ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) study plan

Build a one-page checklist that sequences the arrive-approach-assess actions at a death scene from first contact to release of the body

Diagram the boundary-setting logic for a scene, distinguishing the inner perimeter, outer perimeter, and the point where scene control transfers to another authority

List the categories of physical evidence an investigator documents at a scene and write one sentence per category explaining why it matters to the death investigation

Practice writing a scene narrative that describes conditions in objective, observation-only language with no conclusions

Identify the documentation mistakes that weaken a scene record and write a corrective rule for each

Differentiate the major injury mechanisms (blunt, sharp, firearm, thermal, asphyxial, chemical) and write the pattern each leaves on the body

Map the common manner-of-death categories to the injury and circumstance patterns that most often support each classification

Sequence the follow-up steps an investigator takes after an equivocal scene: records request, witness canvass, medical history retrieval, and re-interview

Explain postmortem change timelines (livor, rigor, algor, decomposition) and state how each influences time-of-death estimates

Construct five short case vignettes with mixed findings and reason to the most defensible manner classification, recording the reasoning steps

Integrate scene findings with autopsy and toxicology results by writing a reconciliation memo that flags contradictions between scene and body findings

Reconstruct three timelines from artificial fact patterns, each combining scene observations, witness statements, and postmortem indicators

Distinguish accidental, suicidal, and homicidal firearm patterns using wound location, trajectory, and scene context, and document the reasoning for each

Identify which follow-up questions an investigator must answer before releasing a scene for which the manner is unresolved

Outline the sequence of the external decedent examination from initial observation through final documentation

Compare identification methods (visual, fingerprint, dental, DNA, radiologic) and state the reliability limits of each

Draft the process for inventorying, documenting, and releasing personal property and evidence taken from a decedent

Describe the chain-of-custody requirements that apply to property from the moment it is removed from the body to final disposition

Recognize the findings on external examination that must be reported to the pathologist rather than recorded and left unaddressed

Distinguish the roles and legal authority of the coroner, medical examiner, and justice of the peace systems as they apply in different jurisdictions

State the legal thresholds that trigger a death investigation, including reportable-death criteria and who holds the reporting duty

Explain the jurisdiction questions an investigator must resolve at the outset: geographic authority, concurrent jurisdiction, and referral to another agency

Identify the investigator's authority at a scene regarding access, control, and release, and the limits on that authority

Diagram the flow of legal authority from death notification through certification and final disposition

Draft a death certificate entry for each manner category, matching the cause-of-death statement to the manner field and avoiding common wording errors

Apply the ethical duties of the investigator to three artificial conflict scenarios, including confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and testimony boundaries

Write the components of a complete investigative report: chronology, findings, sources, and conclusions, kept separate from opinion

Prepare a mock testimony outline covering the questions an investigator is most often asked on the stand

Differentiate facts, observations, inferences, and opinions in a sample report and rewrite each statement into its proper category

Re-audit every prior deliverable against the domain objectives and list the specific gaps found

Re-drill the three weakest topic areas identified in the audit with at least 40 targeted recall questions per area

Rebuild the two weakest templates or reference tables so each entry carries a stated rationale rather than a label

Time yourself through a mixed-domain question set and analyze every miss by domain and error type

Complete two full-length timed practice exams and record scores by domain

Review every missed item and write a one-sentence rule that would have prevented the error

Recite from memory the scene protocol, identification method limits, reportable-death triggers, and cause-of-death wording rules

Confirm readiness by re-checking each domain against the milestone targets and scheduling the exam