NBCE Part I case studies
NBCE Part I · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Part I examination is one of the board's pre-licensure computer-based exams, listed on the NBCE site alongside Parts II and III and the PHT. It is aimed at chiropractic students progressing toward licensure and serves as a standardized national measure of basic-science knowledge that sits before the later clinical and practical examinations in the sequence. The NBCE Part I case studies are 5 cases and about 3,248 words.
1Right arm pain in a carpenter: which root, and does he need imaging today?
A 47-year-old carpenter reports 6 weeks of right neck and shoulder pain that now shoots into the right thumb and index finger. He has no fever, no trauma, no night pain, and no bowel or bladder change.
584 words, about 3 min2Confusion in COPD: two acid-base disorders that cancel on the pH
A 66-year-old man with a 30-pack-year history and known COPD is admitted with 3 days of vomiting after a viral illness. He takes furosemide 40 mg daily plus ipratropium/albuterol.
516 words, about 3 min3Petechial rash and stiff neck in a college freshman: prophylaxis, isolation, and reporting
A 19-year-old college freshman presents with 14 hours of fever to 39.4 °C, severe headache, vomiting, neck stiffness, photophobia, and a petechial rash on the trunk and legs that does not blanch with pressure. Vitals: HR 128, BP 88/50, RR 26, temperature 39.4 °C, SpO2 96%, capillary refill 4 seconds.
695 words, about 3 min4Exertional syncope with a systolic murmur: is the gym safe?
A 71-year-old woman is referred after fainting while climbing two flights of stairs. For 3 months she has had exertional dyspnea and one episode of chest pressure walking uphill.
703 words, about 4 min5Borderline B12 with a self-prescribed folate supplement
A 58-year-old man who has followed a strict vegan diet for 9 years reports 6 months of fatigue, tingling in both feet, unsteadiness in the dark, and difficulty finding words. He began an over-the-counter folate supplement 3 months ago.
750 words, about 4 min