• Moore C
• Whillier S
• Funabashi M
• De Carvalho D
• Adams J
• Fernandez M
• Giuriato R
• Swain M

• Affiliation / Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)
• Affiliation / Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership (CARL)
• Affiliation / Macquarie University. Faculty of Science and Engineering. Department of Chiropractic
• Affiliation / Memorial University of Newfoundland. Faculty of Medicine
• Affiliation / Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). Département de chiropratique
• Affiliation / University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Health. Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM)
• Affiliation(G) / Australia / New South Wales / Sydney
• Affiliation(G) / Australia / New South Wales / Ultimo
• Affiliation(G) / Canada / Newfoundland and Labrador / St. John's
• Affiliation(G) / Canada / Ontario / Toronto
• Affiliation(G) / Canada / Quebec / Trois-Rivières
• Curriculum / Australia
• Education, Chiropractic / Australia
• Headache / diagnosis
• Headache / therapy
• Open Access Document
• Students, Chiropractic / Australia
• Surveys and Questionnaires / Australia

Objective: To explore the self-perceived preparedness and clinical proficiency in headache diagnosis and management of Australian chiropractic students in senior years of study.

Methods: Australian chiropractic students in the 4th (n = 134) and 5th year (n = 122) of 2 chiropractic university programs were invited to participate in an online cross-sectional survey. Descriptive analyses were conducted for all variables. Post hoc analyses were performed using simple linear regression to evaluate the relationship between self-perceived preparedness and correctness of headache diagnosis and management scores.

Results:Australian chiropractic students in senior years demonstrated moderate overall levels of self-perceived preparedness and proficiency in their ability to diagnose and manage headache disorders. Final-year students had a slightly higher self-perceived preparedness and proficiency in headache diagnosis and management compared to those students in the 4th year of study. There was no relationship between self-perceived preparedness and correctness of headache diagnosis and management for either 4th- or 5th-year chiropractic students.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there may be gaps in graduate chiropractic student confidence and proficiency in headache diagnosis and management. These findings call for further research to explore graduate chiropractic student preparedness and proficiency in the diagnosis and management of headache disorders.

Author keywords: Chiropractic, Curriculum, Education, Evidence-Based Practice, Preparedness, Headache

Author affiliations: CM, SW, MFernandez, RG, MS: Department of Chiropractic, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; CM, MFunabashi, MFernandez, MS: Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia;
MFunabashi: Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; MFunabashi: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada; DdeC: Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; JA: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology, Faculty of Health, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
Corresponding author: Craig Moore—craig.moore@mq.edu.au

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