ABPS Psychiatry study plan

Map the Clinical Psychiatry domain into a checklist of high-yield disorder clusters (psychotic, mood, anxiety, trauma-related, dissociative, personality, eating, sleep-wake) and assign each a study date

Build a one-page comparison table contrasting diagnostic criteria, course, and first-line treatment for schizophrenia spectrum versus bipolar I versus major depressive disorder

Write out from memory the criteria distinguishing brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder, then verify against a reference and correct errors

Explain aloud the risk factors, assessment elements, and acute management priorities for a first psychotic episode

Construct a decision tree for the initial workup of new psychiatric symptoms that sequences history, collateral, screening instruments, and medical/lab rule-outs

Compare and contrast at least six validated rating scales (e.g., PHQ-9, GAD-7, PANSS, YMRS, MDQ, AUDIT) by purpose, scoring, and limitations

Practice writing a structured mental status exam and a five-axis-style formulation for two synthetic cases

Identify which symptoms mandate urgent escalation versus routine outpatient follow-up

Create a mechanism-to-side-effect table for major antidepressant, antipsychotic, mood stabilizer, and anxiolytic classes

List monitoring requirements (labs, ECG, weight, metabolic panel, lithium level, clozapine ANC) and the interval for each

Draft a titration and cross-taper plan for two scenarios: switching antidepressants and initiating a mood stabilizer

Summarize indications, consent process, and expected outcomes for ECT, TMS, and ketamine/esketamine

Rehearse recognizing and managing serotonin syndrome, NMS, and lithium toxicity

Differentiate CBT, psychodynamic, supportive, interpersonal, DBT, and family therapy by indication, structure, and core mechanisms

Describe how to set a therapy frame, obtain informed consent for psychotherapy, and manage boundaries and ruptures

Outline the evidence base for trauma-focused therapies and how to sequence stabilization before processing

Apply a CBT formulation (thought-feeling-behavior) to a written case vignette

Diagram the dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, and glutamate pathways and link each to a drug class and a disorder

Explain the HPA axis, stress physiology, and neuroplasticity concepts relevant to depression and PTSD

Review neuroanatomy of the limbic system, prefrontal cortex, and basal ganglia and connect lesions or dysfunction to psychiatric presentations

Summarize key genetic, epigenetic, and neuroimaging findings at a conceptual level without overstating clinical utility

Build an emergency algorithm for agitation, suicidality, and delirium covering risk assessment, de-escalation, restraint standards, and medical stabilization

List medical mimics of psychiatric presentations (thyroid, B12, delirium, substance intoxication/withdrawal, autoimmune encephalitis) and the tests that screen for them

Describe capacity assessment using the four abilities framework and when to invoke it

Outline withdrawal management and medication-assisted treatment options for alcohol and opioid use disorders

Practice applying brief screening (AUDIT-C, CAGE, CIWA) to written vignettes

Compare child versus adult presentations of ADHD, autism spectrum, anxiety, and depression, including developmental staging

Summarize medication safety considerations in children (black-box warnings, monitoring) and in older adults (Beers criteria, anticholinergic burden, falls risk)

Distinguish delirium, dementia, and depression in older adults and outline a cognitive workup

Describe consent, confidentiality, and mandatory-reporting considerations in child and elder care

Review involuntary commitment criteria, duty-to-warn/protect concepts, and competency versus insanity distinctions

Summarize core ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice) and apply them to three written ethical dilemmas

Complete a timed mixed-domain practice set and log every missed item by domain

Re-study the two weakest domains using your earlier checklists and re-test those items