ABIM Tutor for the Internal Medicine Boards

Meet your internal medicine board tutors

Dr. Shauhin “Sean” Moazezi, DO is a board-certified internist and The Boards Professor’s founder. He leads ABIM preparation and internal medicine in-training exam coaching. Sean’s sessions focus on the decision that separates two plausible answers: which clue changes the diagnosis, what the question is actually asking, and when a tempting option would be appropriate.

Dr. David Wadie, DO is board certified in Internal Medicine and is a cardiology fellow. He tutors ABIM, USMLE and COMLEX. His cardiology background can support focused review when cardiovascular reasoning is a recurring weakness. Ask about the best tutor match and current availability during the consultation.

Updated October 28, 2026 · The Boards Professor, founded by Dr. Sean Moazezi, DO.

What happens in an ABIM tutoring session?

Bring your recent question-bank performance, the date you intend to test and a few questions you found difficult. In the first session, we identify the biggest obstacles and build a weekly calendar. A resident with scattered study time needs a different workload from someone with a protected review block.

During live question practice, you explain your reasoning before the tutor explains the answer. Sean teaches a sequence: identify the clues, form your own answer in a “status check,” then grade the answer choices. When two choices remain, we examine the detail that makes one fit better. That exposes errors that rereading an explanation can hide.

• Separate a missing fact from a reasoning error, an overlooked negative finding or a pacing problem.
• Use UWorld or MKSAP questions to choose focused content review, instead of adding another complete resource.
• Keep a short list of major misconceptions and return to them in later sessions.
• Leave with specific work for the next clinical week, rather than an open-ended instruction to study more.

A scribe records session notes, generally available within 24–48 hours. Your student portal brings notes, goals and practice-exam tracking together. You can send questions between sessions at no extra charge; the misses you send help determine the next session’s priorities.

A study plan that survives residency

Sean builds the calendar week by week. On a demanding workday, one example from his coaching is 15 questions in about 30 minutes, 30 minutes reviewing those questions, and 30 minutes of focused content. Spaced repetition can be added with a time cap. On lighter days, the question and review blocks expand. One full day off each week is part of his planning approach.

This is an example of a workload, not a required daily prescription. If your review routinely takes longer than the available study time, we cut the task down and prioritize the mistakes that recur. If Anki is not helping, we can use a written list of misses reviewed regularly instead. The point is repeatable work you can actually finish.

Sample eight-week ABIM preparation outline

Illustrative schedule only; this is not a real student’s calendar or an outcome claim. Your baseline and call schedule determine the actual workload.

• Week 1: cardiovascular review and a baseline look at your question approach.
• Weeks 2–3: respiratory and critical care, then gastrointestinal and liver topics.
• Weeks 4–6: renal and endocrine review, hematology/oncology, then infectious disease and rheumatology.
• Week 7: neurology, dermatology and topics that still recur on your missed-concept list.
• Week 8: mixed timed practice, targeted repair and a lighter day before testing.

ABIM exam facts that affect your preparation

The Internal Medicine Certification Exam appointment lasts approximately 10 hours. It includes four sessions of up to two hours, with a maximum of 60 questions per session, plus tutorial and break time (ABIM: registration and exam day).

That makes both clinical decisions and sustained pacing useful targets for tutoring. Practice explaining why you rejected an answer, and include longer timed blocks when your work schedule allows. Your study calendar should reserve time to review mistakes rather than treating every completed block as finished learning.

ABIM’s certification blueprint assigns cardiovascular disease 14% of a typical exam; endocrinology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, pulmonary disease and rheumatology/orthopedics each account for 9% (ABIM: Internal Medicine blueprint (PDF)).

We compare that coverage with your own performance. A heavily weighted subject matters, but a weakness across several smaller categories may also deserve attention. Blueprint percentages guide coverage; they do not replace a review of how you answer questions.

ABIM reports standardized scores on a 200–800 scale, with a mean of 500. Passing depends on meeting its established standard; the mean is not a passing-score target (ABIM: how exams are scored).

Preparing after an unsuccessful ABIM attempt

Start with the official performance information and your study history. We examine whether the last plan failed because of limited study time, broad content gaps or repeated mistakes between close answer choices. We then set a manageable first week and reassess the plan from fresh question practice. Buying more hours without changing the work is not a study strategy.

If your question is about remaining eligibility, confirm it with ABIM. Its general policy describes a seven-year board-eligibility period after completion of initial certification requirements (ABIM: general policies).

ABIM students on the tutoring process

“Due to some road bumps, I was severely behind studying for my ABIM. […] From the first session, I knew I had made the right choice. Always making time for us, encouraging us, and somehow made studying enjoyable which made all the difference.”

— Peter I.

“He helped me prepare for my ABIM exam focusing on process and approach. We all know the information.”

— Kyle F.

Excerpts from our student review collection. These are individual experiences, not predictions of another student’s results.

Overall ratings checked October 29, 2026: The Boards Professor on Google has 5.0 stars from 47 reviews; Sean’s Wyzant profile has 5.0 from 283 ratings. These are across exams, not ABIM-specific outcomes.

ABIM tutoring cost and the next step

The published tutoring rate is $349 per 50-minute session. A free introductory consultation is a 20-minute phone call to discuss the exam, timeline and tutor fit. Bring your next available study window and questions about resources; you do not need a finished schedule to start the conversation.

For residents also preparing for another exam, explore Step 3 tutoring or the COMLEX tutoring overview. Book your ABIM intro consultation.