ABIM Sports Medicine study guide
ABIM Sports Medicine · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ABIM Sports Medicine certification exam is a subspecialty examination for physicians who have completed training in a primary specialty (typically internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, or physical medicine and rehabilitation) and additional sports medicine training, and who want formal recognition of their competence in caring for active patients and athletes. It assesses the knowledge and judgment needed to evaluate and manage exercise-related medical conditions, musculoskeletal injuries across the body, concussion and head/neck trauma, on-field emergencies, rehabilitation and return-to-play decisions, and the needs of special populations such as pediatric, female, older, and adaptive athletes. The ABIM Sports Medicine study guide has 9 sections and about 1,968 words.
01General Principles of Sports Medicine
Understand the ATP-PCr, glycolytic, and oxidative systems and how intensity/duration select the dominant pathway; questions often ask which system fuels a 10-second sprint versus a 2-hour event. Know VO2max determinants, lactate threshold, and the physiology of detraining and tapering.
267 words, about 1 min02Medical Issues in Athletes
Distinguish physiologic athlete's heart (sinus bradycardia, LV hypertrophy with normal function, early repolarization) from pathologic findings (T-wave inversion, prolonged QT, Brugada pattern, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). Sudden cardiac death is most often from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or congenital coronary anomalies in young athletes and coronary disease in older ones.
245 words, about 1 min03Musculoskeletal Injuries of the Upper Extremity
Know the anatomy of the rotator cuff, labrum, and glenohumeral stabilizers. Differentiate impingement, rotator cuff tendinopathy, SLAP tears, and instability.
211 words, about 1 min04Musculoskeletal Injuries of the Lower Extremity
Understand femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears, and hip flexor strains. In the knee, distinguish ACL (noncontact pivot, positive Lachman/pivot shift), PCL (dashboard injury, posterior sag), and meniscal tears (twisting with joint line tenderness, McMurray).
220 words, about 1 min05Spine and Pelvis Injuries in Athletes
Understand the difference between transient stingers/burners (unilateral, resolves) and cervical cord neurapraxia or fracture. Red flags include bilateral symptoms, neck pain with neurologic deficit, and midline tenderness-these require immobilization and imaging.
198 words, under 1 min06Head, Neck, and Facial Injuries including Concussion
Understand the sport concussion assessment tools (SCAT-type evaluation), including symptom checklist, cognitive testing (SAC), balance (BESS), and neurologic exam. Concussion is a clinical diagnosis-no single test confirms it.
230 words, about 1 min07Emergency Assessment and Management of the Athlete
Use a systematic primary survey (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure) and assume cervical spine injury in any athlete with head/neck mechanism, neck pain, or altered mental status. Do not remove helmets/pads unless trained and necessary.
207 words, about 1 min08Rehabilitation, Return to Play, and Injury Prevention
Understand phases of healing (inflammatory, proliferative, remodeling) and how loading progresses. Early controlled mobilization, progressive strengthening, proprioception, and sport-specific training are core.
193 words, under 1 min09Special Populations and Sports Participation
Understand growth plates and apophyseal injuries (Osgood-Schlatter, Sever disease, Little League shoulder). Overuse injuries rise with early specialization and high training volume; recommend diversification and load limits.
197 words, under 1 min