I was like everyone else, a couple months before the Osteopathic Internal Medical Board Exam, curious to what exactly the test was like. Not surprising at all, the ACOI/AOBIM have kept the format, number of questions, and test-day procedures under extreme lock and key, and there is little or no information about what to expect anywhere on the internet...that being said...
Having taken the exam a few short hours ago, I figured I would give a decent layout, and overview on what its like, what to expect, and my preparation thoughts.
The test is 320 questions divided up into two 160 question blocks. You work though these with about 3.5 hours per block, and an hour for lunch. You are permitted to have a bathroom break during the blocks, but your clock keeps running.
You are not permitted any personal effects into the room, including, watches, bracelets, tissues,calipers, or as I found out, medication. If you need to take a medication at a certain time, they will let you go to your locker.
The questions are designed to test the uncommon presentations of common diseases and the common presentations of uncommon diseases. Don't expect them to ask you questions about blood pressure where you think to yourself "..well according the ALL-HAT".
The test does not give you a "data-sheet" of normal labs or values, but typically included them within the questions for the more obscure ones. The patients PTH level was 40 (nml 10-55 pg/mL)
The test tests all areas of Internal medicine and subspecialites. You do not know what area necessarily is being tested. There is no "Pulm Section" but rather the questions are all mixed together. I myself noted, as did others in previous years. that the blocks were definitely heavy in some sections and lighter in the others. For example my morning consided of Cardio, Pulm, ID, GI heavily and afternoon was Heme, Endo, Onc, Neuro heavily and nephro was distributed evenly thoughout...but there questions of all types in both blocks.
Now, for studying purposes. As I said earlier, i just got done taking the exam so I'm going off gut feelings here. But overall whether you choose MKSAP or Medstudy, they are both excellent and cover basically everything. I combined Medstudy with my slides from the ACOI review course and felt pretty prepared. Mind you, the AOBIM style of questions are MUCH SHORTER than MKSAP. most of the questions were a few sentences at most. I would not base you test taking style off the MKSAP question sets. The tests are contextually the same, but honestly different style tests. The Med-Study Q&A was closer to what i experienced, but still different. Please don't take this as plug for either, its really what you like best.
My biggest advice is to cover everything. Those things you hate, will definitely show up on the test. There were multiple questions on screening guidelines like when to repeat a EGD for this finding, when to biopsy a thyroid nodule vs uptake scan. Chemo vs Rads. Chest Tube or Thorocentesis. Diarrhea causes and the different infections and presentations thereof. I think you get my point.
Images? Yes, plenty. Know heme slides. Know what different glomeruli look like under the microscope. For the love of all things Holy know how to interpret a CXR and EKG.
HINT afib and NSR will probably not be answers
Study.
Don't blow it off, but also don't go crazy. Pretty much everyone taking the test is working in some capacity up to the day of the exam. I personally burned a week of vacation before and pulled a long cram session. Others just dedicated every weekend for a month before, and then every night when they got home the week before the exam. I would give youself in the neighborhood of 50-60hours of real dedicated study time. But remember, a lot of the stuff is in fact, memorized just for the test. Ask me in 3 weeks if Polyarteritis Nodosum is PR3 or MPO positive (trick question its neither); but my point is valid, divide up your time into your buzzword and memorizing; as well as your solid review of concepts and facts.
Now, as for topics or percentages etc. the AOBIM gives a decent breakdown on their website AOBIM.org --> IM certification--> Exam Information:Blueprint
Theres also some terribly written questions on the blueprint too. They didnt make it on to my test, but I got the feeling there were on years prior.
Dont expect a list of specific topics, the answer to "which topics are covered" is easy..All.
There wasn't any OMM style questions. I saw one that mentioned rotated and sidebent, but that really didn't affect the question.
Also, remember the boards can't test you on brand new information. If a new drug comes out a year before the test, it cant be tested (or at least shouldnt be). Most of the new drugs or tests have to wait about 2-3 years before they trickle onto the test... But the current hot topics can be tested. So keep an eye out in your journals when you're PGY2s, if you see a lot about strokes, per say, they will be on the minds of the test writers, when writing the test.
Scores: Mailed to you. When? I dunno i'll have to keep you posted. Last year it looks like it takes about 2 months for them to be mailed out.
