State of Kuwait

Ministry of Health
Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization

Kuwait
Medical
Licensing
Examination
(KMLE) Guide
 Table of contents

Introduction
Objectives
Eligibility
Validity of the examination
Board of examiners
Format and content of the examination
Examination schedule
Results
Resit for the examination
Registration fees
Application procedure
Recommended textbooks for KMLE
Answer Sheet for Paper 1
Answer Sheet for Paper 2
Appendix
Sample questions – Paper 1
Sample questions – Paper 2
Introduction
Most countries have laws and regulations governing the practice of medicine.
Although licensing provisions vary among industrialized countries, requirements
commonly include successful completion of a licensing examination. To ensure
minimal professional standards for those who wish to practice medicine in Kuwait, a
licensing examination has been established and recognized by the Ministry of Health,
State of Kuwait.

Objectives
The objectives of the Kuwait Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE) are to:

• Institute standardized methods of evaluating medical graduates from

different medical schools for the practice of medicine in Kuwait.
• Ensure that doctors have the required medical knowledge, clinical
judgement and skills to practice medicine consistent with contemporary
standards of care.
• Assure the public that doctors intending to practice in Kuwait are
professionally qualified.

Eligibility
The KMLE is a prerequisite for the practice of Medicine in Kuwait. All medical school
graduates who do not currently hold a license to practice in Kuwait are required to
successfully complete this examination in order to practice medicine in the public or
private sectors. A doctor who holds a professional medical degree conferred by a
medical school recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Kuwait (as listed in
the most recent issue of the World Directory of Medical Schools, published by the
World Health Organization) is eligible to apply for the KMLE.

Validity of the examination

The results of the KMLE are valid for five years subsequent to the date of passing the
examination. If a doctor has not practiced medicine for more than five years after
passing this examination, successful completion of a new examination, under its
current format at the time of re-examination, will be required for licensure.

Board of examiners
The examination is set by the Board of Examiners who are members of the Faculty of
Medicine of Kuwait University and the Ministry of Health.

Format and content of the examination

KMLE is a one day written examination in English, composed of two MCQ papers. The
professional competencies of candidates are evaluated by means of the following
examination tools:

Paper 1
This is an MCQ paper of 100 questions. Twenty five questions are derived from each
of the 4 major disciplines (Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery and Obstetrics and
Gynaecology). Questions on Psychiatry, Community Medicine and Primary Care are
included in the major disciplines. Each question has 5 answers, of which ONE is
correct. The candidate has to identify only the correct one on the special answer
sheet provided. The total mark for this paper is 100. There is NO negative marking.
The time allowed is 2.5 hours.

Paper 2
This paper consists of 40 questions, 10 from each of the major disciplines, and deals
with clinical problem-solving exercises. Each question has 5 answers, each of which
may be true or false. Each has to be marked as true or false on the special answer
sheet. The total mark for this paper is 200. There is no negative marking. The time
allowed is 2.5 hours.

Examination schedule
The KMLE is administered three times annually, generally in October, February and
June. The dates for the examination and deadlines for the application procedures are
set by the Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization (KIMS).

Results
The results will be announced within 2 weeks of sitting for the KMLE.
The pass mark for the entire examination will be determined by the Board of
Examiners.

Resit for the examination

There is no limit to the number of attempts at the KMLE.
Registration fees
The fee for the KMLE will be determined by the Ministry of Health. This fee must
accompany the Application Form. Any candidate who fails to appear for the
examination will forfeit the registration fee. The fee must be paid for each attempt at
the examination. The fee may be revised based on the costs of the examination.

Application procedures
Candidates must submit:
• A completed application form
• The full fee for the examination
• A certified true copy of the candidate's diploma for the basic medical
degree
• Two passport size photos
Recommended Text Books for KMLE

Medicine

Text Book of Medicine

Ed. A.L. SouhaMi, J. Moxam
Or equivalent text book.

