DHA Internal Medicine MCQ — High-Yield Topics for GP Doctors
Internal Medicine dominates time and marks on most GP-style DHA papers. This page covers IM-only structure, commonly tested scenarios, and how to practise—without repeating the general exam overview, MCQ mechanics, full multi-subject syllabus, or timetable-style prep (those live on dedicated guides linked below).
~35–40%
Typical Medicine share (GP MCQs)
6+ systems
Core organ systems in most sittings
Vignette-led
Diagnosis, next step, initial care
Percentages reflect widespread candidate and prep-community reporting, not a single public DHA GP blueprint table. Always verify your title on Sheryan and the PQR.
Where this fits (read this first)
Use these pages for shared context—then return here for Internal Medicine depth only:
- DHA exam overview— format, delivery, pass mark, registration context.
- DHA MCQ bank hub— all subjects, how the bank is organised, what a DHA-style item looks like in general.
- Full syllabus (all subjects)— cross-domain blueprint; Medicine is one column there.
- 12-week study plan— scheduling and mixed-subject discipline.
Internal Medicine topic map (GP DHA)
Think in systems, not textbooks. Third-party GP summaries and 2024–2025 candidate recall threads often mirror the same pattern: cardiovascular and respiratory items form a large share of Medicine vignettes, followed by GI, endocrine/metabolic, infection, renal/electrolytes, neuro, haematology, and rheumatology/MSK medicine (overlap with exam “medicine” tagging varies by bank).
Cardiology
ACS, acute heart failure, arrhythmia risk, hypertension emergencies, valvular red flags, anticoagulation decisions.
Respiratory
COPD/asthma exacerbations, pneumonia severity, TB risk, PE in the right clinical setting, type 2 respiratory failure.
Endocrinology & metabolism
DKA/HHS, hypoglycaemia, thyroid storm/myxoedema, adrenal insufficiency, electrolyte-driven presentations.
Nephrology & fluids
AKI classification and triggers, hyperkalaemia, acid–base, diuretic complications, dialysis urgency cues.
Gastroenterology & hepatology
Upper and lower GI bleeding, acute pancreatitis, cirrhosis complications, acute hepatitis patterns.
Infectious disease
Sepsis bundles, source control thinking, HIV-related presentations, endemic infections, travel-related fever.
Neurology
TIA/stroke timing, seizure first aid and work-up, meningitis/encephalitis suspicion, weakness differentials.
Haematology & oncology (medicine angle)
Anaemia work-up, transfusion triggers, neutropenic fever basics, anticoagulant-associated bleeding.
High-yield clinical scenarios (IM)
GP DHA Medicine items usually reward safe, sequential thinking: stabilise, identify the syndrome, choose the most appropriate next investigation or treatment, and recognise when to escalate. Patterns repeatedly described in recent GP sittings include:
- Chest pain with ECG or troponin interpretation slant toward ACS pathways and risk stratification.
- Dyspnoea with comorbidity clusters (smoking, cardiac history) testing COPD versus cardiac failure overlap.
- Hyperglycaemia with ketosis or large osmotic gap scenarios for DKA/HHS discrimination.
- Creatinine rise after contrast, sepsis, or NSAIDs for AKI cause-and-effect reasoning.
- Fever with rigors or hypotension for sepsis recognition and initial management priorities.
- Confusion in older adults with infection, metabolic, or drug triggers (hyponatraemia, opiates, UTI sepsis).
Internal Medicine–specific study tips
Rotate by syndrome, not by chapter. Build mini-scripts: “ACS”, “decompensated HF”, “COPD exacerbation”, “CAP vs TB”, “DKA”, “AKI + K+”, “GI bleed risk stratification”, “sepsis hour-1 priorities”.
Drill “most appropriate next step”. Many errors come from picking a correct test that is not the immediate priority, or a treatment that skips resuscitation.
Cross-link labs and ECGs. Hyperkalaemia, digoxin toxicity, PE with shock, and metabolic acidosis often appear as integrated data, not isolated theory.
Keep primary care in the mix. Screening rationale, chronic disease targets, and when to refer or admit appear alongside acute medicine.
Sample Internal Medicine MCQs
Illustrative samples only — written for this page to show DHA-style reasoning. They are not taken from the GulfMedExams question bank.