Ok, well I think thats all I have to unload for now. I hope this overview helps the wary. Time for this guy to kick back and relax
Cheers!
Having taken the exam a few short hours ago, I figured I would give a decent layout, and overview on what its like, what to expect, and my preparation thoughts.
The test is 320 questions divided up into two 160 question blocks. You work though these with about 3.5 hours per block, and an hour for lunch. You are permitted to have a bathroom break during the blocks, but your clock keeps running.
You are not permitted any personal effects into the room, including, watches, bracelets, tissues,calipers, or as I found out, medication. If you need to take a medication at a certain time, they will let you go to your locker.
The questions are designed to test the uncommon presentations of common diseases and the common presentations of uncommon diseases. Don't expect them to ask you questions about blood pressure where you think to yourself "..well according the ALL-HAT".
The test does not give you a "data-sheet" of normal labs or values, but typically included them within the questions for the more obscure ones. The patients PTH level was 40 (nml 10-55 pg/mL)
The test tests all areas of Internal medicine and subspecialites. You do not know what area necessarily is being tested. There is no "Pulm Section" but rather the questions are all mixed together. I myself noted, as did others in previous years. that the blocks were definitely heavy in some sections and lighter in the others. For example my morning consided of Cardio, Pulm, ID, GI heavily and afternoon was Heme, Endo, Onc, Neuro heavily and nephro was distributed evenly thoughout...but there questions of all types in both blocks.
Now, for studying purposes. As I said earlier, i just got done taking the exam so I'm going off gut feelings here. But overall whether you choose MKSAP or Medstudy, they are both excellent and cover basically everything. I combined Medstudy with my slides from the ACOI review course and felt pretty prepared. Mind you, the AOBIM style of questions are MUCH SHORTER than MKSAP. most of the questions were a few sentences at most. I would not base you test taking style off the MKSAP question sets. The tests are contextually the same, but honestly different style tests. The Med-Study Q&A was closer to what i experienced, but still different. Please don't take this as plug for either, its really what you like best.
My biggest advice is to cover everything. Those things you hate, will definitely show up on the test. There were multiple questions on screening guidelines like when to repeat a EGD for this finding, when to biopsy a thyroid nodule vs uptake scan. Chemo vs Rads. Chest Tube or Thorocentesis. Diarrhea causes and the different infections and presentations thereof. I think you get my point.
Images? Yes, plenty. Know heme slides. Know what different glomeruli look like under the microscope. For the love of all things Holy know how to interpret a CXR and EKG.
HINT afib and NSR will probably not be answers
Study.
Don't blow it off, but also don't go crazy. Pretty much everyone taking the test is working in some capacity up to the day of the exam. I personally burned a week of vacation before and pulled a long cram session. Others just dedicated every weekend for a month before, and then every night when they got home the week before the exam. I would give youself in the neighborhood of 50-60hours of real dedicated study time. But remember, a lot of the stuff is in fact, memorized just for the test. Ask me in 3 weeks if Polyarteritis Nodosum is PR3 or MPO positive (trick question its neither); but my point is valid, divide up your time into your buzzword and memorizing; as well as your solid review of concepts and facts.
Now, as for topics or percentages etc. the AOBIM gives a decent breakdown on their website AOBIM.org --> IM certification--> Exam Information:Blueprint
Theres also some terribly written questions on the blueprint too. They didnt make it on to my test, but I got the feeling there were on years prior.
Dont expect a list of specific topics, the answer to "which topics are covered" is easy..All.
There wasn't any OMM style questions. I saw one that mentioned rotated and sidebent, but that really didn't affect the question.
Also, remember the boards can't test you on brand new information. If a new drug comes out a year before the test, it cant be tested (or at least shouldnt be). Most of the new drugs or tests have to wait about 2-3 years before they trickle onto the test... But the current hot topics can be tested. So keep an eye out in your journals when you're PGY2s, if you see a lot about strokes, per say, they will be on the minds of the test writers, when writing the test.
Scores: Mailed to you. When? I dunno i'll have to keep you posted. Last year it looks like it takes about 2 months for them to be mailed out.
Ok, well I think thats all I have to unload for now. I hope this overview helps the wary. Time for this guy to kick back and relax
Cheers!