# Know how many exams fit before the schedule fills

> Enter the exam format, clinic hours, and blackout days. The planner shows how many exams per week and when the next slot opens.

Source: https://imecore.com/tools/examiner-capacity-planner

This tool runs entirely in the browser. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.

## How to use it

1. **Set the exam format.** Enter the exam duration and the buffer between appointments.
2. **Define the clinic week.** How many days per week the examiner sees patients, and how many net hours per day.
3. **Enter blackout days.** Count the unavailable days over the next 12 weeks. The planner spreads them across clinic days.
4. **See the earliest slot.** Enter the examinee's availability and the current queue length. The planner finds the first open clinic day.

## The math behind a full clinic day

A seven-hour clinic day with 60-minute exams and 15-minute buffers fits six appointments. Add one vacation week and a conference and the 12-week window shrinks. The planner shows the real number, not the theoretical one.

## Why blackout days matter more than they look

One blackout day per week removes 20% of a five-day clinic schedule. Over 12 weeks that is 12 fewer slots, or two full clinic days. Most scheduling conflicts start here, not with the exam duration.

## Queue depth drives the wait

The average US IME takes roughly 6.5 hours of examiner time across review, exam, and report. An examiner running four clinic days a week at 60 minutes per exam has limited weekly output. A queue of 20 exams can mean five weeks of backlog even before blackouts.

## This is a planning aid, not a booking system

The planner assumes contiguous clinic days starting Monday, and it distributes blackout days evenly. Real calendars have fixed vacation dates and statutory holidays. Use this to set expectations with referral sources, then book in your scheduling system.

## Questions people ask

### Does this account for statutory holidays?

No. It only skips weekends. Add statutory holidays to your blackout-day count for a more realistic estimate.

### What if the examiner works non-contiguous days?

The planner assumes contiguous days from Monday. If the examiner works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, set three clinic days and accept that the daily count is an approximation.

### How does the blackout distribution work?

The total blackout days are spread evenly across the 12-week window. If you have 10 blackout days and 48 clinic days, roughly every fifth clinic day is blocked.

### What does 'effective exams per week' mean?

It is the weekly exam count after removing the proportion of clinic days lost to blackouts. It is the number you should quote to referral sources.