Supplementary Revision Guides:

1. The Cleveland Clinic Intensive Review of Internal Medicine
Ed. J. K. Stoller, M. Ahmed, D. Longworth
2. Pretest medicine: Pretest Self-assessment and Review
3. Pretest Step 2 Simulated Exam.
“Latest Edition” McGraw Hill

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

1. Williams Obstetrics (19th Edition) - 1993

F. Gary Cunningham, Paul C. Macdonald, Norman F. Gant, kenneth J. Leveno, Larry
C. Gilstrap III
2. Comprehensive Gynaecology
Arthur L. Herbst et al

Paediatrics

1. Illustrated textbooks of Paediatrics

Tom Lissauer and Graham Clayden
2. Practical Paediatrics
M.J. Robinson and D.M. Roberton

Surgery

1. Principles of Surgery – Schwartz, 7th Edition, Edited by Shires Spencer and Daly
Fisher Galloway
2. Bailey and Love’s Short Practice of Surgery, 23rd edition, Edited by RCG Russell,
WS Williams & CJK Bulstrode
Sample Questions – Paper 1

1. Guillain-Barre syndrome (acute inflammatory demyelinating

polyradiculoneuropathy) is characterized by all the following
EXCEPT
a. Symmetrical weakness beginning in the feet.
b. Bilateral lower motor neurone facial palsy
c. Hyporeflexia or areflexia
d. Severe sensory loss with sharp level of anesthesia
e. Elevated protein with normal cell in CSF

2. The following are commonly associated with childhood asthma EXCEPT

a. Raised serum IgE level
b. Clubbing of fingers
c. Positive skin test to house dust mite
d. Previous history of infantile eczema
e. Wheezing after exercise

3. Massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage

a. Rarely stops after resuscitation
b. Is caused by large bowel lesions only
c. can be most accurately localized by colonoscopy
d. Is frequently related to right colon lesions
e. Is most commonly caused by adenocarcinoma of the large intestine

4. Which one of the following statements about nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is
correct?
a. It occurs in the morning
b. It usually disappears by the 4th month
c. The severity of vomiting correlates with the serum levels of chorionic
gonadotrophins
d. Therapeutic abortion is frequently the only successful therapy for severe nausea
& vomiting
e. Pregnancies with nausea & vomiting are less likely to have a favorable outcome

Correct Answers
1. d 2. b
3. d 4. b
Sample Questions - Paper 2

1. A 23 year old healthy female is being evaluated for explorative laporotomy for a
possible unruptured ectopic pregnancy. She has no cardiac symptoms, a mid-
systolic click over the mitral area is heard with no other extraneous sounds or
murmurs.

a. Surgery should be performed as scheduled

b. Surgery should be postponed until cardiac work up can be done
c. Prophylactic antibiotics for subacute bacterial endocarditis should be given
before surgery
d. A cardiac surgeon should stand by doing the explorative laparotomy
e. None of the above

2. A 72 years old man comes to the urology clinic with symptoms of frequency,
urgency, poor stream and post micturition dribbling. On examination, the bladder
is not palpable and on rectal examination the prostate feels nodular and hard in
areas. Plain X-ray abdomen reveals calcification in the prostate. Patient should
have:

a. An abdominal ultrasound
b. A cystoscopy and transurethal resection of the prostate
c. Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA)
d. Uroflametry
e. Transrectal ultrasound and simultaneous biopsies of any suspicious lesions

3. A 62 year old male is admitted with a history of sudden onset of retrosternal chest
pain while sleeping associated with nausea & vomiting. There is no similar past
history. A routine blood check 3 months back had shown a normal cholesterol
level. Which of the following are true or false?

a. Acute myocardial infarction is the most likely diagnosis

b. The ECG will provide diagnostic information
c. The diagnosis should be confirmed by an urgent stress exercise test
d. The patient should be admitted to hospital
e. A normal cholesterol level excludes the diagnosis of myocardial infraction

4. A female 1 year old child develops a one day history of vomiting followed by a brief
generalized convulsion. Your action will be:

a. Admit the child to ICU

b. Do lumbar puncture
c. Observe the baby in hospital
d. Give the baby regular antipyretics
e. Start the baby on antibiotics

Correct Answers

1. True a, c False b, d, e
2. True c, d, e False a, b
3. True a, b, d False c, e
4. True b, c, d False a, e