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Physician-led · 1-on-1 · Online over Zoom
ABIM Tutor
A study schedule built around your test date, led by a board-certified internist who teaches full time.
Book a free intro consultFree intro consult: a 20-minute phone call.
The Boards Professor is led by Dr. Shauhin “Sean” Moazezi, DO, a board-certified internist who teaches full time. We prepare residents for ABIM boards one-on-one, online over Zoom, with a study schedule built around your test date and your life. Dr. Moazezi is an Internal Medicine teaching attending who previously taught residents at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
What ABIM tutoring looks like
- A customized study schedule around your timeline, your weak spots, and your life, and we hold you to it.
- A progress dashboard that keeps every score, trend, resource and session recording in one place.
- A dedicated line to your tutor team 24/7 for a tough question, a next step or a pep talk.
About the ABIM Internal Medicine Certification Exam
ABIM says the exam is designed to evaluate the knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical judgment skills expected of the certified internist in the broad domain of the discipline.
According to ABIM’s exam blueprint, the exam is composed of up to 240 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions, of which approximately 35 are new questions that do not count in the examinee’s score. Most questions describe patient scenarios and ask about the work done by physicians in the course of practice, such as making a diagnosis, ordering and interpreting results of tests, and recommending treatment or other patient care.
Source: the ABIM Internal Medicine Certification Examination blueprint (PDF). For registration, scheduling and current policies, see ABIM’s exam page.
What ABIM lists under each category
Below each major category, ABIM's blueprint lists subsection topics. These are the first topics listed under each category, in ABIM's wording, with the category's share of a typical exam. ABIM also notes that questions may include topics in critical care medicine, prevention, clinical epidemiology, ethics, nutrition, palliative and end-of-life care, adolescent medicine, occupational medicine, patient safety and substance abuse, and that health equity content that is clinically important to each discipline is included in assessments.
| Category | Share | Topics ABIM lists |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Disease | 14% | Hypertension (5% of the exam, including hypertension content listed under Endocrinology and under Nephrology and Urology); pericardial disease; ischemic heart disease; dysrhythmias and conduction defects; congenital heart disease in adults; valvular heart disease; myocardial disease; endocarditis and other cardiovascular infection |
| Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism | 9% | Adrenal disorders; thyroid disorders; endocrine causes of secondary hypertension; lipid disorders; ovarian disorders and female reproductive health; testes and male reproductive health; diabetes mellitus |
| Gastroenterology | 9% | Esophageal disease; stomach and duodenal disease; small intestinal disease; colonic and anorectal disease; pancreatic disease; biliary tract disease; liver disease |
| Infectious Disease | 9% | Skin and soft tissue infections; central nervous system (CNS) infections; upper respiratory tract infections; eye infections; lower respiratory tract infections; endocarditis and other cardiovascular infections; hepatic infections |
| Pulmonary Disease | 9% | Occupational and environmental lung disease; restrictive lung disease other than interstitial lung; interstitial lung disease; pulmonary vascular disease; pleural disease; lower respiratory tract infections; bronchiectasis |
| Rheumatology and Orthopedics | 9% | Crystal-induced arthropathy; regional musculoskeletal syndromes; spondyloarthropathies; rheumatoid arthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); systemic sclerosis; vasculitis |
| Hematology | 6% | Hypoproliferative anemia; hemolytic anemia; hemoglobinopathies and thalassemias; leukocyte disorders; platelet disorders; coagulation factor disorders and thrombotic disorders; porphyria |
| Nephrology and Urology | 6% | Acute kidney injury; chronic kidney disease; tubulointerstitial disease; glomerular disorders; hypertension; urinary tract infections; nephrolithiasis; other kidney disorders |
| Medical Oncology | 6% | Lung cancer (clinical presentation and diagnosis); breast cancer; neoplasms of the head and neck; gastrointestinal or hepatic cancer; urologic cancer; gynecologic cancer; bone tumors |
| Neurology | 4% | Seizures; headache and facial pain; nerve root syndromes and mechanical lesions of the spine; peripheral neuropathy; cranial neuropathy; disorders of cerebral function; movement disorders |
| Psychiatry | 4% | Mood disorders; eating disorders (not including obesity); substance use disorder; schizophrenia and delusional (paranoid) disorders; anxiety disorders; somatoform disorders; sexual disorders and gender dysphoria |
| Dermatology | 3% | Dermatitis (eczemas); dermatologic immunology; vascular dermatoses; acne and rosacea; papulosquamous dermatoses; skin and soft tissue infections; vesiculobullous dermatoses |
| Obstetrics and Gynecology | 3% | Diseases of the vulva and external genitalia; breast disorders; ovarian disorders; uterine disorders; vaginal disorders other than vulvovaginitis; pregnancy; menstrual disorders |
| Geriatric Syndromes | 3% | Pressure injuries; venous ulcers and chronic wounds; end-of-life and palliative care of the elderly; ethics in the elderly; constipation in the elderly; disorders of swallowing in the elderly; urinary tract infections in the elderly |
| Allergy and Immunology | 2% | Anaphylaxis; asthma; rhinitis, sinusitis, and conjunctivitis; food allergy; urticaria and angioedema; skin disorders; drug allergy other than drug-induced urticaria and angioedema |
| Miscellaneous | 2% | Primarily epidemiology; primarily ethics; primarily safety and quality improvement |
| Ophthalmology | 1% | Conjunctivitis; glaucoma; cataracts; diseases of the cornea; neuro-ophthalmology; retinal disease; uveitis |
| Otolaryngology and Dental Medicine | 1% | Disorders of the nose and paranasal sinuses; diseases of the ear; diseases of the oral cavity, pharynx, and salivary glands; diseases of the larynx and airway |
Who we tutor
- Residents preparing for ABIM boards
- Students who did not pass an exam and need a different approach
The team speaks French, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish and Telugu, which many international medical graduates find helpful. We work extensively with repeat test takers.
ABIM tutoring FAQ
How many questions are on the ABIM Internal Medicine Certification Exam?
ABIM's blueprint says the exam is composed of up to 240 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions, of which approximately 35 are new questions that do not count in the score.
Which topic has the largest share of a typical ABIM exam?
In ABIM's blueprint, Cardiovascular Disease is the largest category at 14% of a typical exam. ABIM notes the percentages are approximate.
Do you tutor ABIM boards?
Yes. We prepare students for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3, COMLEX Level 1, Level 2-CE and Level 3, and ABIM boards. See our USMLE Step 3 and COMLEX tutoring pages too.
How do I get started?
Book a free intro consult, a 20-minute phone call. Sessions after that are held online over Zoom.
What topics does ABIM list under Cardiovascular Disease?
ABIM lists hypertension, pericardial disease, ischemic heart disease, dysrhythmias and conduction defects, congenital heart disease in adults, valvular heart disease, myocardial disease, and endocarditis and other cardiovascular infection, among its subsection topics.
Does the ABIM exam include health equity content?
ABIM says health equity content that is clinically important to each discipline is included in its assessments.