Expert: Dr. Kevin D. Kanz - 7/28/2011

Question
Hi
I'm about to start college in the fall and I have a few questions I need answered. First off, I don't know whether to become an Anesthesiologist or a Chiropractor. People have told me that I have "magic fingers" when it comes to massages but my interest is Anesthesiology. I want to become one not only for the knowledge, but because it is interesting to me that certain pain medication treatments cost about $4,000 in one session. Which would you prefer? And which schools would be best for me to go to for both professions? What's the annual salary for both? How did you deal with all the years of studying and what got you thru it? A problem for me is when I think about all the years of school and work I;m going to have to spend, I stress out and have a second thought about my careers.

Thank you,
Jack

Answer
Your next four years of school will likely determine these issues for you.  Undergraduate pre-requisites for medicine and chiropractic programs are essentially the same.  There are a minimum of 60-90 hours in pure science that will have some impact on how you choose your career in the health sciences if you select a specific discipline.  

First you should make an appointment with your college counselor to determine the degree program that best prepares you for both.  Ask for information about both schools of medicine and chiropractic.  Osteopathy may also be an option, as this combines traditional medicine with some manual skills generally associated with chiropractic.  

As far as anticipated study vs. income and job future, try this website for the Bureau of Labor Statistics... Select both chiropractic and other medical specialties for a fair comparison:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
I hope this helps a bit... This and the associated links should help to answer most of your questions...
~DrK