NBCE’s Gold Shovel Ceremony Sparks Outrage: "Funded by Student Debt and Greed"
Originally published: 2025-03-20
In a scene that seemed more suited to a real estate developer's groundbreaking than an event tied to a healthcare profession, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) recently held a gold-shovel ceremony to mark the start of construction on its new $15,000-square-foot Part IV Assessment Center in Greeley, Colorado.
Complete with hard hats, gold shovels, and smiling dignitaries, the event was meant to signal a "transformational step forward" for chiropractic assessment. But for chiropractic students and practitioners already furious over NBCE's monopolistic control over licensing — and the crushing costs of unnecessary but mandatory exams — the optics could not have been worse.
"How much student loan money do you think paid for those shovels?" one commenter quipped on social media. Another added, "It’s hard to watch these people play dress-up and celebrate while students are drowning in debt because of the very system they control."
The groundbreaking ceremony, presided over by NBCE CEO Dr. Norman Ouzts and NBCE Board President Dr. Karlos Boghosian, was presented as a bold step toward improving chiropractic licensure and assessment. But to many within the profession, it was a glaring display of hubris and a painful reminder of how far removed the NBCE has become from the realities faced by chiropractic students and practitioners.
A Monument to Exploitation
According to the NBCE’s press release, the new Part IV Assessment Center will "increase testing opportunities, improve standardization, and incorporate cutting-edge technology, ensuring that future chiropractors are fully prepared to serve patients with skill, integrity, and excellence".
But many chiropractors and students see the project differently — not as a necessary upgrade, but as an expensive monument to the NBCE’s monopoly over chiropractic licensure.
"They’re building a $15 million shrine to themselves — and making students pay for it," wrote one chiropractor on Facebook.
Joshua, a chiropractic student, captured the mood perfectly:
"While the NBCE celebrates this 'historic moment,' let’s be honest about who really benefits. This new Part IV Assessment Center isn’t about improving chiropractic education — it’s about cementing NBCE’s monopoly over licensure and ensuring a steady flow of money into their pockets."
The press release highlighted the presence of local politicians and business leaders at the event, including Greeley Mayor John Gates and Greeley Chamber of Commerce President Jaime Henning, who celebrated the "economic impact" of the project. The irony wasn’t lost on chiropractic students and practitioners.
"So let me get this straight — the NBCE is going to drive money into the local economy of Greeley, but that money is coming directly out of the pockets of broke chiropractic students?" one commenter asked. "This isn’t about improving the profession — it’s about building a new cash cow."
The Gold Shovels: A Symbol of Disconnect
If the NBCE’s goal was to bridge the gap between itself and the chiropractic profession, the gold-shovel ceremony backfired spectacularly. The symbolism of the gold-plated shovels — purchased with money ultimately drawn from student fees — has become a rallying point for critics of the NBCE’s unchecked power and financial practices.
"How disconnected from reality do you have to be to pose with gold shovels while students are taking out loans just to afford your overpriced tests?" one chiropractor wrote.
Dr. Matthew McCoy was blunt:
"All of that money on the backs of students and their debt for an exam that’s completely unnecessary. The schools already certify clinical competency. This is all about money and power."
For many students, the gold shovels symbolize more than just tone-deaf optics — they represent the growing sense that the NBCE exists to enrich itself, not to serve the chiropractic profession.
The Financial Toll on Students
The NBCE’s decision to centralize Part IV testing in Greeley will force students to incur thousands of dollars in additional costs — including flights, hotel stays, and meals — on top of the already steep exam fees they pay.
Candace, a chiropractic student, spelled it out in her comment:
"We already pay so much in tuition. We shouldn’t have to pay an extra $4,295 for five board exams. My state requires PT. It’s absolutely disgusting."
Miranda, another student, pointed to the broader problem of student loan dependency:
"If they take the test while in school, it will be considered part of the cost of attendance and additional loans can be applied for to cover those costs. That is, if you can be approved for additional loans and if you want to take on that additional debt — but do we actually have a choice at this point?"
The NBCE’s reliance on student loans to fund its operations has become a source of widespread resentment. Because students can borrow additional funds to cover testing fees, the NBCE has no financial incentive to lower costs or improve efficiency.
"They know they can charge whatever they want because the loans will cover it," one chiropractor wrote. "This isn’t about professional standards — it’s legalized extortion."
A Pattern of Ignoring Stakeholders
The decision to move forward with centralized testing wasn’t made with broad support from the profession. According to an internal NBCE document, the NBCE surveyed only 11 schools about the changes — a tiny fraction of the 40+ chiropractic programs affected worldwide.
Even among the schools that responded, only seven supported the plan. Five opposed it outright, and the remaining three said they lacked enough information to form an opinion. Despite this lack of consensus, the NBCE pressed forward.
"They’re not listening to the schools, they’re not listening to the students, and they’re certainly not listening to practicing chiropractors," McCoy said. "This is a power move — nothing more."
No Data, No Accountability
Adding insult to injury, the NBCE has failed to provide any meaningful data to support its claims that centralized testing will improve competency or public safety. And the claims to guarantee “skill, integrity, and excellence” are nothing more than unmeasurable platitudes for a grandiose press release. A coalition of chiropractic organizations, the Coalition for Freedom in Chiropractic, requested outcomes data from the NBCE in October 2023 — including licensing success rates, performance trends, and comparisons to other health professions.
Three months later, the NBCE responded with vague answers and no concrete data.
"The NBCE makes sweeping claims about improving standards and protecting the public, but they can’t provide a shred of evidence to back it up," said one chiropractor. "If this were about protecting the public, they’d have the data to prove it."
A Profession at a Breaking Point
The gold-shovel ceremony and the building of the Part IV Assessment Center have become symbols of everything that’s wrong with the NBCE and its affiliate’s stranglehold on chiropractic education and licensure.
Students and chiropractors are calling for major changes — including eliminating the Part IV exam altogether, returning testing oversight to chiropractic schools, and breaking up the NBCE’s monopoly over the profession.
As one chiropractor summed it up:
"The NBCE is not a public service. It’s a business — and a damn profitable one at that. And the ones paying for those gold shovels are the students drowning in debt."
With growing pressure from students, schools, and practicing chiropractors, the NBCE may soon find itself under more scrutiny than ever. But for now, the gold shovels remain — a painful reminder that in the world of chiropractic licensure, money and power still reign supreme.
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