Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician® (CCSP®)
The CCSP® certification requires post-graduate education in chiropractic sports medicine or a closely related discipline. Licensed doctors of chiropractic who satisfy one of the following, and are able to provide official documentation demonstrating such, are eligible to take the CCSP® examination:
- Completed a minimum of 100 hours of postgraduate education in the Certified Chiropractic Sports Physicians® program at an accredited chiropractic college.
- Possess a current Athletic Trainer Certification (ATC)
- Completed a Master’s of Science (MS) degree at an accredited college in an equivalent program in the domain of sports medicine
- Completed the first year of a sports medicine residency program with an accredited college
All candidates must have completed a post-graduate level hands-on emergency procedures course and a healthcare-provider level CPR certification course with a hands-on component as part of their program or study or in addition to their program. Online CPR courses that do not include a live, practical component are not acceptable. Candidates must provide documentation of successful completion of both courses prior to sitting for the exam. The CPR certification must be valid on the exam date.
Candidates with a current and valid EMT certification may use this certification in lieu of completing the Emergency Procedures course requirement. Candidates must provide proof of current and valid EMT certification to meet this requirement.
Once these requirements are met the doctor may submit application to the ACBSP™ national office to take the CCSP® written exam. The exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions and is administered in two parts on the same day. The entire exam including the instruction period and mid-exam break is typically scheduled for a five-hour period on a weekend day.
CCSP® certification candidates may attempt the exam up to three (3) times and must pass the exam within three (3) years of the date of completion of the qualifying post-graduate education program (CCSP® or MS program).
The Board of Directors has approved a groundbreaking proposal allowing DC students in their final year of clinical education to enroll in the complete CCSP program prior to graduation. However, these aspiring candidates will be required to complete their chiropractic education and graduate before attempting the CCSP examination.