Dear Members of the Virginia Board of Medicine,

I am writing to respectfully oppose the recent petition proposing a requirement that chiropractors complete 24 of their 30 continuing education (CE) hours through in-person attendance.

While I fully support maintaining rigorous CE standards for chiropractors, I believe this specific change would impose unnecessary burdens on practitioners without meaningfully improving patient care or professional competency.

I oppose this petition for the following reasons:

1. Accessibility and Flexibility Online CE provides flexibility for practitioners with busy clinical schedules, family obligations, or geographic limitations. Restricting the majority of hours to in-person formats reduces equitable access to education.
2. Quality of Education Online CE programs have advanced significantly, offering evidence-based content, interactive modules, case studies, and real-time virtual engagement. The educational quality is not inherently diminished compared to in-person sessions.
3. Cost Burden Requiring in-person attendance adds significant financial burden, including travel, lodging, and time away from practice. These added costs may disproportionately affect smaller practices or rural chiropractors.
4. Consistency with Other Professions Many healthcare professions in Virginia and nationwide recognize the validity of online CE. Singling out chiropractors with restrictive requirements creates inconsistency and unfair disadvantage.
5. Public Health Considerations The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance and effectiveness of online learning platforms. Continuing to allow all 30 hours to be completed online or in person respects this lesson and keeps the profession adaptive and resilient.

For these reasons, I urge the Board to reject the petition and continue allowing chiropractors to fulfill CE requirements either online or in person, with professional discretion to choose the most effective and accessible format.

Thank you for considering my perspective and for your continued dedication to ensuring high standards in chiropractic care within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Doctor of chiropractic for 18+ years