NBCE director of testing receives Paul M. Tullio Award

May 20, 2012 — Mark G. Christensen, PhD, NBCE’s assistant executive vice president and director of testing, was presented with the Paul M. Tullio Award for Distinguished Service to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE).

The award was presented at the NBCE Annual Business Meeting and Delegates Luncheon in San Antonio, Texas, May 5.

The Tullio Award memorializes a leader in chiropractic, whose contributions in testing, licensing, and legislative issues have benefitted the profession. Tullio, who passed away in 2000, demonstrated a passionate commitment to financial and organizational stability that helped the NBCE achieve its reputation as the premier testing organization for chiropractic. He was a devoted board member who clearly saw the need for setting aside a percentage of revenues to shield the organization from fluctuations in the economy and in chiropractic college student enrollments.

The selection of Christensen represents the first time this award has gone to an individual who has not served on the NBCE Board of Directors. Christensen has served the NBCE as director of testing for nearly 30 years.

Christensen led the NBCE in the design and implementation of a testing program for the chiropractic profession that has been adopted by all 50 states and has resulted in a single path to licensure for the profession. Examinations developed under his leadership include:

1. The written examinations covering basic and clinical sciences as well as written clinical competency;
2. Practical exams that demonstrate clinical competency;
3. Post-licensure exams to reassess clinical competency as well as an exam to assess knowledge of ethics and boundaries in a professional setting, and
4. A pre-chiropractic college assessment exam. Most recently he has worked alongside the FCLB in developing an exam for chiropractic clinical assistants.

Source: National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, nbce.org