How hard is it to get trained?
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
How much money does it take to start?
By James Raker DC, FADP, CME, CWP
In the first two articles, we discussed the what, why, and who needs occupational medicine (OccMed). Today, we will focus on the “how” side. How do DCs get trained, and how much does it cost? This is one of the easiest and cheapest fields for a DC to enter and, therefore, the most profitable. You do not need a diplomate, but there is one available. Only five of the 25 services require you to get certified. The other 20 require simply knowing how to do them. DOT physicals require you to take a 12-hour webinar and pass a computerized government test. Only MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs, and DCs can take this certification. The drug certification is two hours, the alcohol certification is five hours, and the hearing and pulmonary function certifications are 20 hours each (anyone including your staff assistants can be certified nationally to do these tests). With these five certifications and knowing how to do the other 20 services, you are now ready to function as a doctor dealing with many things that companies are mandated to keep up with, which makes you valuable to companies. If OSHA, DOT, or any other government regulatory agency comes to inspect a company, just one infraction could cost them $10,000 or more. They must get the mandated stuff done. Your job is to make that happen so they don’t get a fine.
It may cost $400 to get DOT-physical certified, $300 for drug certification, and $300 for alcohol certification. There is no equipment to buy for physical and drug testing, so it’s free to start doing. You will need a breathalyzer to do alcohol tests, which will be about $2,000. For that total of $3,000, you can now stick your hand into the river of billions of dollars and pull out as much as you want, as fast as you want. Businesses of laypeople are doing just drug testing and fingerprinting, making over a million a year. Think of what you could do if you knew how to provide 25 services so that every company in your town came to you to spend cash.
A side benefit of this prestige is that people no longer think of you as a “chiropractor,” which many people equate to “not a real doctor.” They start to think of you as a real doctor that knows how to help companies and protect their employees from harm, such as deafness, heavy metal poisoning, lung damage, etc. We are now regarded as real doctors in their eyes, someone who helps the company’s
bottom line instead of the “chiropractor” who adjusts an employee three times a week forever and costs a lot of money. It’s a different mindset when the people at the company respect you and ask questions to get real answers for the company’s policies.
In addition, some DCs with this knowledge and training have gone on to run OccMed divisions within a company or even at a hospital, where they are paid a salary and don’t have to deal with employees, rent, or the usual problems of running their own business. This is an exceptional idea in smaller towns with local hospitals that are always on the brink of economic failure. OccMed could bring a breath of fresh income to the community hospital and save it from collapse. OccMed work can bring income to a routine chiropractic office. It can elevate your status to company doctor. It can provide DCs with other job opportunities working within a company or a hospital setting.
OccMed can also be done by the new DC, the practicing DC, or the retired DC who just wants something easy to do. There is no heavy lifting, pushing, or pulling in OccMed — just observing and testing. So if you have one good eye, one good ear, and one good hand and are in a wheelchair, you can still make over $100,000 a year with OccMed. Instead of being disabled, you can actually make money easily. You can do this in a brick-and-mortar location or from a mobile van. You can do what you want, when you want, where you want.
All DCs should know how to do this and work within corporate America. Live life easier without fear and with more cash.
Dr. James Raker DC, FADP, CME, CWP is CEO of OccMed For DCs, has 30 years private practice including Occupational health of several companies in Texarkana USA area. Has been doing DOT work for over 25 years, was one of the first doctors in the country to pass the DOT certification and become a Certified Medical Examiner for the Dept of Transportation of the US government, and has been teaching Occupational Medicine services since 2012. Has lectured in AR, TX, IL, SC, CA, FL, NJ, and OH. Providing OccMed services for companies, he has provided 500 drug tests in a single day, and 75 hearing tests in a single day. He became a Certified Wellness Instructor by the Foundation for Wellness Professionals on July of 2014. He started the OccMed For DCs training program in 2015 at www.OccMedForDCs.com
