ABPM Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
ABPM Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Certification Exam
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Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine (UHM) is a subspecialty certification offered by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) for physicians whose work involves high-pressure environments and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. ABPM describes the discipline as dealing with prevention of injury and illness from exposure to increased ambient pressure - diving, hyperbaric chamber exposure - and with the therapeutic use of high environmental pressure and oxygen under pressure to treat disease. The scope emphasizes occupational, environmental, safety and clinical aspects of diving, hyperbaric chamber operations, compressed-air work and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Applicants generally need an unrestricted medical license, current primary specialty certification through an ABMS member board, AOA, RCPSC or CFPC, and completion of an ACGME-accredited UHM fellowship of at least 12 months; ABPM also describes a COLT pathway for mid-career physicians, and ABEM diplomates apply through ABEM. The exam itself is 150 multiple-choice, single-best-answer questions delivered in three one-hour blocks; the appointment runs three hours and 30 minutes including a 15-minute tutorial and a 15-minute break, and it is closed book. ABPM does not endorse specific study materials and refers candidates to their training programs and relevant specialty societies, so a structured review of the full scope plus vignette practice is a sensible independent plan. This page is an independent study resource, not affiliated with ABPM or any specialty society.
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About ABPM Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine preparation
How many questions are on the UHM exam, and how much time do I get?
The UHM exam has 150 questions delivered in three one-hour blocks. The total appointment is three hours and 30 minutes, which includes a 15-minute tutorial and a 15-minute break, so the three blocks are the question-answering time. The exam is closed book, and within a block you may answer questions in any order.
What does a question actually look like?
Questions are multiple-choice, single-best-answer with four or five possible responses. ABPM states items may present a clinical vignette, an experimental or epidemiological observation, a definition or classification, an administrative problem, or an application of a principle or regulation. All questions are weighted equally, so no single item counts more than another.
Should I guess if I am unsure?
Yes. ABPM states there is no penalty for an incorrect answer: wrong answers are not subtracted from right answers, and there is no benefit to leaving a question unanswered. The board explicitly advises answering all questions. If time is running short in a block, make a choice on every remaining item rather than leaving blanks.
Can I go back to a block after I leave it?
No. Within a block you can answer in any order, review your responses, and change answers while time remains. Once you exit the block or time expires, you can no longer review or change answers in that block. Plan each of the three blocks so you finish any review before advancing.
How hard is the exam, and what is the pass mark?
The ABPM pages summarized here do not publish a pass mark or a pass rate for UHM, so treat specific difficulty claims with caution. ABPM does state that exams do not stress esoterica but require sound understanding of the entire specialty, and that candidates are responsible for the breadth of the field, not only day-to-day practice.
What happens if I fail - is there a retake policy?
The ABPM pages used for this summary do not describe a retake or reapplication policy for UHM. Because eligibility, application windows, and attempt rules can change, confirm directly with ABPM before assuming any timeframe or attempt limit. Do not rely on secondhand summaries or older forum posts for this.
When is the exam offered, and what are the next dates?
ABPM states the UHM certification exam is now offered annually. For the 2027 cycle, the application opens on March 10, 2027, and certification exam registration opens on May 19, 2027. Dates are set by ABPM, so verify the current schedule on its site before planning study or travel timelines.
What order should I study in?
ABPM does not endorse specific study materials and directs candidates to their training programs and relevant specialty societies; it lists the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society among related organizations. A defensible independent plan is to map the published scope - diving, chamber operations, compressed-air work, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy - then cycle through vignette-style single-best-answer practice across all of it.
Who is eligible to sit for UHM certification?
You need an unrestricted, currently valid medical license and current primary specialty certification through an ABMS member board, the AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC. The usual pathway is an ACGME-accredited UHM fellowship of at least 12 months; ABPM also describes a COLT option for mid-career physicians. ABEM diplomates must apply through ABEM, not ABPM.