Say It Again, But Louder: Ten Quotes That Reveal the NBCE’s Real Agenda

By McCoy Press
Jun 26

The Performance, Not the Policy

The June 23, 2025 NBCE webinar wasn’t an open forum. It was a tightly choreographed broadcast, designed to preempt dissent and sell the profession on an unnecessary, centralized version of the Part IV exam. But hidden beneath the branding, stagecraft, and tightly-scripted talking points were revealing slips—quotes that, when examined, say the quiet part out loud.

Below are ten direct quotes from the NBCE’s own leaders that expose a pattern of manipulation, deflection, and avoidance. Each one tells us more about how the NBCE really operates than the polished PowerPoints ever could.

1. “The chat and the live Q&A features have been disabled… this format also helps us ensure that we can deliver clear, consistent information without interruption or confusion.”

—Norman Ouzts

Rhetorical Issue: Preemptive control of dissent / False pretense of clarity
Why it matters: This isn’t about avoiding “confusion”—it’s about avoiding confrontation. Disabling Q&A ensures that only NBCE’s narrative is heard, and it mirrors tactics long used by the CCE: one-way communication, no public comment, no debate, and no transparency. This is the antithesis of accountability.

“When they control the mic and cut the lines, they’re not offering clarity—they’re silencing opposition.”

2. “We’re committed to transparency and to making sure every student feels informed and supported throughout this transition.”

Rhetorical Issue: Weasel words / Empty virtue signaling
Why it matters: A true commitment to transparency would include disclosure of pilot data, publication of outcome metrics, and open access to comment periods. Instead, NBCE has refused to release exam outcomes, has stonewalled stakeholder concerns, and continues to ignore feedback from schools opposing the change. The words ring hollow.

3. “This process provides a more authentic evaluation of how the examinees manage their time, synthesize information, prioritize care—much like you'd expect to see in practice.”

—Bruce Shotts

Rhetorical Issue: False equivalence / Misrepresentation of realism
Why it matters: Fourteen-minute simulations aren’t “real practice.” There’s no charting in EHRs, no juggling multiple patients, no unexpected complications—just an actor and a timer. Chiropractic school faculty-led evaluations are far more rigorous and realistic, making NBCE’s claims a farce.

4. “Holding fees steady while costs rise has actually functioned as a fee decrease for examinees when adjusted for inflation.”

—Melissa Stockberger

Rhetorical Issue: Specious logic / Redefinition fallacy
Why it matters: Refusing to raise fees during COVID-19 and then using that to justify praise today is manipulation. NBCE knew this centralization was coming—they froze fees to manufacture a talking point, not to protect students. And while NBCE “held the line,” students are now being told to pay for flights, hotels, insurance, and lost time.

“Only in Greeley does not raising a fee equal giving students a discount.”

5. “We’re actually able to reduce our overall delivery costs by 6%... and just as importantly, it gives us the ability to offer year-round testing.”

—Melissa Stockberger

Rhetorical Issue: False choice / Obfuscation of cost-shifting
Why it matters: NBCE saves 6%, but students now carry 100% of the burden of travel, lodging, and time lost. And let’s not forget—this exam is not even necessary. Schools already certify clinical competence. Part IV survives only because of CCE Policy 56 and licensing codes that haven’t been updated in years.

6. “The average cost for a roundtrip flight and one hotel stay is about $427 per examinee.”

—Melissa Stockberger

Rhetorical Issue: Cherry-picking / Minimization
Why it matters: That number is laughably low. It ignores meals, ground transportation, baggage, multi-night stays, and lost income. Realistic totals climb well past $1,200–$1,500, especially for international or territorial candidates. The quote is a textbook case of PR over precision.

7. “This new format emphasizes clinical decision making... and therefore does not require additional training in testing logistics.”

—Igor Himelfarb

Rhetorical Issue: Non sequitur
Why it matters: This claim is illogical on its face. A new format always requires new training—especially one with new scoring systems, timing protocols, and expectations. And let’s not forget: this is the same NBCE official who oversaw the 2025 Practice Analysis Survey that failed to include Gen Z and minority chiropractors—the very populations most affected by this change.

8. “If you're sick or there's a true emergency, a partial refund of your exam fee may be considered on a case-by-case basis.”

—Tamara Sterling

Rhetorical Issue: Ambiguity / Discretion without transparency
Why it matters: This language provides no guarantees, no appeal process, and no student protections. It’s entirely at NBCE’s discretion. In a system where examinees are forced to fly across the country for one shot, the consequences of illness, weather, or life emergencies should be spelled out in advance—not handled ad hoc.

9. “The process has been transparent and inclusive involving students, faculty, state boards, and examiners.”

—Igor Himelfarb

Rhetorical Issue: Assertion without evidence
Why it matters: There are no public records, no voting minutes, no formal adoption by state boards, and no administrative law reviews to support this claim. Worse, state licensure laws often specify the format and administration of NBCE exams. This centralization constitutes a substantive legal change, yet no state has held a public hearing or rulemaking process to consider it.

“They keep saying ‘stakeholders were included.’ Where? When? Show the receipts.”

10. “The redesign of this exam is going to more align with real-world patient care… feedback from the pilot has shown increased student confidence.”

—Norman Ouzts

Rhetorical Issue: Appeal to emotion / Anecdotal evidence
Why it matters: What does “increased confidence” mean? Was it measured? Was it statistically significant? Was it even documented? Meanwhile, real-world patient care happens in the student clinics at accredited chiropractic colleges, where faculty assess not just confidence—but competence. This quote is theater.

Final Thoughts: When the Rhetoric Fails, the Truth Emerges

In their own words, NBCE officials undermine the very justifications they’re trying to build. This is not about innovation, student success, or public safety. It’s about consolidating control, offloading costs, and locking students into a testing pipeline that serves no clear purpose—except to sustain NBCE’s monopoly.

Every quote in this list reveals either a distortion, a deflection, or an outright contradiction. And every one of them should remind us why Part IV centralization must be challenged—in the public arena, in legal reviews, and in state board deliberations.

What You Can Do

• Demand that your state board open a formal rulemaking process before recognizing the centralized Part IV exam.

• Push your school and the CCE to reject Part IV as a graduation requirement.

• Contact your legislator and expose NBCE’s lack of transparency and questionable legal standing.

• Share this post with students, faculty, and regulators—and let them read the NBCE’s own words for themselves.

Chiropractic Freedom Coalition