Occupation · SOC 29-1229
Physicians, All Other
All physicians not listed separately.
Median wage
$239,200
$66,860–$239,200
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
315,360
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
66 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingWriting
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageBiologyPsychology
Technology & tools
Spreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail softwareWord processing softwareMedical software
Representative tasks
Evaluate the functioning of the neuromuscularskeletal system and the spine using systems of chiropraDiagnose health problems by reviewing patients' health and medical histories, questioning, observingPerform a series of manual adjustments to the spine or other articulations of the body to correct th
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient medical histories — collect and record systematically under attending physician supervision in a clinical training environment.Neuromusculoskeletal assessment protocols — apply foundational chiropractic diagnostic criteria to straightforward patient presentations under direct faculty oversight.Health and medical history intake — conduct structured patient interviews using standardized forms in an outpatient clinical setting.Spinal anatomy and biomechanics — identify key structures and articulations relevant to adjustment techniques during supervised laboratory practice.Active listening skills — demonstrate attentive, non-interruptive patient communication techniques during supervised clinical intake sessions.Electronic health record software — enter patient data and retrieve medical histories accurately within a supervised clinical information system.Diagnostic reasoning — recognize common patterns of musculoskeletal dysfunction by comparing patient findings to textbook case criteria under faculty guidance.Written clinical documentation — produce legible, structured SOAP notes under attending physician review in an inpatient or outpatient setting.Basic manual adjustment techniques — perform introductory spinal adjustments on supervised training models and clinical patients under direct preceptor observation.Patient safety protocols — follow established chiropractic contraindication checklists before initiating any manual procedure in a credentialed clinical facility.
developing
Patient health histories — obtain, verify, and document comprehensive medical and chiropractic histories with minimal supervisory input in a busy outpatient clinic.Neuromusculoskeletal system evaluation — apply chiropractic diagnostic systems independently to differentiate common spinal and peripheral conditions in routine patient encounters.Spinal adjustment procedures — execute a range of manual adjustment techniques to the spine and other articulations with consistent technique and appropriate force in a private practice setting.Differential diagnosis — apply critical thinking to distinguish musculoskeletal disorders from conditions requiring medical referral across a moderate caseload.Patient communication — explain diagnoses, treatment rationales, and expected outcomes clearly and empathetically to diverse patients in a community health setting.Clinical monitoring — track patient progress across treatment episodes by reviewing subjective and objective findings and adjusting care plans in a solo or group practice.Word processing and office suite software — produce referral letters, clinical summaries, and insurance documentation efficiently within a standard healthcare administrative workflow.Reading comprehension of clinical literature — interpret and apply evidence-based guidelines and peer-reviewed research to inform routine treatment decisions.Social perceptiveness — recognize patient discomfort, anxiety, or non-verbal cues during examination and adjust communication and technique accordingly in a clinical environment.Judgment and decision making — determine when patient presentations warrant imaging, specialist referral, or emergency escalation in an outpatient chiropractic clinic.
proficient
Comprehensive neuromusculoskeletal evaluation — conduct and interpret full-scope chiropractic diagnostic workups, including advanced orthopedic and neurological testing, autonomously across complex and atypical patient populations.Complex spinal and articular adjustments — perform advanced manual adjustment sequences for multi-level spinal dysfunction and non-spinal articulations, adapting technique to patient-specific biomechanical profiles in a high-volume clinical setting.Integrated medical history analysis — synthesize multisystem health histories, pharmacological profiles, and comorbidity data to formulate individualized chiropractic care plans without supervisory input.Non-routine diagnostic reasoning — apply inductive and deductive reasoning to resolve ambiguous or rare neuromusculoskeletal presentations that fall outside standard clinical algorithms.Interdisciplinary communication — author detailed clinical correspondence and co-management plans for referring physicians, physical therapists, and specialists in a multidisciplinary healthcare network.Clinical outcome monitoring — design and implement structured outcome measurement protocols to evaluate treatment efficacy across a full patient panel in a private or institutional practice.Medical software and EHR optimization — configure and leverage medical practice management software to improve documentation accuracy, billing compliance, and continuity of care.Patient education programming — develop individualized therapeutic exercise, ergonomic, and lifestyle modification plans grounded in current evidence for patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions.Ethical and regulatory compliance — exercise independent professional judgment to uphold scope-of-practice boundaries, informed consent standards, and reporting obligations in all clinical encounters.Critical appraisal of research — evaluate and integrate current clinical research findings into practice protocols, adapting evidence to the specific needs of a specialized or underserved patient population.
advanced
Clinical practice standards — establish and disseminate evidence-based chiropractic diagnostic and treatment protocols that define best-practice benchmarks across a multi-provider healthcare organization.Professional training and mentorship — design and lead graduate-level clinical training programs that develop emerging and developing practitioners in advanced neuromusculoskeletal assessment and spinal adjustment competencies.Organizational quality improvement — lead systematic review of clinical outcomes data to drive institution-wide improvements in patient safety, diagnostic accuracy, and treatment effectiveness.Health policy and advocacy — represent chiropractic medicine in interdisciplinary policy forums, contributing expert testimony and published position statements that shape regional or national healthcare standards.Interdisciplinary care model development — architect and govern integrated care pathways that embed chiropractic services within hospital systems, accountable care organizations, or population health frameworks.Advanced research leadership — direct or co-direct clinical research initiatives examining the efficacy of spinal adjustment and neuromusculoskeletal interventions, overseeing IRB compliance and publication strategy.Strategic technology adoption — evaluate, procure, and implement medical software and digital health platforms at the enterprise level to advance clinical documentation, telehealth delivery, and analytics capability.Faculty and curriculum development — build and refine chiropractic educational curricula, including competency frameworks and assessment rubrics, for accredited professional degree programs.Executive decision making — apply senior-level judgment to allocate clinical resources, manage provider performance, and resolve complex ethical or liability situations at an organizational scale.Thought leadership and professional identity — publish, lecture, and convene at national conferences to advance the evidence base and public understanding of chiropractic medicine within the broader healthcare ecosystem.
Also known as
93 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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