<P> Doctors holding the DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) degree may claim numerous credentials, denoted by letters placed after the doctor's name in official correspondences and business publications . Some of these credentials are recognized by the Chiropractic academic community at large, and some only by the specific organization that issued the credential . This list clarifies the meanings of the various credentials . </P> <P> DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) Degree: The vast majority of chiropractors today are graduates of fully accredited "first professional degree" granting institutions . This means that the DC degree is accredited by one of the regional accrediting agencies, (e.g. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools), or National accrediting agencies (e.g. the New York State Board of Regents). The DC degree is also listed as a "First Professional Degree" (in the same category as the MD (Doctor of Medicine), D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine), OD (Optometry), DDS or DMD (Dentistry) degrees, PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) and in some states ND or NMD (Naturopathic Medicine), and DHM (Homeopathic Medicine), as listed by the US Department of Education . There are also the Professional degrees which are for other licensed health and allied health professionals, like RN (Nursing), LAc (Acupuncturist), ATC (Athletic Trainer), DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy), etc . There are chiropractors who have also earned, and thus list after their names, any of these other degrees, in nearly any combination . </P>

What does dc stand for in medical terms