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The IFOM® exams are standardized, objective exams that are used in various countries (Ukraine, Panama, and Oman, among others) as an international standard to measure the academic performance of their medical graduates.

The IFOM® exams consist of a Basic Science Exam (BSE) and a Clinical Science Exam (CSE), which are both developed and conducted by the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®)–the same body that administers the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®).

Each IFOM® exam comprises 160 multiple-choice questions presented in clinical vignette style to assess a student’s ability to not just recall but also apply their acquired knowledge.

The IFOM® exams serve different purposes in various countries and institutions globally.

In many countries, the IFOM® exams serve as mandatory exams used to determine the eligibility of a medical student to progress to a subsequent phase of their medical education. In each of these countries/institutions, these exams may be used for entirely different purposes. For example, as a graduation exam (like in Ukraine, Costa Rica, and Panama), an entrance exam to obtain a residency training position (like in parts of Qatar, Lebanon, and Oman), or as a year-end exam to pass between semesters (like in some universities in Ukraine and Mexico).

However, some students also take the IFOM® to compare themselves to an international standard, to apply to residency programs, and as practice before they take the USMLE® Steps.

The IFOM® exams are developed and conducted by the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®), which also administers the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®). The curriculum and question styles for the IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) and Clinical Science Exam (CSE) are analogous to those of the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) exams, respectively. However, topics and questions may be adapted to international medical conventions.

The IFOM® BSE tests the examinee’s ability to understand and apply knowledge from the preclinical curriculum to the practice of medicine. The exam consists of 160 case-based questions in a multiple-choice format. These are divided in two 2-hour blocks of 80 questions each. This exam tests the student’s ability to understand and apply the knowledge from the following subjects:

• Anatomy
• Biochemistry
• Histology and Cell Biology
• Microbiology
• Organ Systems
• Pathology
• Pharmacology
• Physiology

The IFOM® CSE tests the examinee’s ability to apply and integrate clinical knowledge during real-life examination scenarios. The exam consists of 160 clinical scenario-based questions in a multiple-choice format. These are divided in two 2-hour blocks of 80 questions each. This exam tests the student’s ability to understand and apply the knowledge from the following clinical subjects:

• Family Medicine
• Medicine
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Surgery

These can vary depending upon the context in which these exams are taken. However, some of the uses of the exam are:

Qatar:

The Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar is the main provider of secondary and tertiary healthcare in Qatar and one of the leading hospital providers in the Middle East. A candidate must clear the IFOM (or the USMLE) to apply to the residency programs in any of the twelve hospitals in Qatar under the HMC.

Oman:

In the Sultanate of Oman, an applicant needs to clear IFOM-CSE to obtain a residency position in the country. The Oman Medical Speciality Board (OMSB) is responsible for postgraduate medical education in Oman and the IFOM-CSE is the only entry examination to OMSB residency training programs.

Mexico:

Students at the Tecnológico de Monterrey must pass the IFOM BSE to enter into the Clinical Program and the IFOM CSE to graduate from Medical University.

Panama:

The IFOM is required for students to enter into residency programs. Foreign graduates who wish to practice medicine in Panama must also take the IFOM.

Ecuador:

In Ecuador, students at some Universities are required to take the IFOM CSE in their last years, as part of their formal evaluations and as student assessment.

Costa Rica: 

The IFOM is required for students to enter into residency programs.

Lebanon: 

The American University of Beirut accepts IFOM BSE and IFOM CSE in lieu of the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 for residency positions. Furthermore, the IFOM BSE is required for 3rd year students and the IFOM CSE is required for 6th year students at the Beirut Arab University. Saint George Hospital in Lebanon also accepts IFOM scores for their residency applicants.

Egypt

The IFOM BSE and CSE are compulsory for students at the Armed Forces College of Medicine.

Ukraine:

In Ukraine, students can opt to take the IFOM exam in lieu of the local exam (KROK) to graduate.

AMBOSS offers access to more than 2500 case-based multiple-choice questions on the entire basic sciences curriculum and over 2,200 questions covering the clinical sciences. All these questions are interlinked with a detailed, corresponding Article from the Knowledge Library.

All the content and questions are expertly written by an editorial team of over 60 doctors strictly according to the content guidelines of the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®), which is the body that administers the IFOM® exams. Thus, studying from AMBOSS is sure to provide any student with a closely representative and complete preparation for any NBME®-administered exam, including the IFOM®.

We regularly receive numerous emails and messages from students from all over the world, telling us about how AMBOSS helped prepare them for the IFOM® exams and how it was a big factor in their success. We cannot possibly publish all those messages and experiences. However, we have documented one student’s experience and quotes from a few other students’ experiences here. Please feel free to take a look. Or simply, ask any student in your university that may have recently given their IFOM® exam with AMBOSS. We are sure that they would definitely have a positive experience to share with you.