NBCE Part III study plan
NBCE Part III · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 8 hours per week
Physical Examination Procedures & Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory/Diagnostic Studies
Demonstrate, on a partner, the complete regional physical examination sequence (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, extremity) while narrating which finding would be considered positive.
Sort orthopedic and neurologic special tests by the structure or pathology each is designed to detect, and state the meaning of a positive result for each.
Describe 20 plain-film images in a fixed order (view, alignment, bone, cartilage/joint space, soft tissue) and state the clinical significance of each abnormality found.
Match 15 common laboratory panels (CBC, CMP, thyroid, inflammatory markers, urinalysis) to the conditions that shift each value, and flag values that mandate referral.
Your checkpoint
A one-page examination checklist per body region plus a 20-item imaging/lab interpretation log with self-written answer key; score at or above 80%.
Diagnosis and Clinical Impression & Chiropractic Adjustive Technique and Therapeutic Management
Construct ranked differential diagnoses for 10 common presenting complaints, ordering each list both by likelihood and by must-not-miss severity.
Justify a specific adjustive setup (patient position, contact point, line of drive, patient stabilization) for each major spinal region.
Contrast indications, absolute contraindications, and relative cautions for high-velocity low-amplitude thrust versus mobilization for the same lesion.
Outline a four-week therapeutic plan (visit frequency, adjunctive modalities, home instructions, re-assessment interval) for three sample cases.
Explain the mechanical and neurophysiologic rationale for the chosen technique in each of the three sample cases.
Your checkpoint
Three written case workups, each containing a ranked differential, a technique selection with rationale, and a timed re-assessment plan; peer- or self-scored against a rubric.
Physical Examination Procedures & Chiropractic Adjustive Technique and Therapeutic Management
Perform a focused 20-minute examination under time pressure and record only positive findings and pertinent negatives.
Match examination findings to the adjustive approach they justify across 15 written vignettes.
Identify red-flag findings that halt or modify an adjustment and state the alternate management for each.
Rehearse an informed-consent conversation before an adjustment that names benefits, risks, alternatives, and the right to decline.
Your checkpoint
A peer-observed or recorded timed examination scored on a self-built rubric, plus a 15-item finding-to-technique matching log at or above 85%.
Patient History and Interviewing & Case Management, Referral, and Co-management
Conduct a structured interview in 12 minutes or less covering chief complaint, history of present illness, past medical history, medications, family and social history, and review of systems.
Convert eight patient narratives into problem lists and identify the specific questions that changed the differential.
Classify scenarios as treat, co-manage, or refer across 10 cases spanning musculoskeletal, neurologic, and systemic presentations.
Draft referral correspondence for two cases that states the clinical question asked and summarizes the findings transmitted.
State the appropriate urgency tier (emergent, urgent, routine) for each of the 10 referral scenarios.
Your checkpoint
Eight completed intake write-ups, a referral and co-management decision matrix, and a passing score on the week-4 milestone check.
Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory/Diagnostic Studies & Diagnosis and Clinical Impression
Read 30 plain films using a consistent search pattern and write a short structured report for each.
Separate incidental findings from findings that change management across 15 of the films.
Select the next-best imaging or laboratory study for 12 scenarios, justifying the choice on diagnostic yield, cost, and risk.
Screen for contraindications and safety requirements before advanced imaging in the scenarios where it is proposed.
Re-rank the differential diagnosis for five cases once the imaging or lab result is added.
Your checkpoint
A 30-film reading log with written reports achieving at least 80% concordance with reference interpretations.
Case Management, Referral, and Co-management & Ethics, Jurisprudence, and Risk Management
Apply scope-of-practice principles to 12 scenarios covering diagnosis, referral, adjunctive procedures, and release of records.
Identify malpractice exposure points in a chiropractic encounter and name the documentation that mitigates each.
State in your own words the elements of informed consent, scope of practice limits, and boundary obligations, citing governing principles rather than quoting statute.
Build a specialty referral contact list covering the co-management needs that appear most often in your case mix.
Your checkpoint
Twelve written scenario rulings with rationale plus a one-page risk-management checklist.
Documentation and Record Keeping & Patient History and Interviewing
Write SOAP notes for 10 encounters that capture consent, examination findings, diagnosis, plan, and patient response.
Audit three of your own notes against a documentation checklist and rewrite every deficient section.
Document a modification of care or a refusal of care with the clinical reasoning stated explicitly.
Compose a records-release entry that reflects proper authorization and minimum-necessary disclosure.
Your checkpoint
A portfolio of 10 SOAP notes that meets 100% of the required elements on your documentation checklist.
Patient History and Interviewing & Physical Examination Procedures & Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory/Diagnostic Studies & Diagnosis and Clinical Impression & Chiropractic Adjustive Technique and Therapeutic Management & Case Management, Referral, and Co-management & Ethics, Jurisprudence, and Risk Management & Documentation and Record Keeping
Complete two full-length timed mixed-domain practice examinations and review every missed item to a root-cause category.
Re-drill the two lowest-scoring domains with focused question sets until accuracy stabilizes.
Recite from memory the core frameworks: regional examination sequence, differential-building method, and technique-selection criteria.
Finalize a one-page red-flag and referral cue sheet for final review.
Your checkpoint
Two completed practice examinations with a score tracker, a written remediation list, and at least 75% overall on the second attempt.
Milestones
Week 2: Three complete case workups exist, each with a ranked differential including must-not-miss entries and a technique choice defended by indications and contraindications.
Week 4: Eight intake write-ups and the referral decision matrix are complete; a timed 12-minute interview is performed with all required history elements captured.
Week 6: Twelve scope-and-risk scenario rulings are written with rationale, and the documentation checklist exists and has been applied to at least three real notes.
Week 8: Both full-length practice examinations are scored, every miss is categorized by root cause, and the second attempt reaches at least 75% overall.