How to Study for IM-ITE

Administered annually to Internal Medicine residents,, the Internal Medicine In-Training exam (IM-ITE) was developed by a committee of physicians from the American College of Physicians (ACP) and modeled after the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certification exam. 

It’s a web-based exam used by internal medicine training programs to assess their residents’ progress through the program and their readiness for the ABIM certification exam. 

From exam content to study tips, we’ve got everything you need to demystify the in-training exam for internal medicine, famously known as the IM-ITE exam.

What is on the IM-ITE exam?

The IM-ITE exam is modeled after the ABIM certification exam blueprint. It consists of 300 multiple-choice, mostly scenario-based questions that evaluate your clinical reasoning, knowledge, and problem-solving skills. 

According to the ACP, the breakdown for the IM-ITE is as follows:

1. Cardiovascular Disease – 14%
2. Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism – 9%
3. Gastroenterology – 9%
4. Infectious Disease – 9%
5. Pulmonary Disease – 9%
6. Rheumatology and Orthopedics – 9%
7. Hematology – 6%
8. Medical Oncology – 6%
9. Nephrology and Urology – 6%
10. Neurology – 4%
11. Psychiatry – 4%
12. Dermatology – 3%
13. Geriatric Syndromes – 3%
14. Obstetrics and Gynecology – 3%
15. Allergy and Immunology – 2%
16. Ophthalmology – 1%
17. Otolaryngology and Dental Medicine – 1%
18. Miscellaneous – 2%

Residents have a total of 9 hours to complete the exam. This time slot consists of approximately 7 hours for questions, an hour-long lunch break, several 10-minute breaks, and completion of the exam tutorial and post-exam survey.

How to Study for the IM-ITE

Every ITE, no matter the medical specialty, can be nerve-wracking. To take the exam, you’ll need to rely heavily on your knowledge, training, and everything you’ve learned throughout your residency. Use these tips to give you the advantage. 

1. Keep it simple

The ACP advises against augmenting your current study habits for the exam. So, rather than piling on more study time, use your current study routine to review topics. This also means you should avoid cramming or procrastinating. We recommend crafting an internal medicine study guide using the provided blueprint above to get started.

2. Refine test-taking strategies

Any long exam is a challenging exam. To keep your mind sharp during the exam, build your stamina and practice your test-taking techniques every study session. This often involves utilizing the process of elimination, positive exam rituals, and answering easy questions first. Remember, making your best guess is always better than leaving a question unanswered.

3. Practice with a question bank

Don’t have a reliable question bank for your study routine? TrueLearn’s ABIM Question Bank has more than 1,800 IM-ITE and ABIM practice questions. Trusted by thousands of internal medicine residents nationwide, TrueLearn’s question bank is perfect for testing your knowledge, building your stamina, and improving your understanding. It’s both written by experts and mapped to the exam’s content blueprint, so you’ll have the knowledge you need under your belt.

Are you looking for a few more tips from someone in your shoes? Check out how this resident is studying smarter for the ABIM Board Exam. 

4. Make a schedule and stick with it

Below we have a day-by-day, hour-by-hour example Internal Medicine ITE study schedule to help you prepare for exam day. Monday through Saturday, you’ll want to stay focused on your studies and residency. Give yourself an evening out at least once, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your sleep. And give yourself a break on Sunday to run errands, have lunch with family or friends, watch some TV, etc. You’ll need time to recharge before your busy week starts all over again.

To get a copy of this detailed IM-ITE study schedule template, you can download it from Google Sheets.