ABIM Med Oncology study materials
ABIM Med Oncology study resources

ABIM Med Oncology study plan

ABIM Med Oncology · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Hematologic Malignancies

  • Map the WHO classification of myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms into a one-page decision tree from blast count to lineage

  • Rehearse diagnostic criteria for AML, APL, and ALL until you can recite them without notes

  • Build a spaced-repetition deck covering induction, consolidation, and maintenance regimens for acute leukemias

  • Solve 30 board-style questions on acute leukemia and log every miss with the underlying knowledge gap

Your checkpoint

A 2-page acute leukemia summary sheet plus a tagged Anki deck of 80 cards reviewed to at least 90% recall

Week 2

Hematologic Malignancies

  • Differentiate risk-adapted therapy for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma by stage and biology

  • Explain the role of targeted agents in CLL and mantle cell lymphoma in a written paragraph each

  • Compare transplant eligibility criteria and graft-versus-host prophylaxis across autologous and allogeneic settings

  • Complete 40 mixed hematology questions and categorize errors by domain

Your checkpoint

A lymphoma and CLL comparison table with 10 rows and a written error log of at least 15 items

Week 3

Breast Cancer

  • Stratify early and metastatic breast cancer by subtype and stage and match each to guideline-concordant therapy

  • Diagram the biomarker workflow for ER, PR, HER2, and germline testing and where each changes management

  • Practice interpreting a de-identified pathology report into a treatment recommendation

  • Answer 40 breast cancer questions and annotate each rationale

Your checkpoint

A one-page subtype-to-treatment algorithm plus a 40-question performance summary with percent correct by subtype

Week 4

Gastrointestinal Cancers

  • Sequence systemic therapy for colorectal cancer by line of treatment and molecular profile

  • Distinguish resectable from unresectable hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease and state the corresponding intent of therapy

  • Summarize gastric and esophageal cancer biomarker-driven options in a comparison grid

  • Work through 40 GI questions and rewrite every incorrect rationale in your own words

Your checkpoint

A GI cancer treatment grid covering 8 scenarios plus a rewritten rationale for every missed question

Week 5

Thoracic and Head/Neck Cancers

  • Match NSCLC targeted therapy to driver alterations and list resistance mechanisms for each

  • Outline the immunotherapy decision pathway for NSCLC by PD-L1 status and stage

  • Summarize head and neck cancer management by subsite and HPV status

  • Complete 35 thoracic and head/neck questions with timed conditions

Your checkpoint

A driver-alteration-to-drug table with resistance notes and a timed 35-question score report

Week 6

Genitourinary Cancers & Gynecologic and Other Solid Tumors

  • Build a stage-by-stage treatment map for prostate, renal, and urothelial cancers

  • Compare frontline and subsequent-line therapy for ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers

  • Identify germline and somatic testing triggers across GU and gynecologic tumors

  • Answer 40 combined GU and GYN questions and tag each to a domain

Your checkpoint

Two one-page treatment maps (GU and GYN) plus a 40-question tagged results sheet

Week 7

Cancer Biology, Genetics, and Precision Oncology & Diagnostic Oncology and Pathology & Antineoplastic Therapy and Supportive Care

  • Explain oncogene addiction, synthetic lethality, and tumor-agnostic approvals with a clinical example of each

  • Interpret immunohistochemistry, molecular, and cytogenetic results into a diagnosis and therapy choice

  • Manage febrile neutropenia, tumor lysis syndrome, and immune-related adverse events using published grading scales

  • Complete 45 questions across these three domains and log error patterns

Your checkpoint

A supportive-care quick-reference card for four oncologic emergencies plus a 45-question error-pattern analysis

Week 8

Survivorship, Palliative Care, and Ethics & Breast Cancer & Hematologic Malignancies

  • Apply goals-of-care and capacity frameworks to three written ethics vignettes

  • Review survivorship plans for cardiotoxicity, fertility, and secondary malignancy surveillance

  • Re-drill the highest-yield misses from weeks 1 through 7 using spaced repetition

  • Complete one full-length timed practice exam and debrief every section

Your checkpoint

A full-length practice exam score report with a prioritized remediation list of no more than 10 items

Milestones

Week 2: Score at least 70% on a 40-question hematology set and have reviewed every missed item

Week 4: Complete the breast and GI algorithm deliverables and score at least 65% on each domain's question set

Week 6: All five solid-tumor treatment maps are finished and combined practice accuracy is at least 70%

Week 8: Full-length practice exam completed under timed conditions with a written remediation list of 10 or fewer items