Billions are spent annually on chiropractic services in the US alone. Many people consider it business, rather than a serious attempt to help the patients to relieve their back pain (and to deal with other issues). But are such claims really justified?
And cannot we say the same thing about the entire healthcare system, which, instead of treating the core of the problem, focuses on suppressing the symptoms, and often makes from you a patient for a lifetime? Or the pharma business which makes millions of people addicted to drugs each year, including hundreds of thousands of children?
But I do not want to philosophize here. You opened this article to learn about the questions you will face, while trying to get a job of a chiropractor in an interview. Let me show you some of them, and give you some hints on how you should answer them to eventually land the job.
Table of Contents
Why do you want to work as a chiropractor here?
You should find something positive about their practice or company. Check their reviews on Google and on other places. Do clients write nicely about them? Did they like the treatment they got at the place? Did it help them? If the company has a good reputation, you can definitely mention it as a reason for your choice.
You can also praise them for a variety of other things. Maybe you really like their branding and marketing efforts, or the cleanliness and modernity of their premises. They should get an impression that they are your first choice. So if you cannot find anything else to praise, refer to more prosaic reasons–proximity of their offices to your home, for example, or fitting working hours.
Please tell us more about your education and experience in the field.
It’s typically fine to apply with no previous experience, as long as you meet the educational and licensing requirements in the given state or country (if applying outside of the US).
Just explain them where you studied, the number of hours of hands-on practice, and perhaps if you had a chance to work under a supervision of more skilled chiropractor. You should definitely mention any other alternative medicine specialties you are educated in (or least interested in), be it reiki, osteopathy, music therapy, or anything else.
If you worked as a chiropractor somewhere but quit, you should be ready to explain why you left your last job.
In your opinion, what role does communication with the client play in chiropractor’s practice?
You should give it the highest importance. Chiropractic focuses on holistic approach to treating injuries and impairments of the neuromusculoskeletal system, which includes changes to diet and lifestyle of the client. And you can hardly propose any changes unless you know them well, unless you understand where they stand at the moment, the mistakes they make in their daily life.
Ensure the hiring managers that you want to discuss everything with your patients, and explain them the steps they should take in order to maximize the effectiveness of their treatment. Proper communication helps to avoid misunderstanding, and at the end of the day, many patients look for a good listener when they book their session with a chiropractor…
* My also interest you: Healthcare interview – What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What forms of treatment and what diagnostic tools you have experience with?
The more you mention the better, even if you applied certain treatment just once. Chiropractors often administer massages, hot and cold compresses, electrical stimulation, and other forms of therapy. The spinal manipulation and adjustments form the core of the treatment.
In terms of diagnostic tools and methods you can talk about x-ray and ultrasound, though you won’t necessarily use them in your new job. Try to be confident when talking about your work. And if you have no experience with something they inquire about, ensure them they you constantly try to improve your skills and knowledge, and are ready to learn to work with any tools they use in their offices.
A patent demands a spinal manipulation, but you know that the core of their problem lies in their obesity. What will you do?
At the end of the day, you should do your best to help the patient. So perhaps you will give them the manipulation they ask for (if it is not dangerous in their case, of course), but you will emphasize the importance of losing weight, if they really want to overcome their problem for good.
You may suggest going above and beyond, creating a diet plan, or even the meals plan for them for the entire week (of course they will be charged extra for the service), something they can follow while trying to lose weight, and eventually get rid of their back problem.
At the end of the day, your employer wants to make money. And they need to be profitable to keep the practice operational. But that doesn’t mean that you should provide only the most expensive treatment to the patients, or have ten sessions with them while two or three may suffice.
Good reputation is the safest way towards long term profit and prosperity of any medical practice. When you help your patients, they will recommend your services to their colleagues and friends. And that’s exactly what you should aim for.
In your opinion, what role does reporting and monitoring play in the work of a Chiropractor?
I suggest you to give it a high importance. Ensure your interviewers that you plan to keep a detailed record of each treatment and session you had with the patient.
Not only that it helps you to decide about the next steps with them, and to perhaps identify the most effective way of communicating with clients and treating them.
It will also help if you eventually decide to leave the place and work somewhere else, or start your own practice. As long as they have the file, other chiropractor can easily look into it and continue where you ended.
Imagine that the patient comes to your office and loudly complains about the treatment they got from you. Their back pain intensified, and they want their money back. What will you do?
First and foremost, ensure your interviewers that you are ready to face this situation, and aware that it may happen. At the end of the day, services of chiropractors aren’t cheap, and some people may expect miracles. If you don’t deliver, they will complain.
Say that you will calmly listen to them. You won’t get into any pointless arguments. Once they are done, once they vented their anger, you will simply calmly explain to them that treatment of back problems is a long term process, and requires holistic approach.
It is completely natural and normal for the symptoms to worsen temporarily. They just need to trust in the process, and continue following your instructions, and visiting your practice.
If they do not want to, however, they are free to go and seek help somewhere else. But you cannot refund them for the services they already got, and they agreed to this with their signature, or already when making an appointment.
You’d love to help them to eventually get rid of their pain. However, if they cannot accept the fact that their symptoms worsened temporarily, you wish them good luck and they should seek another healthcare professional to help them.
Ensure the interviewers that you will try to end the meeting with the patient on good terms, to ensure they won’t spread negative word about you, or about the entire practice.
Some other questions you may face while trying to get a job of a chiropractor in an interview
- How do you want to contribute to the marketing of this place?
- In your opinion, what role does “set and setting” play in the chiropractor’s work?
- How would you explain the value of chiropractic care to a new patient?
- Describe a time when you went above and beyond for the patient.
- This profession has a bad reputation in certain circles of other healthcare professionals. How do you plan to handle the confrontations with them?
- What motivates you the most in this job?
- Describe a time when you had to deal with an angry or upset client (patient).
- What are your salary expectations?
Conclusion, next steps
Interview for a job of a chiropractor belongs to interviews with average difficulty. Questions are quite predictable, and you can definitely prepare for them in advance.
But the career of a chiropractor is getting ever more popular, especially in the US. Hence it may easily happen that you will compete for the job with several other candidates, sometimes up to ten–when the salary offer is exceptional.
Try to think about your answers in advance, and learn as much as you can about your future employer. It should help you to connect with your interviewers, and perhaps in this way you can stand out from the crowd of other job applicants…
May also help you succeed in your chiropractor interview:
- How to overcome interview nerves – Job interview is a stressful experience for most of us, but you can alleviate your stress. Check our simple guide and learn how.
- Osteopathic Medical School interview questions.
- Physical Therapist interview questions.
