2026 Infectious Disease Board Review – IDBR Homestudy Course

Product Overview

The 2026 Infectious Disease Board Review – IDBR Homestudy Course is a comprehensive infectious disease board review program designed to help physicians prepare for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Infectious Disease certification and recertification examinations.

The Infectious Disease Board Review (IDBR) program provides an exam-focused review of important concepts across infectious diseases through expert lectures, case-based reviews, board-style questions, online practice examinations, primers, and additional study guides.

The 2026 course is associated with the Infectious Disease Board Review Live/Virtual Course held August 22–26, 2026, with recorded educational content available through the Homestudy format.

For physicians who are not preparing for the board examination, the program also provides a broad clinical review of common topics, diagnostic challenges, therapeutic approaches, and evolving issues encountered in infectious disease practice.

About the IDBR Course

The Infectious Disease Board Review (IDBR) is designed around preparation for the ABIM Infectious Disease examination.

The course combines structured infectious disease review with question-based learning to help participants identify areas requiring additional study and apply clinical knowledge in an examination-oriented format.

Educational components include:

• Exam-focused infectious disease lectures
• Case-based reviews
• ABIM-style board review questions
• Photo-based questions
• Online practice examinations
• Primers and study guides
• Online-only lectures
• Recorded course lectures
• Diagnostic and therapeutic infectious disease review

The official IDBR course materials include more than 500 ABIM-style and photo-based board preparation questions.

Target Audience

The 2026 Infectious Disease Board Review – IDBR Homestudy Course is particularly relevant for:

• Infectious Disease Specialists
• Infectious Disease Fellows
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Primary Care Physicians
• Physicians preparing for Infectious Disease certification
• Physicians preparing for Infectious Disease recertification
• Clinical Microbiologists
• Other healthcare professionals seeking an extensive update in infectious diseases

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

• Identify gaps in infectious diseases medical knowledge where further study is needed for board preparation and patient management.
• Improve confidence for taking the initial certification exam or one of the maintenance of certification assessment options.
• Identify strategies for integrating diagnostic results and patient symptoms to accurately diagnose infectious diseases.
• Recommend appropriate treatment options for infectious disease patients.
• Assess risk, determine prognosis, and apply principles from epidemiologic studies.
• Identify best-practice guidelines to incorporate into the care of infectious disease patients.
• Answer questions written in the specific format used by the ABIM for the certification and recertification examinations.

Course Content Highlights

The 2026 IDBR curriculum provides a broad review of infectious disease topics relevant to board preparation and clinical practice.

Major areas covered by the program include infectious disease microbiology, antimicrobial therapy, bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, parasitic diseases, HIV medicine, transplant-related infections, epidemiology, diagnostic approaches, antimicrobial resistance, and other core infectious disease concepts.

Microbiology and Core Concepts

Review of foundational microbiology and other core concepts relevant to the Infectious Disease board examination.

Antimicrobial Therapy

Coverage of antibacterial and other antimicrobial agents, resistance mechanisms, treatment considerations, and clinically relevant principles of antimicrobial selection.

Clinical Infectious Diseases

Case-oriented review of infectious diseases with emphasis on integrating clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, epidemiology, and treatment decisions.

HIV and Viral Infections

Review of HIV medicine and important viral infections, including diagnostic and therapeutic considerations.

Immunocompromised and Transplant Patients

Discussion of infectious complications and management considerations in immunocompromised patients and transplant recipients.

Board-Style Question Review

ABIM-style and photo-based questions provide opportunities to assess exam readiness, recognize knowledge gaps, and reinforce concepts reviewed throughout the program.

Who Should Consider This Course?

This course is particularly useful for physicians preparing for:

ABIM Infectious Disease Initial Certification

and

ABIM Infectious Disease Recertification / Maintenance of Certification assessments

It may also serve as a comprehensive infectious disease update for physicians who want structured review without currently preparing for a board examination.

Short Description

The 2026 Infectious Disease Board Review – IDBR Homestudy Course provides comprehensive preparation for the ABIM Infectious Disease certification and recertification exams through exam-focused lectures, case-based reviews, board-style questions, practice examinations, primers, and study guides. The program is designed for infectious disease specialists, fellows, internal medicine physicians, primary care physicians, and other clinicians seeking an extensive infectious disease review.

