients you can attract and retain
how well you run your systems

But nobody owes you income because you have a degree.

That’s not rude. That’s real.

You get paid based on value. In healthcare, that value is a mix of competence and trust.

In full transparency, I have had a lot of chiropractic employees and they were all good, but not many really worked hard at their own marketing, positioning and so they have never seen the patient load I do.

Do you think young professionals feel entitled in healthcare?

Sometimes, yes.

I see it with new grads across healthcare. They think the hospital or clinic owes them something because they worked hard in school.

But the employer is taking a risk and paying you to learn their system. That is the reality.

If you want full control, the other option is to become an owner. Ownership comes with freedom, but it comes with stress too.

Alternate Paths and Personal Fit

What was your second career option?

I was a very good personal trainer and I love coaching.

I also love teaching, lecturing, writing, and building systems that help people think better about performance and life.

I think the future version of me leans even more into education, seminars, and larger-scale teaching instead of only one-on-one care.

I would love to become a professional speaker and make enough to do that more than part time, and I would love one or many of my books to start flying off the shelves!

Personally, I don’t think any of you reading this will ever just have ONE job. It’s simply not your grandaddy’s era. Everything is a hybrid now.

When you started, what was your biggest worry?

Turning something I love into something that supports my family.

Chiropractic school is expensive. Roughly $200,000 – 250K is the common number to go through chiro school. That’s tough to pay back.

My wife is also a chiropractor, so yes… it adds up.

Debt is real. You better like what you do. Otherwise, debt will slowly suck the joy out of your life.

Hiring, Personality, and “Looking the Part”

What qualifications would you seek in someone you hire?

First, I have to actually need someone.

I cannot pay an associate if there is no opening, no patient demand, and no reason for expansion.

Also, this is real life: I’ve hired multiple chiropractors and let several go within a year. Great doctors. Just not the right fit.

Fit matters.

More important than grades and technique:

personality
ability to connect with people
mindset
professionalism
communication
and even your look. it might not sound real PC but you have to look the part.

If you cannot talk to people, you will not succeed in a service business. I’ve seen it a hundred times.

Do you think people need to “look the part?”

Yes. And people avoid saying it, but it’s true.

My clinic is mostly athletes and sports-minded people. You will do better in this environment if you live a lifestyle that matches your patients.

Here’s the analogy:

If you own a Ferrari, you probably don’t take it to a random quick-lube place. Not because those mechanics are bad people, but because you want someone who speaks your language and understands your world.

Same thing in healthcare.

You need skill, but you also need rapport and lifestyle credibility. I run a sports clinic, I need to still be an athlete and talk like an athlete for my clients.

What suggestions do you have for what I should do in high school and college?

Shadow multiple clinics.

Call around and ask to shadow for half a day. Go see different styles.

You won’t learn chiropractic technique. That’s fine. You’re not ready for that yet.

You’re learning:

what the day looks like
what personalities you connect with
what environments you enjoy
what style of doctor you would become

After visiting a few clinics, write down who you gravitated toward and why. That will teach you more than any textbook.

Are there certain support jobs I could do before I have a degree?

Yes. Jobs that force you to interact with people.

Personal training and athletic training are great.

But honestly? Being a waiter or cashier can teach you a lot too.

Not for the money. For the reps.

Can you communicate with strangers all day, stay calm, be empathetic, solve problems, and still be professional?

That skill transfers everywhere.

What people skills are needed for the job?

People skills are at least 100 times more important than chiropractic skills early on.

You can be a genius technician and fail if you can’t connect with humans.

What organization skills are needed?

Same as any professional job.

Can you manage your time? Can you show up? Can you handle responsibility? Can you balance life when things get busy?

And never forget this:

Work to live. Don’t live to work.

Your job should support your life, not replace it.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Which skill has been the biggest contributor to your success?

I’m very good at building real relationships quickly.

I’m interested in who people are and what they do long before I obsess over their injury.

I don’t fake anything. No sales tricks. No nonsense.

I am better at helping clients understand, remove fear, and gain true expectation than I am at even treating them.

What habit has been your biggest weakness?

Friendship, honestly.

I have a hard time charging friends sometimes because they’re friends.

Also, I’m close with my staff, and that can make it harder to “be the boss” when needed.

And I like things done my way, so if someone does something slower or differently, I tend to just do it myself.

That’s efficient short-term and a problem long-term.

Final note for students

If you made it this far, you’re probably more serious than the average “checkbox interview” student.

Good.

Chiropractic can be a great career, but only if it matches your personality, your lifestyle, and your willingness to become excellent at both the clinical side and the human side.

If you still have questions after reading this, reach out with specific questions and tell me what school/program you’re in.

If your questions are:

“What does DC stand for?”
“Do you make big money?”
“Where did you go to school?”

Scroll up. You’re welcome. 🙂