Iran Specialty Board - Internal Medicine

It is a Persian-language, multiple-choice examination, typically delivered on computer. Questions are clinical vignettes covering the full internal medicine curriculum rather than single-fact recall items. The official body publishes the current format, question count and timing for each cycle, so check its announcements rather than relying on older accounts from previous candidates.

Most candidates find it demanding because it tests integration, not isolated facts. A vignette may require you to read a laboratory pattern, choose the next step, and recognise a complication in one stem. Those who have reviewed broadly and practised many applied questions generally feel more comfortable than those who studied only a few favourite subspecialties.

Retake rules, including any limit on attempts and waiting periods between sittings, are set by the responsible official body and can change. Do not assume a policy from what earlier candidates experienced. Consult the official body's current regulations and announcements before planning a repeat attempt, and allow time to address the specific domains that let you down.

There is no official answer, but most residents spread preparation across the final years of training, with an intensive phase in the last several months. A workable pattern is a first pass through each major domain, a second pass focused on weak areas, and a final phase of timed question practice with review of every error.

Follow the weights rather than studying alphabetically. Start with cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, nephrology, hematology-oncology and infectious diseases, since together they dominate the paper. Then cover rheumatology, neurology, dermatology and allergy, geriatrics and general internal medicine, and critical care. Revisit high-weight domains repeatedly rather than finishing each once.

Frequent failure modes include neglecting high-weight domains in favour of interesting niche topics, memorising lists without practising applied vignettes, ignoring nephrology and fluid-electrolyte problems because they feel difficult, and never practising under timed conditions. Poor review discipline, where wrong answers are noted but not re-tested later, also costs marks.

Use them as a diagnostic tool, not a primary text. Answer in blocks, then spend at least as long reviewing each explanation and tracing the underlying concept back to a reference. Keep an error log by domain and re-test those items after a few weeks. Volume without review rarely improves scores.

Permitted aids, if any, are specified in the official instructions for the sitting. Assume nothing is allowed unless stated. Practise the arithmetic you commonly need, such as electrolyte and acid-base calculations and unit conversions, so you do not depend on a calculator on the day.

These are published by the responsible official body and change between cycles. This page deliberately does not state figures, because outdated numbers mislead candidates. Check the official body's website and its exam announcements directly for registration windows, fees, the current passing standard and any updates to the format.