DHA Specialist Exam case studies
DHA Specialist Exam · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The DHA Specialist Examination is the assessment used within Dubai's health-sector licensing process for physicians seeking recognition at specialist level. It is aimed at clinicians who have completed specialty training and can practise independently, and it is typically taken alongside credential verification, good-standing checks and language requirements set by the regulator. The exam is computer-delivered and multiple choice, and it samples broadly across the specialty rather than drilling a narrow syllabus. Content is organised into six domains, weighted towards day-to-day patient care and clinical management, followed by medical knowledge and reasoning, then diagnostic assessment and investigation. The DHA Specialist Exam case studies are 5 cases and about 1,938 words.
1Post-operative breathlessness after ambulatory surgery
A 54-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 34 undergoes an uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia as a day-case procedure. He is scheduled for discharge 4 hours post-operatively.
449 words, about 2 min2Refusing a blood transfusion
A 68-year-old woman with a Jehovah's Witness background is admitted with a gastrointestinal bleed. Haemoglobin is 62 g/L, she is tachycardic at 112/min and has postural hypotension.
385 words, about 2 min3Incidental finding on a research ultrasound
You are a sonographer participating in a research study recruiting healthy volunteers to validate a new ultrasound protocol. During a scan of a 41-year-old asymptomatic participant, you identify a 2.8 cm solid renal mass with internal vascularity.
356 words, about 2 min4Handover gap on a busy ward round
You are the night registrar covering two wards. At 02:00 you are called about a 76-year-old woman, day 3 after hip fracture surgery, who is confused and agitated.
372 words, about 2 min5Pressure to discharge to free a bed
You are the admitting specialist on a medical assessment unit at 18:00. A 79-year-old man with heart failure was admitted 6 hours ago with worsening breathlessness.
376 words, about 2 min