Iraqi Board Internal Medicine study guide
Iraqi Board Internal Medicine · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Iraqi Board in Internal Medicine is a specialist certification awarded through the Iraqi Board of Medical Specializations (Al-Majlis al-Iraqi li-l-Ikhtisasat al-Tibbiyya) to physicians who have completed structured postgraduate training in internal medicine and wish to be recognised as specialists. It is aimed at residents approaching the end of training and at physicians preparing to practise as consultant-level internists in hospitals, teaching institutions or outpatient practice. The Iraqi Board Internal Medicine study guide has 10 sections and about 2,845 words.
01Cardiology: Ischaemic Heart Disease, Heart Failure and Arrhythmias
Candidates must master ischaemic heart disease (stable angina, unstable angina, NSTEMI, STEMI), heart failure with reduced or preserved ejection fraction, atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias, valvular disease, pericardial disease, hypertension and syncope. Know ECG patterns, troponin kinetics and the immediate management of acute coronary syndromes.
281 words, about 1 min02Respiratory Medicine: Airways Disease, Infection, Pleura and Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Respiratory medicine questions test asthma and COPD, pneumonia, pleural disease, pulmonary embolism, interstitial lung disease, tuberculosis, obstructive sleep apnoea and respiratory failure. Understand spirometry (obstructive ratio below 0.70, restrictive pattern), ABG interpretation, oxygen targets and severity scores such as CURB-65.
275 words, about 1 min03Gastroenterology and Hepatology: Bleeding, Inflammation, Cirrhosis and Pancreatitis
Gastroenterology and hepatology require a structured approach to upper and lower GI bleeding, peptic ulcer disease and Helicobacter pylori, inflammatory bowel disease, acute pancreatitis, cirrhosis and its complications, jaundice and abnormal liver tests. In cirrhosis, understand portal hypertension, varices, ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), hepatic encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome.
288 words, about 1 min04Nephrology and Fluid/Electrolyte Disorders: AKI, CKD, Acid-Base and Electrolytes
Nephrology questions cover acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, acid-base disorders and electrolyte emergencies. Stage AKI using creatinine and urine output criteria.
254 words, about 1 min05Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus: Diabetes Emergencies, Thyroid, Adrenal and Calcium
Endocrinology requires confident management of diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS), thyroid disease, adrenal insufficiency, Cushing syndrome, calcium disorders, pituitary disease and sodium disorders. Know diagnostic criteria for diabetes: fasting glucose at least 7.0 mmol/L, 2-hour glucose at least 11.1, HbA1c at least 6.5%, or random at least 11.1 with symptoms.
275 words, about 1 min06Haematology and Transfusion Medicine: Anaemia, Coagulation and Malignancy
Haematology covers anaemia classification, iron studies, haematinics, haemolysis, haemoglobinopathies, coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia, transfusion medicine and haematological malignancy. Use MCV to classify anaemia as microcytic, normocytic or macrocytic.
248 words, about 1 min07Rheumatology and Immunology: Arthritis, Autoantibodies and Vasculitis
Rheumatology questions test the approach to monoarthritis, oligoarthritis and polyarthritis; septic arthritis; crystal arthritis; rheumatoid arthritis (RA); systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); vasculitis; polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis; myositis; and osteoporosis. Understand autoantibody utility: ANA is sensitive but not specific; anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor support RA; anti-dsDNA and anti-Smith are specific for SLE; ANCA patterns help classify vasculitis.
237 words, about 1 min08Infectious Diseases: Sepsis, Meningitis, TB, HIV and Tropical Infection
Infectious diseases require a syndromic approach: sepsis, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary infection, tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and other travel-related infections. Obtain cultures before antibiotics when this does not delay treatment.
245 words, about 1 min09Neurology: Stroke, Seizures, Headache and Neuromuscular Disease
Neurology requires a localisation-based approach to stroke, transient ischaemic attack, seizures and status epilepticus, headache, coma, meningitis, peripheral neuropathy, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis and movement disorders. For stroke, know the time window for thrombolysis (up to 4.5 hours in eligible patients), blood pressure thresholds, thrombectomy selection and secondary prevention.
243 words, about 1 min10General Internal Medicine: Perioperative Care, VTE, Delirium and Polypharmacy
General internal medicine integrates perioperative assessment, venous thromboembolism, syncope, delirium, falls and polypharmacy, hypertension, lipid management, screening and evidence-based practice. Perioperative risk depends on patient factors, surgery type and functional capacity.
499 words, about 2 min