Short answer: The EMREE blueprint gives internal medicine the largest share, 20 of 100, as we read directly in the organiser’s November 2025 PDF. On a 120-question paper that is roughly 24 questions, our arithmetic and not a published count. This EMREE internal medicine revision plan spreads it over six weeks.
How big is internal medicine on the EMREE?
The Emirates Medical Residency Entrance Examination (EMREE) is conducted by NIHS through UAE University. Its blueprint, which we read directly, gives internal medicine 20 out of 100, the biggest single share. Other disciplines are 15 each for obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, surgery and family medicine, and 10 each for psychiatry and public health.
On a usual paper of 120 questions, that is about 24 for internal medicine, which is an estimate. The blueprint lists topics per discipline but no topic weights, and says it may include content outside its outline. See the weights guide.
An EMREE internal medicine revision plan in six weeks
This is a Meddex estimate for about 4 hours a week on this discipline, inside a wider plan. Adjust it to your baseline.
- Week 1: cardiovascular, with the ECG and chest pain.
- Week 2: respiratory and critical care basics.
- Week 3: endocrine and metabolic, including diabetes emergencies.
- Week 4: renal, fluids, acid-base and gastrointestinal.
- Week 5: neurology, haematology and rheumatology.
- Week 6: infectious disease, toxicology, and a mixed timed set of 40.
The level to aim for
The organiser’s exam structure page describes the exam as testing clinical application, diagnosis and management at the level of a graduate with at least one year of training. That points to diagnosis and early management, not rare subspecialty detail. If a fact would only matter to a registrar in that field, it is a low priority.
How to practise
Each week, do 30 questions on the topic first, read every explanation, then study the gaps and re-test 24 hours later. This is spaced retrieval, which has good evidence behind it. See how spaced repetition works.
Example, invented for teaching. A woman of 45 with known diabetes has vomiting, abdominal pain and deep breathing. The deciding detail is the acid-base picture, so you ask for a blood gas and ketones before choosing treatment. Check the blood gas guide.
Use the overlap
Internal medicine feeds family medicine and surgery questions, such as medicines review or the post-operative patient with renal injury. Count those hours toward more than one discipline. A good weekly set mixes disciplines so you practise switching.
What to do next
Read EMREE subjects and how to study them for the other disciplines, and the EMREE exam guide for the process. Practise in the Meddex EMREE question bank. The bank is still growing, so check current coverage.
Common mistakes in internal medicine revision
The usual trap is depth in the wrong place. Candidates spend a week on a rare condition because the notes are interesting, and then lose marks on common ones such as heart failure, pneumonia, diabetes and kidney injury. Spend your time where an ordinary graduate would be expected to act.
Another trap is studying a system only as a list of diseases. The exam asks what you do for a patient in front of you, so for each condition learn the presentation, the first test, the first treatment and the red flag that changes the plan. Four lines per condition is enough to start with.
Checking progress in this discipline
At the end of weeks 2, 4 and 6, do 20 fresh internal medicine questions you have not seen. Compare your accuracy with your baseline for this discipline and with your average across all disciplines. If it sits well below your average, give it another hour a week and take that hour from your strongest discipline.
Keep a short list of rules you keep breaking. For example, treat the unstable patient before you investigate, or check renal function before choosing a drug. Reading that list for five minutes before each session is a cheap way to turn repeated errors into habits.
How this fits the whole plan
Internal medicine is one block of a wider plan, not the whole of it. At 20 of 100 it is the largest share, but the other six disciplines make up the rest of the paper. If you give it half of your hours, you will probably lose more elsewhere than you gain here.
Keep a weekly slot for every discipline, even a short one. A 30 minute set on psychiatry or public health keeps it warm. Use biostatistics for EMREE for the public health basics that many physicians find unfamiliar.
Frequently asked questions
This article is general educational guidance, not official advice. Exam rules, fees and timelines are set by the Dubai Health Authority and the test provider and can change, so always confirm the latest details on their official channels.
Last updated .