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What are the 2023 Internal Medicine Board Pass Rates?
The ABIM 2023 Internal Medicine Pass Rate for the Initial Certification exam is 87%.
The ABIM 2023 Internal Medicine Pass Rate for the Maintenance of Certification exam is 95%.
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1 in 8 Failed in 2023
Internal Medicine Initial Certification Exam is one of the most challenging ABIM board exams. In 2023, 1308 out of 10063 first-time takers didn’t pass the Internal Medicine CERT.
Exam Prep Works
American Board of Internal Medicine recognizes “Exam Prep” as the primary step toward certification. Their Study of Studying infographic reminds us of the acute benefits of using board exam prep as a review and assessment tool.
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The #1 Guarantee in Board Prep for Physicians! The Triple Trust Guarantee from American Physician Institute has your back. As you see from our clients’ board results above, investing in a comprehensive review course pays off.
What do I do if I fail the Internal Medicine board exam?
The first thing you should do is just take it easy, sleep on it. Give yourself a few days, a week or two to come to terms with what has happened. Your next exam is six months to a year away. Dr. Jack has more advice in this video, What Do You Do If You Fail Your Medical Board Exam?
Internal Medicine Certification Exam Scoring
Overall performance is reported on a standardized score scale ranging from 200 to 800, with a mean of 500. To pass the Internal Medicine board examination, your standardized score must equal or exceed the standardized passing score. Your performance on the entire exam determines your pass-fail decision.
The passing standard for the Internal Medicine exam is set by ABIM committee using standard-setting techniques that follow best practices in assessment. Because the passing standard is based on a specified level of mastery of Infectious Disease content, no predetermined percentage of examinees will pass or fail the exam.
Internal Medicine Certification Exam Format
The Internal Medicine Certification Exam (CERT) board exam is composed of up to 240 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions. Most questions describe patient scenarios and ask about the tasks performed by physicians in the course of practice. (Note that around 40 of these are new questions that do not count in your score.)
Example of a single-best-answer multiple-choice question format:
A 43-year-old with diabetes mellitus, asthma, and chronic sinusitis is recovering in the surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after an uneventful VATS talc-pleurodesis to treat recurrent pneumothorax. After complaining of shoulder pain, he is given 30 mg of intravenous ketorolac. Approximately 90 minutes later, he begins to complain of severe shortness of breath and lip swelling. Which one of the following causes of this reaction is the most probable?
◯ A. Recurrent pneumothorax
◯ B. Overproduction of arachidonic acid
◯ C. IgE antibodies to ketorolac
◯ D. Delayed reaction to talc powder
◯ E. Discharge anxiety
Correct Response:
B. Overproduction of arachidonic acid
This patient has aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), a combination of asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, and reactions to aspirin or other COX-1 inhibitors. Ketorolac in this setting can be deadly. Five to twenty percent of asthmatics are felt to be sensitive. Symptoms of a reaction are bronchospasm, facial flushing, periorbital edema, and nasal congestion usually 1-3 hours after exposure. These reactions (as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) induced urticaria/angioedema) represent an abnormal biochemical response to the pharmacologic actions of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Inhibition of COX-1 causes shunting down alternative pathways and buildup of arachidonic acid and other inflammatory lipoxins. They are not classic (IgE-mediated) allergies. Treatment is with leukotriene antagonist and, occasionally, supervised aspirin desensitization therapy. It happens with ketorolac because it is an effective inhibitor of COX1. True IgE reactions to Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are very rare and rates of crossreactivity are therefore unknown. Pneumothorax, talc, anaphylaxis, and anxiety are unlikely to cause lip swelling and/or present with this time course.
Source
Hebert WG, Scopelitis E. Ketorolac-precipitated asthma. South Med J. 1994 Feb;87(2):282-3. Szczeklik, A. Adverse reactions to aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ann Allergy 1987; 59:113. Chen, AC. Ketorolac-induced bronchospasm in an aspirin-intolerant patient. Anesth Prog. 1994; 41(4): 102-107. Campobasso CP. Fatal adverse reaction to ketorolac tromethamine in asthmatic patient. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2008 Dec;29(4):358-63.
Sub-Topic
Pulmonary Disease
American Physician
