COMAT Clinical – Internal Medicine

Content Outline and Assessment Objectives

The exam blueprint below contains the Internal Medicine topics covered in two dimensions: Dimension 1 – Patient Presentation and Dimension 2 – Physician Tasks.

Selected Specific Learner-Centered Objectives for Internal Medicine

For Internal Medicine, the examinee will be required to demonstrate the ability to diagnose and manage selected patient presentations and clinical situations involving, but not limited to:

1. Allergy/Skin/Miscellaneous: atopic diseases, anaphylaxis, drug allergy, common dermatological conditions and skin lesions and chemical exposure
2. Cardiovascular: acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias, chronic ischemic disease of the heart, congenital heart disease, hyperlipidemia, peripheral vascular disease, congestive heart failure, aortic dissection, valvular heart disease, pericarditis and endocarditis
3. Endocrine: weight gain/loss, adrenal disorders, diabetes mellitus, parathyroid and thyroid disturbances, pituitary disorders, disorders of the testes and women’s health
4. Gastrointestinal: diseases of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and pancreas; gastrointestinal disease prevention, gastrointestinal tract cancer and other gastroesophageal issues
5. Hematology/Oncology: coagulation disorders, anemia, solid tumors, hematologic malignancies and screening and disease prevention
6. Infectious diseases: commonly encountered infectious and immunological diseases and host responses, HIV infections, bioterrorism, and infectious disease treatment and prevention/prophylaxis
7. Musculoskeletal: osteoporosis, somatic dysfunction, viscerosomatic relationships, inflammatory and non-inflammatory rheumatic diseases, vasculitis, and disorders of bone and muscle
8. Neurology: brain anatomy/function, stroke, disorders of the spinal cord and peripheral nerves, disorders of cerebral function and central nervous system neoplasms
9. Renal/Hypertension: fluid and electrolyte disorders, acute renal injury, chronic kidney disease, renal calculi, glomerular and tubulointerstitial disorders, obstructive uropathy and arterial hypertension
10. Respiratory: respiratory tract cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, critical care medicine and respiratory failure

Selected Student and Faculty Learning Resources for Internal Medicine

In addition to the aforementioned objectives, examples of supplementary resources used by the NBOME to inform the development of the Internal Medicine exam are listed below:

• American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and American College of Osteopathic Internists (ACOI) – Basic Standards for Residency Training in Internal Medicine