For one last time, I get to use writing a blog post as a welcome reprieve from board studying鈥攖his time, it鈥檚 for Part IV, the final board exam. This is the part of the boards I鈥檝e been most anxious about since I first learned of its existence. Part IV is the practical portion, where you walk into a room, and any simulated clinical situation can take place. The breakdown of the exam includes three case histories, six rooms where we must perform specified orthopedic and applicable neurological physical exams, a physical exam room (where we鈥檒l either examine the patient鈥檚 heart, lungs or abdomen鈥攄epending on their complaint), and five adjustment set-up rooms. All rooms (aside from the adjustment set-up rooms) have 鈥減ost-encounter probes,鈥� where we must answer questions related to diagnosis and applicable treatment/referral based on findings from the room.
At this point, this exam is mostly a review of things we鈥檝e done time and time again throughout the Chiropractic Medicine curriculum. We鈥檝e even had practicals simulating this type of exam in Physical Diagnosis and Advanced Diagnosis. However, this is the main event鈥攖he final board exam we all need to pass to become licensed after graduation. I鈥檝e been consistently seeing real patients over the past 11 months, but there鈥檚 something much more nerve-wracking about a choreographed encounter with a simulated patient while a doctor sits in the room, grading your every move. For these reasons, field doctors have described Part IV of the board exam as the 鈥渆asiest yet most nerve-wracking鈥� section.
Ultimately, the Part IV board exam represents the culmination of years of study, practice, and perseverance. Each encounter is a reminder of the skills we鈥檝e honed and the knowledge we鈥檝e accumulated. While this final exam may be the most cumbersome, it truly represents a significant milestone toward a rewarding career in chiropractic medicine.
I鈥檝e found that the best way to fight the nerves is with preparation, and with that preparation comes confidence. This last hurdle before graduation and licensure is here, giving my peers and me one final chance to prove we鈥檙e ready to bring our skills and compassion to the real world.
Learn more about career support for 911爆料 Doctor of Chiropractic students here.