Topics

• Day 1 Topics:

  • Antifungal Drugs

  • Core Concepts Antibacterial Drugs I: Approach to Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli

  • Core Concepts Microbiology: What You Need to Know for the Exam

  • Infections in Cancer Patients

  • Infections in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Recipients

  • Infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

  • Introduction

  • Respiratory Viral Infections Including Influenza in Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Persons

  • SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

  • Board Review Day 1

• Day 2 Topics:

  • Brain Abscess, Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis, and Subdural and Epidural Empyema

  • Clinical Immunology and Host Defense

  • Encephalitis including West Nile and Rabies

  • Fungal Diseases in Immunocompetent and Immunosuppressed Hosts

  • GI Infections Part I and Part II

  • Lyme Disease

  • Pneumonia

  • Protozoa That Could Be Tested

  • Syndromes in the ICU That ID Physicians Should Know

  • Ticks, Mites, Lice, and the Diseases They Transmit

  • Worms You Should Know

  • Board Review Day 2

• Day 3 Topics:

  • Core Concepts Antibacterial Drugs II: Gram Positive Organisms

  • Helicobacter and Clostridioides

  • Hospital Epidemiology

  • Immunizations: Domestic, Travel, and Occupational

  • Nocardiosis, Actinomycosis, Rhodococcus and Actinomycosis

  • Sexually Transmitted Infections: Other Diseases and Syndromes

  • Sexually Transmitted Infections: Genital Ulcers Diseases (GUD)

  • Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

  • Tuberculosis in Immunocompetent and Immunosuppressed Hosts

  • Zoonoses

  • Board Review Day 3

• Day 4 Topics:

  • Antiretroviral Therapy

  • Antiretroviral Therapy for Special Populations

  • Clinical Manifestations of Human Retroviral Diseases and Slow Viruses

  • EBV, HHV 6, HHV 8

  • Herpes Simplex and Varicella Zoster

  • HIV-Associated Opportunistic Infections I and II

  • HIV Diagnosis

  • HIV Drug Resistance

  • Non-AIDS-Defining Complications of HIV AIDS

  • Pharyngitis Syndromes Including Group A Strep Pharyngitis

  • Photo Opportunity: Photos and Questions to Test Your Board Preparation

  • Syndromes Masquerading as Infections

  • Board Review Day 4

• Day 5 Topics:

  • Acute Hepatitis

  • Chronic Hepatitis

  • Endocarditis of Native and Prosthetic Devices, and Infections of Pacers and Ventricular Assist Devices

  • Infections of Upper and Lower Urinary Tract

  • Kitchen Sink Syndromes Not Covered Elsewhere

  • Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Normal and Abnormal Hosts

  • Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy for Exam: What You Need to Know About Toxicities, PK PD, Drug-Drug Interactions

  • Staphylococcus aureus

• Online (OL) Topics:

  • OL – 1 How to Prepare for the Certification and Recertification, including the LKA

  • OL – 2 Antimicrobial Therapy II: Toxicities and Pharmacologic Issues You Should Know

  • OL – 3 HIV-Associated Opportunistic Infections III

  • OL – 4 Epidemiology for the Boards

  • OL – 5 Review of Basics: HIV AIDS

  • OL – 6 Review of Basics: Transplant Infectious Disease

  • OL – 7 Even More Worms

  • OL – 8 Bone and Joint Infections

  • OL – 9 Penicillin Allergy

  • OL – 10 Immunomodulatory Agents: What Can Be Tested

  • OL – 11 Antimicrobial Resistant Infections III: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

  • OL – 12 Prostatitis, Epididymitis, and Orchitis

  • OL – 13 Viral and Bacterial Meningitis

  • OL – 14 Otitis and Sinusitis

  • OL – 15 Kitchen Sink Syndromes Not Covered Elsewhere Bonus Cases

• Question Set
  • Question Set A
  • Question Set B
  • Question Set C
  • Question Set D
  • Question Set E
  • Short HIV Therapy Questions
• Syllabus: VOL 1 + VOL 2