NBCE Part II case studies
NBCE Part II · Put your knowledge to work in context.
NBCE Part II is one of the pre-licensure examinations administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), the Greeley, Colorado-based organization that develops and administers chiropractic board examinations in the United States. On the NBCE's own site, Part II is grouped with Parts I and III and the PHT under a single navigation entry - "Pre-Licensure Computer-Based Exams (Parts I, II, III, PHT)" - which tells candidates two useful things: Part II is delivered by computer, and the hands-on requirement is a separate event, listed independently as the "Pre-Licensure Practical Exam (Part IV)." The exam is aimed at chiropractic students nearing the end of their clinical training and at graduates completing the examination requirements that state licensing boards use when issuing a license to practice. The NBCE Part II case studies are 5 cases and about 3,665 words.
1Eight Weeks of Thoracic Pain, Seven Kilograms of Weight Loss, and a Request to Skip Testing
57-year-old man presents with 8 weeks of mid-thoracic pain that began without trauma while he was 'doing more at the gym.' He describes it as constant, 5/10 at rest, and it wakes him from sleep two or three nights a week. He has lost 7 kg in four months without trying.
828 words, about 4 min2Lateral Arm Pain With a Sensory Level That Does Not Match the Motor Findings
49-year-old right-handed woman with 6 weeks of right lateral arm and forearm pain, 4/10 at the shoulder and 6/10 radiating toward the thumb and index finger. She denies neck pain.
730 words, about 4 min3A Fresh MRI Full of Findings, Only One of Which Fits the Patient
44-year-old man, 10 days after lifting a heavy box, with low back pain and right posterior thigh and calf pain extending to the lateral foot. Pain 7/10 standing, 3/10 lying.
723 words, about 4 min4Post-Fall Neck Pain in an Anticoagulated 72-Year-Old Who Wants the Same Adjustment as Always
72-year-old woman presents 5 days after a backward fall onto her buttocks, with new occipital headache and neck stiffness. She has atrial fibrillation on apixaban 5 mg twice daily, hypertension, and a transient ischemic attack 3 years ago.
673 words, about 3 min5Bilateral Hand Tingling in a Patient Who Also Has Numb Feet
64-year-old man with type 2 diabetes for 12 years (HbA1c 9.1% three weeks ago), on metformin 1000 mg twice daily, lisinopril, and atorvastatin. He reports 3 months of bilateral hand tingling, worse at night, in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, with occasional dropping of objects.
711 words, about 4 min