Oregon Chiropractic Assistant — Initial Certification
8 credit hours · Instructor: Jason Young, DC
The complete online portion of Oregon's required chiropractic assistant training — 8 hours of instruction you can finish in days, with automatic hour tracking, a final exam, and an instantly verifiable certificate. Includes prep materials and a signable log for your 4 hands-on clinic hours, plus a guided checklist for the state application and exam that come next.
14-day refund if you haven't passed the final exam or received a certificate. See our Terms.
What Oregon requires — and how this course covers it
| Oregon requires | You get |
|---|---|
| 8 hours of didactic (classroom-style) training | ✓ The full 8 hours, online and self-paced, with your completion time tracked automatically and recorded for audit |
| 4 hands-on hours with your supervising chiropractor | ✓ A prep packet and demonstration videos sent to your doctor, plus the signable training log — so the in-clinic session is organized and documented correctly |
| Application to the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners, including fingerprinting | ✓ A step-by-step guided checklist on your dashboard, with your ChiroSmarts documents ready to submit |
| Passing the state certification exam | ✓ A practice question bank mapped to the exam topics, plus an AI study companion that answers from the course itself |
| BLS/CPR within your first certified year | ✓ A tracked deadline with reminders, right on your dashboard |
| 6 hours of continuing education every year after | ✓ Your renewal date tracked automatically by birth month, with reminder emails and a one-click renewal bundle |
What's included
- Welcome & Orientation — FREE PREVIEW MODULE - This orientation introduces the chiropractic assistant certification process in Oregon, outlining the required eight hours of didactic and four hours of practical training, the role of the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and the steps—application, fees, and examination—needed to become licensed and start working. (1 lesson)
- Anatomy Part 1 — This module introduces the foundational vocabulary of human anatomy for chiropractic assistants, covering directional and positional terms, naming conventions, and the body's planes of movement. It explains why this shared language is essential for communicating clearly with both doctors and patients. (1 lesson)
- Anatomy Part 2 — This module introduces skeletal muscles and how they move and stabilize bones and joints, covering the major muscles of the upper body and forearm along with their names, locations, and surface anatomy. It also explains tendons, origins and insertions, and why this knowledge matters for managing musculoskeletal conditions. (1 lesson)
- Indications and Contraindications — This module sharpens the medical vocabulary needed in chiropractic practice, clarifying how key terms are used and contrasting the chiropractic meaning of subluxation, or joint dysfunction, with its medical definition. It also reviews common conditions like strains, sprains, contusions, tendinitis, and bursitis, and the safety considerations that guide care. (1 lesson)
- Rules and Regulations — This module explains the legal and ethical boundaries of working as a chiropractic assistant, including operating under the supervising chiropractor's license, the requirement that the doctor be on-site for certain procedures, and the limits on giving diagnoses or medical opinions. It also shows where to find official state scope-of-practice guidance. (1 lesson)
- Ethics and Boundaries — This module examines the ethical boundaries that arise in chiropractic care, where close physical contact and an inherent doctor-patient power differential demand clear limits. It explains why romantic, financial, and other personal entanglements are off-limits and how strict adherence to these rules protects both patients and practitioners. (1 lesson)
- Documentation and Coding — This module explains why thorough, accurate documentation is a core standard of care in a chiropractic clinic, covering new-patient paperwork, required demographic and insurance information, consents and disclosures, and the SOAP charting format. It also clarifies what an assistant may document versus what the doctor must complete. (1 lesson)
- Safety and Sanitation — This module covers the sanitation and safety practices essential to a clinical setting, including proper hand hygiene, cleaning treatment tables and equipment, single-use linens and gowns, and bloodborne pathogen procedures. It emphasizes why these standards protect patients from preventable infection and build confidence in your clinic. (1 lesson)
- Patient Positioning — This module teaches safe techniques for helping patients get on and off treatment tables, including recognizing those who need assistance, using verbal and touch cues, and avoiding injury during falls. It also covers positioning for comfort through bolsters, supports, lighting, and adapting procedures to individual needs. (1 lesson)
- HIPAA — This module explains HIPAA, the federal law protecting patients' private health information, covering its origins, key rules, and how it has evolved over time. Students learn essential concepts like covered entities, business associates, protected health information, and the HIPAA officer role to keep their clinic compliant and avoid costly violations. (1 lesson)
- Vitals — This module prepares chiropractic assistants to measure and document standard patient vitals, including height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, respirations, and temperature. It covers normative ranges, red flags to report, and common errors to avoid, helping fulfill first-year certification requirements while improving clinic quality and efficiency. (7 lessons)
- Course Wrap Up! (1 lesson)
What students say
“I have been using ChiroSmarts and Dr. Young's CA initial training for over 6 years now and I strongly recommend it. He is a great communicator, is an engaging presenter that keeps the student engaged. This results in our new hire breezing through the licensing process and the practical training. Additionally, it is reasonably priced, and available on demand. I encourage everyone to use his classes.”
“I use ChiroSmarts to train all my new CAs, and they always rave about the education. The program is thorough, engaging, and sets them up for immediate success. Best of all, my assistants pass their exams on the very first try. Highly recommended!”
Course FAQ
Is this course accepted by the Oregon board?
Yes. This course is provided by Dr. Jason Young, an authorized trainer for the OBCE chiropractic-assistant initial training, and it meets Oregon's 8-hour didactic requirement. It has been used by Oregon CAs for over a decade.
Can I really try it free?
Yes — all of Module 1, including its knowledge check, before any payment. If it's not for you, walk away; we'll save your progress in case you come back.
Do I have to finish in one sitting?
No. Progress saves automatically across devices — laptop tonight, phone at lunch tomorrow. Your tracked hours pick up exactly where you stopped.
What's the final exam like?
Multiple choice, based directly on the course, with an 80% passing score. Miss it and you can review and retake — your dashboard shows you which sections to revisit. Note: this is the course exam, not the state's certification exam; we help you prepare for that separately.
What about the 4 hands-on hours?
Those happen at your clinic with your supervising chiropractor. When you add your doctor during signup, we send them a prep packet covering exactly what the session must include, and you get the signable log for your records and your board application.
When do I get my certificate?
The moment you pass the final exam. It's emailed to you as a PDF, stored permanently in your account, and carries a verification code any employer or the board can check on our public verification page.
My clinic is paying — how does that work?
Ask your doctor or office manager to create a clinic account, buy a seat, and invite you by email. You claim the seat and the course is yours — your certificate and records belong to you, even if you change clinics later.
