International Academy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
Examination Architecture
Based upon 2015 Specialty Job Analysis
Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
Certification Examination Blueprint
Purpose of the examination
The IANM Certification examination is designed to evaluate the knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical judgment skills expected of the certified neuromusculoskeletal specialist in the broad domain of the discipline. The examination is in two parts.
Part I is web-based critical thinking and knowledge base testing. Part I examinations occur several times each year.
Part II occurs once each year and is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination or OSCE.
Both Part I and Part II assess the candidate’s ability to make appropriate diagnostic and management decisions that have significant consequences for patients. The exams may require recognition of common as well as rare clinical problems for which patients may consult a certified neuromusculoskeletal specialist.
Examination Content
A pre-established blueprint or table of specifications determine the examination content. The blueprint is developed by IANM and is reviewed and updated as needed for currency. Trainees, training program directors, and certified practitioners in the discipline are surveyed periodically to provide feedback and inform the blueprinting process.
The primary neuromusculoskeletal specialist content categories of the blueprint are below, with the percentage of the exam, devoted to this content area. Below each primary category is the content subsections.
TEST ITEM DISTRIBUTION
DOMAIN I | TAKE HISTORY | 24% |
Complaints of neurological/orthopedic & systemic diseases
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Interviewing techniques
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Obtaining medical records
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DOMAIN II | PERFORM EXAMINATION | 20% |
Well patient anthropometric standards
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Hereditary patterns of particular diseases
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Medical terminology/reports/abbreviations
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DOMAIN III | DEVELOP A DIAGNOSIS | 8% |
Prognosis & clinical importance of various disorders
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DOMAIN IV | PREPARE & IMPLEMENT TREATMENT PLAN | 22% |
Healing times for various conditions
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Treatment options
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Risks associated with treatment and nontreatment
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Appropriate application and parameters of physiological therapeutics
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DOMAIN V | ASSESSMENT & CONCLUSION OF CARE | 7% |
Expected effects of treatments
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Reexamination of findings
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DOMAIN VI | RECORD KEEPING, DOCUMENTING, REPORTING | 19% |
Clinical office forms
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Medical terminology, reporting, and abbreviation
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Examination questions in the content areas above may also address clinical topics in geriatrics, pediatrics, and pharmacology and topics in general internal medicine that are important to the practice of neuromusculoskeletal medicine.
Examination format
- Making a diagnosis
- Ordering and interpreting results of tests
- Recommending treatment or other patient care
- Assessing risk
- Determining prognosis
- Applying principles from epidemiologic studies
- Understanding the underlying pathophysiology of disease and basic science knowledge applicable to patient care
Clinical information presented may include patient photographs, radiographs, micrographs, DXA scans, electrocardiograms, angiograms, audiograms, and other media to illustrate relevant patient findings.
Please Note: The percentages for the content of a typical examination are approximate; actual exam content may vary.