RESIDENCY |
USMLE Step 1 | USMLE Step 2 | USMLE Step 3| Internal Medicine Boards| Pediatrics Boards | Radiology Boards |
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Internal Medicine Board Review
and Exam |
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The Final Step (sort of) in your training
to become board certified in Internal Medicine! What Does the Internal
Medicine Board Examination Cover? In answer to that question, the examination blueprint (Table 1) reveals that approximately 75% of the single-best answer, multiple-choice questions test knowledge in the traditional medical subspecialties. Recognizing that the practice of internal medicine requires knowledge in other areas, the remaining 25% of questions relate to allergy/immunology, dermatology, gynecology, neurology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry. Independent of primary content, some 40% of the questions are chosen to guarantee coverage of cross-content areas.
The vast majority, about 75%, of the exam questions are based on patient presentations. The settings of the encounters reflect current medical practice, so most take place in an outpatient or emergency room setting; the remainder occur in inpatient settings, ranging from the intensive care unit to the long-term care facility. The majority of items require integration of information from several sources, prioritization of alternatives, and/or utilization of clinical judgment in reaching a correct conclusion. Questions requiring simple recall of medical facts are in the minority. The examination blueprint, the foundation of which is published studies that describe the kinds of tasks internists actually perform in practice, is reviewed and revised annually by the ABIM Board of Directors to ensure its currency. |