Rethinking Business Education in Chiropractic: The BUSI Program at Sherman College
The landscape of chiropractic education is changing. For decades, chiropractic students have graduated with strong clinical skills and a solid philosophical foundation, but with a limited understanding of what is needed to run and manage a practice. Too often, these students are left to navigate the business side of practice on their own, relying on costly consultants or learning through expensive mistakes.
At Sherman College of Chiropractic, we believe that’s no longer acceptable. That’s why we developed a fully integrated business education track called the BUSI Program, a curriculum designed specifically for our Doctor of Chiropractic students to prepare them not only as clinicians but also as competent, confident professionals capable of owning, managing, or joining practices with clarity and purpose.
Chiropractic Education Needs Business Education
The gap between chiropractic training and practice ownership has widened over the years. Many programs provide limited business education, often confined to a seminar or two during the final quarters. However, starting or joining a practice is not a last-minute decision. It demands clarity, planning, and an understanding of operational systems well before a graduate signs a lease or hires their first employee.
Sherman’s BUSI Program takes a different approach. We have integrated business education directly into the curriculum, aligning it with the student’s clinical journey. Our goal is not to create business majors, but to support chiropractors who can lead with both vision and structure.
The Introduce–Practice–Apply Model
One of the key innovations of the BUSI Program is our use of the Introduce–Practice–Apply model in each course. This isn’t just a teaching strategy; it’s a guiding philosophy that ensures students aren’t only learning abstract concepts but also actively engaging with them in the context of real chiropractic practice.
Each course introduces foundational concepts in class, such as systems design, communication protocols, policy writing, and time management. Students then practice these concepts through in-class simulations, exercises, and guided reflections. The final step, however, offers the true value: applying what they’ve learned at our on-campus practice, the Sherman Chiropractic Center.
This model makes the classroom experience highly practical. Students are encouraged to observe and analyze current clinic operations, find real examples of the systems being discussed, and think about how those systems affect both staff and patient experiences. Then, they are asked to modify or develop versions of those systems to use in their future practice.
This structure fosters deeper learning. Instead of just knowing how to write a schedule or develop a policy, students start to understand why those processes matter and how they influence the quality of care, team productivity, and long-term success.
Program Structure With Purpose
The BUSI Program is not just a single class but a series of interconnected courses that reflect the student’s development throughout the curriculum. It starts with fundamental topics such as professional communication, time management, and mindset, then advances into more complex subjects like operational flow, human resources, and strategic planning.
Every course offers opportunities for students to develop parts of their comprehensive business plan, which they will later integrate in the 12th-quarter Practice Integration course. This ensures students are not rushing to complete their business plan in the final weeks before graduation. Instead, they are building it gradually, step by step, in alignment with their personal goals, clinic experience, and evolving professional identity.
Each course in the sequence fulfills a specific role and does not overlap with Sherman’s other essential classes like Practice Development, Marketing & Finance, or Chiropractic Communications. While those classes focus on long-term vision, external growth strategies, or patient engagement, the BUSI Program concentrates on internal operations that support effective, ethical care.
Bridging the Gap Between Clinic and Career
What truly distinguishes the BUSI Program is its close relationship with the Sherman Chiropractic Center. Students don’t have to imagine what a functioning clinic looks like; they experience it firsthand every day as they complete clinical requirements at the center. Our courses leverage this proximity to enhance reflection and understanding. For example, a student studying scheduling models can evaluate how different patient visit types are handled, identify inefficiencies, and propose improvements. They can observe how front desk duties, team communication, and patient flow shape the daily routine.
This hands-on experience makes learning more than just academic. Students learn to see themselves not only as interns or assistants but as future practice owners and decision-makers. They begin to identify where systems work, where they break down, and what it takes to improve them. This is what makes the BUSI Program so valuable — it helps students think like business owners before they even own a practice.
The Capstone: Practice Management Observational Elective
As students advance through the BUSI curriculum, they eventually participate in the Practice Management Observational Elective, a capstone business experience unlike anything offered in most chiropractic programs.
This elective is not a clinical externship. It is not focused on adjusting patients or expanding techniques. Instead, it is designed to give students an immersive look into the business operations of a functioning chiropractic office. During this rotation, students observe how teams are managed, how schedules are built, how systems are enforced, and how decisions are made behind the scenes.
In many associate positions, this type of operational training occurs informally during onboarding. However, at Sherman, we believe students should experience these realities before entering the field, not afterward. The observational elective ensures that our graduates not only know how to care for patients but also understand how to navigate the business infrastructure that makes care possible.
A Program with Long-Term Impact
The benefits of the BUSI Program extend beyond graduation. Our students finish with a draft business plan, a solid understanding of key operational systems, and the confidence to join or start a practice with professionalism and structure. For many, this preparation acts as a launchpad for ownership, partnership, or leadership roles in the field.
Beyond that, we are actively developing alumni support systems—through advisory resources, ongoing learning, and mentorship connections that help our graduates refine their plans and grow as professionals during the critical first three years of practice.
Our long-term goal is to make business fluency a fundamental part of the chiropractic identity, not an afterthought. We want Sherman students to be recognized not only for their clinical excellence and philosophical dedication but also for their ability to lead successful, ethical, and efficient practices.
Looking Ahead: Build the Practice of Your Dreams at Sherman
At Sherman, we believe that chiropractic is more than just a profession; it’s a purposeful calling. Our dedication to developing top-tier adjusters is matched by our passion for helping students become confident, capable leaders in practice. That’s why the BUSI Program is not merely an addition to your education; it is a cornerstone for your future success.
Whether you aspire to open your own office, join a high-performance team, or build a practice that serves your community with excellence, Sherman’s integrated business education will help you reach that goal. You will graduate with more than just clinical skills. You will have a clear business vision, the tools to bring it to life, and the mindset of a doctor ready to lead.
No more guessing. No more last-minute scrambling. No more wondering how to turn passion into a profession.
At Sherman, we are here to equip you with everything you need to start strong, grow with confidence, and build the practice of your dreams. If you are ready to serve, lead, and thrive in chiropractic, there is no better place to begin than right here.
Learn more about Sherman College and take the first step toward your future today.