In some of my more recent posts, I have mentioned my upcoming board exam. For readers who may be either newer to the program or are reading to get your first introduction into these exams, let me illuminate the new format and give you some insight into what I felt was the optimal way to prepare for something so extensive.

Part 1 Boards is the first of 4 national exams that we as students must pass in order to get our license to practice Chiropractic. Now in the past, it was broken down into 6 individual sections: general anatomy, spinal anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and microbiology. However, whereas in the past you would pass or fail these 50 question sections individually with the ability to retake certain sections only, the test has been reformatted into a single, 255 question cumulative test where all the sections are scored together. Additionally, not all the sections have the same number of questions to compensate for the exam being 45 less total questions, with general and spinal anatomy having the most and microbiology having the least.

I believe this was a great change, as now people’s strong subjects can help offset some of their weaknesses. Reading this now, some of you may be wondering how to prepare for a test that covers 4 trimesters worth of material, and how to direct your attention while simultaneously taking a full workload of classes.

To start with, I highly recommend Irene Gold, a board prep review course offered multiple times a year. They provide study material and classes which are able to narrow your focus on what is most important to study. I personally knew about this program way ahead of time and was able to secure a significant discount due to the early bird pricing, but only recently found out that a lot of individuals did not, and subsequently now have to pay full price. I urge all of you to sign up early and worry about the dates that will be announced before your bord exam later. This review course is just what is says in its name, a review. I found that nearly all the material they mentioned and taught was thoroughly covered in our own curriculum, a testament to National. However, remembering that most are taking this test approaching 2 years after they learned some of the material, it is essential to have a good plan to review.

Last, there are numerous board prep apps which can be used whenever you have free time, wherever you are. I found that only reading study material was getting difficult as the exam approached due to the nature of the material and just needing a new stimulus. In the week prior to the exam, I studied roughly 2,000 practice questions across all of the subjects and know this gave me extra confidence that I had done all I could to prepare adequately.

Just remember, everyone has to pass board exams, which means they aren’t going to make it impossible. Our program does an excellent job of covering the material and you probably know more than you think! I wish good luck to all of my peers who are taking the exam in the next few weeks and to all those who are taking it in the future as well.

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