International Medicine and Disease Olympiad (IMDO): Guide

Q: What is IMDO?
A: IMDO (International Medicine and Disease Olympiad) is an international online biomedical competition for secondary school students, covering human biology, anatomy, physiology, disease, and medical reasoning. Students in the USA qualify via USMDO. See imdolympiad.org for current rules and registration.

TL;DR
The International Medicine and Disease Olympiad (IMDO) is an online biomedical competition. The organiser publishes the format and proctoring rules for each cycle on the official rules page.
The IMDO rules also state that participants register through their country’s National Qualifier where available (for example, USMDO for the USA). Always check the current official notice for dates, fees, and exact format.

Status: IMDO rules + results pages checked 2026-01-26 - competition delivery, registration route, and proctoring can change by cycle; always verify on the official rules page before registering or paying fees.

Registration quick answer: Students should follow the official IMDO rules and check whether their country has a listed National Qualifier. If your country is not listed, use the organiser’s official pages to find the current registration guidance: https://www.imdolympiad.org/

1 What exactly is the IMDO?

• The IMDO is a student biomedical competition run by its organiser, with the official rules published on the IMDO site.
• Recent editions have been held online; refer to the current rules page for the latest delivery mode and schedule IMDO rules.
• Participation figures and scoreboards are published by the organiser on the official site after each cycle.

1.1 Why parents of IP learners should care

Biomedical case-analysis forces students to convert prose into flow-charts, crunch proportional data and defend conclusions-skills that map directly onto IP WA graph questions and Paper 4 practical evaluation paragraphs.

2 Exam structure

The organiser publishes the section breakdown, timings, and proctoring rules in the current year’s regulations. Expect a mix of objective and free-response items focused on biomedical reasoning; consult the official rules page for the latest format and calculator/aid policy IMDO rules.

3 Pathway (country-based)

1. National qualifier - run by the country’s organiser (e.g., USMDO); dates, duration, and format are set locally.
2. Training - organiser-led preparation sessions where offered.
3. International round - held online per the current IMDO schedule; check the site for dates and delivery details.

Reviewed by

Marcus Pang·Managing Director (Maths)