New Washington Chiropractic College Seeking Interested Students to Apply
The school now has a website up and running and is recruiting students and faculty. While, according to the website, the President "is to be announced" an article by the Alaska Chiropractic Society states:
The incoming president of the Washington Chiropractic College is Phil McMaster DC.
The Articles of Incorporation and the website list the following individuals as the Board of Directors:
- Randy Baze DC - Chairman
- Avery Martin DC- Board Member
- Paul Reed DC - Board Member
- Dana Clum DC - Board Member
CLICK HERE for the Articles of Incorporation
According to the Alaska Chiropractic Society article: The current WCC board and financial committee includes Randy Baze DC, Avery N. Martin DC, Chris Hill DC, Dana Clum DC, Skylar Gemmer DC, Anna Martin, Diane Sherwood-Palmer DC, Sarah Kotlerman DC and David Butters DC.
The address provided on the website (200 SW 41st St, Suite 201 Renton, WA 98057) is the office of Randy Baze DC.
CLICK HERE for the school's website
The school claims that "upon graduating students will be abundantly prepared to become outrageously successful" and promises that "graduates will enjoy fulfilment and financial success in their personal and professional life".
The school is opening in a state with unique licensing requirements since, according Washington law, the school does not need to be accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) in order for graduates to get licensed in the state. It simply needs to be approved by the Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission. Dana Clum DC, one of the school's Trustees currently serves as Chair of the Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission. There are also a few other states where Washington graduates could potentially get licensed absent CCE's blessing.
CLICK HERE for information on that
And while Washington Administrative Codes (WACS) require all four parts of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exams in order to be licensed, this is not in the actual statute. Many chiropractic regulatory boards have used administrative rule and code making in order to "interpret" statutes governing all things chiropractic from scope of practice to licensure requirements that help maintain a monopoly on chiropractic accreditation, licensure and testing. However, case law suggests that boards may not make interpretations that go beyond the four corners of the statute.
The language in Washington state is somewhat unique since the language in most states has led to a cartel operating within the profession that enjoys a monopoly on chiropractic education, testing and licensing consisting of the CCE, the NBCE and the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing boards (FCLB). Recently over 50 organizations within chiropractic have signed on to Resolutions calling for a dismantling of this cartel and its monopoly.
CLICK HERE for more on that story
What the new school does need accreditation for is: student loan eligibility - which is the holy grail of chiropractic education and is the source of much of the funding that gets channeled through the Chiropractic Cartel. But even there, the school would not need CCE accreditation if it acquired regional accreditation instead.
In discussing accreditation on its website the school claims the accreditation process "may take 12-18 months or longer depending on many factors. Accreditation will serve many purposes, one of which is the ability for our students to receive student loans."
There is no mention of whether or not the school is seeking CCE accreditation, but should they seek it and not gain it then this might jeopardize recognition by the Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission and regional accreditors.
There is no mention of vertebral subluxation on the school's website thought it does state it will train students in a salutogenic model.
The new school forms during a turbulent time in higher education in general and chiropractic education specifically.
In terms of the Western portion of the United States both LIFE West and Palmer West have both made announcements about the future of their campuses and programs.
Earlier this year Palmer made the announcement that they were phasing out the College’s operations in San Jose, California.
CLICK HERE for more on that story
Meanwhile, LIFE West announced that while it will "keep a presence in Northern California", it has decided to sell the current building they occupy to a development company, with a 6-year leaseback and they have started a new chiropractic program in Nebraska.
CLICK HERE for more on that story
The new school in Washington state will no doubt compete for students with the University of Western States (UWS) in neighboring Oregon which has a program they call chiropractic - though it is focused on primary care. UWS and its leaders have historically been anti-subluxation and have distanced itself from the conservative, traditional faction of the profession. It was an early lobbyist to change the chiropractic degree to a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree. It also went so far as to promote and lobby for the rights of chiropractors in Oregon to administer COVID vaccinations stating they would "do whatever is necessary" to make it happen.
CLICK HERE for more on that story
In 2019, Western States scored a victory in the Washington State Senate with Bill 5817 which was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee allowing senior chiropractic students from Western States in approved preceptor locations to administer chiropractic adjustments in the State of Washington.
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- Concerns Grow About Control of the NY State Chiropractic Board by the ACA - Use of X-ray in NY Under Threat
- The Second Trump Presidency & The Chiropractic Profession
- The Future of Chiropractic: Challenges Ahead or a Path to Renewal?