Sample 1
A 58-year-old man with hypertension and diabetes presents with 90 minutes of crushing retrosternal pain radiating to the left arm. BP 100/60 mmHg, HR 102/min. ECG shows ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVF. Troponin is pending. He is clinically stable aside from pain.
What is the most appropriate immediate management priority?
- A — Oral aspirin only and reassure for outpatient follow-up
- B — Activate a reperfusion pathway (primary PCI pathway where available) with dual antiplatelet therapy and parenteral anticoagulation per local STEMI protocol
- C — Exercise stress test after pain settles
- D — Start broad-spectrum antibiotics for suspected pneumonia
- E — Immediate synchronized cardioversion
Answer: B
Inferior STEMI with ongoing symptoms warrants emergent reperfusion (PCI when available) alongside guideline-based antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy. Stress testing and outpatient reassurance are unsafe; antibiotics and cardioversion do not address the diagnosis.
Sample 2
A 32-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes presents with polyuria, polydipsia, vomiting for 24 hours, and abdominal pain. Glucose 28 mmol/L, ketones positive, pH 7.15, K+ 5.8 mmol/L. BP 98/62 mmHg, HR 118/min.
What is the best initial management alongside monitoring?
- A — Start long-acting insulin glargine only
- B — Give IV insulin infusion after initiating IV fluid resuscitation with isotonic crystalloid and careful electrolyte monitoring
- C — Oral rehydration and discharge with metformin
- D — Immediate oral potassium supplementation without fluids
- E — High-dose oral steroids alone
Answer: B
DKA management starts with IV fluids to restore perfusion; insulin is started after initial assessment with close glucose and potassium monitoring (insulin drives K+ intracellularly). Oral agents, steroids alone, or potassium without a fluid plan are inappropriate.
Sample 3
A 72-year-old man on ramipril and furosemide for heart failure is brought in confused. Na+ 118 mmol/L, K+ 6.9 mmol/L, creatinine 320 µmol/L (baseline 110). ECG shows peaked T waves and QRS widening.
What is the most urgent immediate treatment?
- A — Large-volume 5% dextrose infusion without monitoring
- B — Calcium gluconate/chloride for membrane stabilisation with therapies to lower serum potassium (e.g., insulin/glucose, salbutamol) while preparing for dialysis if refractory or in context of AKI
- C — Oral potassium-sparing diuretic
- D — Immediate thoracentesis
- E — Empirical antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia only
Answer: B
Severe hyperkalaemia with ECG changes is an emergency: stabilise the myocardium (calcium), shift K+ (insulin/glucose, salbutamol), and remove K+ (diuretics if effective, or dialysis when indicated)—especially with AKI. Dextrose without insulin can worsen shifts; unrelated procedures miss the primary threat.
Frequently asked questions — Internal Medicine
How much Internal Medicine is on the DHA GP exam?
Across GP-style DHA assessments, Internal Medicine is typically the largest single subject block—often described in candidate and prep sources as on the order of roughly 35–40% of clinical MCQs. Exact scope is title-specific; confirm your category on DHA Sheryan and the Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR).
Which Internal Medicine systems should I prioritise first?
Start with cardiology and respiratory (chest pain, heart failure, COPD/asthma, pneumonia), then endocrinology (DKA/HHS, thyroid emergencies), renal/electrolytes (AKI, hyperkalaemia), and gastrointestinal emergencies (bleeding, acute abdomen medicine). Infectious disease and sepsis cut across many vignettes—keep them in weekly revision, not just as a one-off block.
How is DHA Internal Medicine testing different from MRCP-style revision?
DHA GP items are usually single-best-answer clinical vignettes aimed at safe generalist decisions: first-line investigation, initial stabilisation, clear contraindications, and guideline-consistent next steps. Depth is broad hospital medicine plus primary care, not subspecialty-level rare disease.
Do nephrology and electrolytes appear often?
Yes. Candidate-reported sittings commonly include AKI triggers, potassium and acid–base problems, diuretic complications, and when to escalate to dialysis—often embedded in sepsis, dehydration, or drug-related scenarios.
Is this the same as the DHA Internal Medicine specialty exam?
No. This page is for general practitioners preparing the broad Medicine component of a GP-style DHA MCQ paper. The separate Internal Medicine specialist assessment has a different scope and depth; verify your pathway on official DHA documentation.
Related links
Practise DHA Internal Medicine MCQs
Open the exam hub, filter by Medicine, and run mixed blocks to match how Internal Medicine appears alongside other domains on test day.
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