Exam Administration History

With the evolution of internal medicine's subspecialties, ABIM has introduced certification exams in the following areas. Note: all certificates issued after 1990 (1987 for Critical Care Medicine and 1988 for Geriatric Medicine) are time-limited with a duration of 10 years.

Initial Certification and Subspecialty Exam Launches

• 1936 – Internal Medicine
• 1941 – Cardiovascular Disease; Gastroenterology; Pulmonary Disease
• 1972 – Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism; Hematology; Infectious Disease; Nephrology; Rheumatology
• 1973 – Medical Oncology
• 1987 – Critical Care Medicine
• 1988 – Geriatric Medicine
• 1992 – Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
• 1993 – Sports Medicine (offered until 2022)
• 1994 – Adolescent Medicine
• 1999 – Interventional Cardiology
• 2006 – Transplant Hepatology
• 2007 – Sleep Medicine
• 2008 – Hospice and Palliative Medicine
• 2010 – Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
• 2015 – Adult Congenital Heart Disease
• 2021 – Neurocritical Care

The Focused Practice in Hospital Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program was a variation of internal medicine certification introduced in 2010. ABIM issued the last certificate in 2023. In 2024, ABIM introduced the Internal Medicine: Inpatient version of Internal Medicine Certification and MOC.

Targeted for 2026, ABIM will launch additional focused versions of assessments in Gastroenterology, Hematology and Medical Oncology.

Transitioning to modern testing methods, ABIM converted all assessments from paper-and-pencil to computer-based formats during the following periods:​

• Fall 2004: Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification
• Spring 2005: Subspecialty Maintenance of Certification
• Fall 2005: Subspecialty Certification
• Summer 2006: Internal Medicine Certification

These advancements reflect ABIM's commitment to evolving and maintaining rigorous standards in medical certification.