This document is designed to provide Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellows with a structured and comprehensive resource regarding preparation for the Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine certification examinations.
For both the Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine board examinations, fellows are strongly encouraged to begin their preparation early with foundational reading using standard textbooks and core reference materials.
Early use of textbooks allows fellows to develop a conceptual framework, understand physiology and pathophysiology, and contextualize disease processes and management strategies.
Once this foundational understanding is established, board review videos and question banks should be incorporated later in the study process to reinforce key concepts, identify knowledge gaps, and refine test-taking strategies.
Building depth of understanding first, followed by targeted review and active question-based learning, has been shown to promote deeper retention and more effective board performance.
We hope you find the below resources helpful throughout your fellowship training and beyond.
Official ABIM Exam Resources
The Blueprints provide an overview of the content areas and percentage of each of the content areas that will be covered on the exam. This is useful as a guide to direct studying.
- ABIM Pulmonary Disease
- Pulmonary Disease Blueprint
- ABIM Critical Care Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine Blueprint
Electronic Books
- Murray & Nadel’s Textbook of Respiratory Medicine (Free online version through Sladen)
- Fishman’s Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders (Free online version through Sladen)
- Marino’s The ICU Book (Free online version through Sladen)
- Textbook of Critical Care (Free online version through Sladen)
Question Banks and Self-Assessment Tools
- CHEST SEEK Learning Resources – Case-based questions built on ABIM exam Blueprints with detailed rationales (Requires subscription through CHEST).
- Board Vitals Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Question Bank and Board Vitals Main Site – Register for free through Sladen Library with your internal institution account.
Review Courses and On-Demand Lectures
These courses add structure and expert insight beyond question practice. Purchasing includes 12-month access to videos. Tip: Discuss with your co-fellows as there may be an opportunity to purchase one subscription and share it to reduce the financial burden.
Review Guides and Podcasts
- ATS Review for the Critical Care Boards: Attached to this email
- PulmPEEPs Podcast
- PULMCAST
- Practice Point CME Podcasts: Expert Discussions in Pulmonology
- The Internet Book of Critical Care Podcast
