For a profession concerned about attracting its next generation of doctors, reaching prospective chiropractors before they choose a college or career path matters. A new national career resource does exactly that, placing chiropractic among just six health care professions introduced to students in grades 6-12.
Exploring Careers in Health Care, by Denise T. Heldorfer and published by ReferencePoint Press, gives chiropractic its own chapter alongside nurse practitioner, dental hygienist, dietitian, optometrist, and medical and health services manager.¹ The 64-page book is designed to help young people explore potential health care careers while many are still forming ideas about what they want to do professionally.
For chiropractic, that positioning may be more important than the book's relatively modest size suggests. The profession is not buried in a comprehensive directory containing dozens or hundreds of occupations. It is one of only six careers selected for detailed consideration, giving students an opportunity to encounter becoming a DC alongside other recognizable health care pathways.
The audience is equally important. Career resources used by students, schools, librarians, and guidance counselors can help shape awareness long before prospective students begin comparing chiropractic colleges or considering professional-school applications. Simply putting chiropractic into that conversation addresses a fundamental recruitment challenge: Young people cannot consider becoming chiropractors if they are never introduced to chiropractic as a career.
The book also comes from outside the profession. ReferencePoint Press publishes educational nonfiction for young readers, making chiropractic's inclusion different from recruitment materials produced by a chiropractic college or professional organization.
Foundation for Chiropractic Progress President Sherry McAllister, MS(ED), DC, CCSP, contributed the profession's perspective to the book, providing insight into chiropractic practice and career opportunities.
“Introducing chiropractic to students before they begin making major academic decisions is essential,” she said in announcing the book via an F4CP press release. “Guidance counselors play a pivotal role in shaping career pathways, and this resource gives them the accurate, practical information they need to confidently include chiropractic among today’s most promising health care careers.”
There is also a favorable employment story for students who take a closer look. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of chiropractors to grow 9% from 2025-2035, compared with 3% for all occupations, with approximately 2,600 openings projected each year.2
For DCs, the significance of Exploring Careers in Health Care ultimately isn't that another book discusses chiropractic. It's where chiropractic appears, who will encounter it, and when. Putting the profession in front of students while they are still imagining their futures (and presenting becoming a chiropractor as one of a select group of health care career options) can help create something the profession needs: greater awareness of chiropractic not only as a form of care, but also as a career worth pursuing.
References
- Heldorfer DT. Exploring Careers in Health Care. ReferencePoint Press, 2026.
- “Chiropractors.” Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025-2035 employment projections. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
