This petition voices the collective concerns of chiropractic students, educators, administrators, and practitioners regarding the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Part IV Examination. The Part IV exam is unnecessary, outdated, and out of step with modern healthcare education practices. Additionally, NBCE’s plans to centralize this exam in a single location further impose unjustified financial and logistical burdens on students. 
In line with best practices in the medical and osteopathic professions, program-based competency assessments involving continuous, real-world evaluations are now the gold standard in healthcare education. These assessments are rigorous, maintain public safety, and better prepare students for clinical practice, while also reducing unnecessary financial and logistical burdens. 

Key Concerns: 

1. Outdated and Redundant Exam: The Part IV Examination does not align with current trends in healthcare education, where ongoing competency-based assessments have replaced high-stakes practical exams. 
2. Unjustified Centralization: Forcing students to travel to a single testing location creates significant financial and logistical hardships, particularly when more effective, program-based evaluations are already in place. 
3. Lack of Transparency: Despite repeated requests from chiropractic colleges and other stakeholders, NBCE has not provided outcomes data to validate the necessity or effectiveness of Part IV, raising concerns about its relevance to public safety. 
4. Financial Ambiguity: Students, as the primary contributors to NBCE operations, deserve a detailed breakdown of how their fees are allocated to ensure responsible stewardship of funds. 

Our Demands: 
 

1. Eliminate the Part IV Examination: Halt plans for centralizing Part IV in Greeley, Colorado, and transition to program-based competency assessments, which are more reflective of real-world practice and better aligned with evolving healthcare education trends. 
2. Release Outcomes Data to Validate Exam Necessity: Publish comprehensive data on the effectiveness of NBCE exams in ensuring public safety and student competency, allowing stakeholders to evaluate their continued relevance. 
3. Increase Transparency of NBCE Financial Operations: Provide a clear and detailed breakdown of how exam fees are allocated to ensure accountability and build trust among students and stakeholders. 
4. Encourage Stakeholder Representation in Policy Decisions: Engage representatives from chiropractic colleges, students, and practitioners in developing future policies to create collaborative solutions that meet the needs of the profession and maintain public safety. 

By eliminating Part IV and adopting competency-based assessments, NBCE has an opportunity to modernize its approach, reduce unnecessary burdens on students, and uphold the high standards of public safety expected in healthcare professions. This is a crucial step toward aligning chiropractic education with the practices of other healthcare fields and ensuring the continued success of the profession.