The Sports Sciences Residency Program (SSRP) was instituted in 1984. This program permits Doctors of Chiropractic in private practice the opportunity to attain their post – graduate Sports Sciences Fellowship. Centred on a specific program mandate overseen by the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences (Canada), the program has evolved over the years to create a chiropractic Sports specialty training program through post-secondary educational institutions across Canada. Each program, under the direction of an approved Regional Coordinator, is uniquely designed to afford participants the most effective way to meet the program requirements. Under the direction of the RCCSS(C) Residency Committee, Regional Coordinators oversee the content and progress of both the program and the Residents enrolled in it. With a minimum of 1000 hours of field work, academic focus on exercise physiology, sport nutrition, sport psychology, advanced imaging, sport specific research, acute and chronic injury management and sport administration training, the SSRP provides the most extensive sports specialty training in the chiropractic profession. It is anticipated that completion of all program requirements should take approximately three to four years. There will be variation depending on the format used by the candidate in taking the required material and completing the required practical hours.
Options for entering an approved Sports Sciences Residency Program are as follows:
-
- Apply to a local university (or Post-Secondary Institution) Masters or PhD program to complete the academic and research requirements of the curriculum.
- Apply to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) Sports Sciences Residency Program meeting the requirements of the SSRP.
- Apply to the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Sports Sciences Residency Program meeting the requirements of the SSRP.
- Apply to an approved local university (or Post-Secondary Institution) for a research faculty position in a sports-related venue including the required core courses for the SSRP curriculum.
- Apply to a local university (or Post-Secondary Institution) for student status to audit the core academic course requirements of the curriculum.
The chiropractic sports sciences Resident, on successful completion of all requirements, is eligible to participate in the exiting sports fellowship examinations.
Currently, the SSRP is available in selected regions. It is the goal of the RCCSS(C) to institute and facilitate the program in all major cities in Canada where accredited university facilities and qualified Regional Coordinators are available.