ABOM Oral Medicine study guide
ABOM Oral Medicine · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) certification is a credential for physicians who want to demonstrate specialized competence in obesity medicine. Per ABOM, eligibility is limited to physicians trained and practicing in the US or Canada: candidates must hold an active, unrestricted medical license (training licenses are not accepted), have completed a residency in the US or Canada, and hold active board certification through an ABMS member board or the osteopathic equivalent. Fellowship-pathway candidates must also have completed an Obesity Medicine fellowship recognized by the Obesity Medicine Fellowship Council within the 36 months prior to the exam application deadline. The exam is offered once each year at Pearson VUE computer-based test centers throughout the US and Canada; the 2027 administration window is October 12-26, 2027. Topics on this exam: Obesity Medicine (content areas per ABOM Test Content Outline) and Obesity Medicine (content areas per ABOM Test Content Outline). The ABOM Oral Medicine study guide has 2 sections and about 608 words.
01Obesity Medicine: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Classification
Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, multifactorial disease, not a lifestyle choice. Anchor your studying on the diagnostic framework: body mass index (BMI) as a screening tool (kg/m²), with class categories-overweight 25.0–29.9, class I 30.0–34.9, class II 35.0–39.9, class III ≥40. Know that BMI is a screen, not a diagnosis, and must be paired with clinical assessment. Understand the additional measures: waist circumference (visceral adiposity risk; elevated at 102 cm in men and 88 cm in women, with lower thresholds in some ancestry groups), waist-to-height ratio, and body composition.
309 words, about 2 min02Obesity Medicine: Treatment-Lifestyle, Pharmacotherapy, and Metabolic Surgery
Treatment is staged and chronic. Lifestyle intervention (reduced-calorie diet, ≥150 min/week physical activity, behavioral support) underpins all care. Understand guideline thresholds: pharmacotherapy is generally considered at BMI ≥30, or ≥27 with a weight-related comorbidity; metabolic/bariatric surgery at BMI ≥40, or ≥35 with comorbidities (some guidelines use ≥30 with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes). Know the pharmacologic classes and their mechanisms and key adverse effects: GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide)-GI effects, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis caution; dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist tirzepatide; older agents (phentermine/topiramate, bupropion/naltrexone, orlistat).
299 words, about 1 min