International Medicine Olympiad

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you explain the scoring system for the IMDO?

The IMDO is actually two competitions, an individual competition and a team competition, rolled into one. The two competitions are intimately connected. To do well in the individual competition, one needs the support of a strong team. To do well in the team competition, one needs strong individuals on the team. Each individual competitor will receive a score for the multiple choice exams based on the number of questions answered correctly. The scores for the four team members will be added together to determine tournament seeding for the Medicine Bowl. The final ranking of the teams is determined strictly by the results of the Medicine Bowl. However, individual competitors will continue to earn points during the Medicine Bowl, and these points will be added to their scores from the multiple choice exams. The final ranking of the individual competitors is determined by their total scores, the sums of their multiple choice exam scores and the points they earn during the Medicine Bowl.

2. If I attend another International Olympiad in the summer, can I still participate in the IMDO?

Yes, you can still participate in the IMDO if you attend another International Olympiad such as the International Biology Olympiad.

3. Is there a registration fee?

Yes, the registration fee is $200 per team.

4. What are the recommended books to prepare for the IMDO?

The highly recommended books are Campbell Biology and Essential Cell Biology. However, any excellent college introductory-level Biology textbook will help you prepare for the Molecular Cell Biology and Human Physiology portions of the IMDO. For the Human Disease portion of the IMDO, the students are recommended to learn about basic human diseases online or using a college introductory-level textbook on human diseases.