Arab Board Family Medicine Clinical study guide
Arab Board Family Medicine Clinical · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Arab Board of Family Medicine Clinical Examination is the practice-based component of the family medicine certification awarded through the Arab Board of Health Specializations. It is intended for physicians who have completed structured family medicine residency training and are seeking specialty recognition that is accepted across much of the Arab region. The Arab Board Family Medicine Clinical study guide has 10 sections and about 3,847 words.
01Internal Medicine in Family Practice
Family-physician internal medicine rewards breadth with triage logic : recognise the common presentation, decide whether it is safe to manage in the community, and know the red flags that demand referral or admission. Core concepts include hypertension staging and treatment thresholds, type 2 diabetes targets (individualised HbA1c, annual retinal, renal and foot checks, statin and ACE-inhibitor/ARB where indicated), asthma versus COPD differentiation by reversibility and smoking history, heart failure with reduced versus preserved ejection fraction, and the primary-care approach to thyroid disease, anaemia (microcytic vs macrocytic workup) and chronic kidney disease staging by eGFR and albuminuria.
307 words, about 2 min02Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Paediatric primary care is dominated by growth, development, immunisation and the recognition of the sick child . Understand the immunisation schedule and catch-up logic, growth-chart interpretation (crossing centiles is more concerning than a single low point), developmental milestones by age, and the traffic-light system for febrile children (green/amber/red) that guides whether to manage at home, refer urgently, or admit.
316 words, about 2 min03Obstetrics and Gynecology / Women's Health
Family-practice women's health spans antenatal care, common gynaecological complaints, contraception and screening . Understand the antenatal schedule and what each visit screens for (booking bloods, anomaly scan, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia surveillance), the danger signs of pregnancy (bleeding, severe headache, reduced fetal movements, epigastric pain), and the primary-care management of abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, vaginal discharge and menopause.
283 words, about 1 min04Surgery and Surgical Subspecialties
Primary-care surgery is about recognising surgical disease, triaging urgency, and managing minor procedures safely . Understand the acute abdomen approach (history, peritonism, guarding, rigidity), the differential of right lower quadrant pain, and the red flags for bowel obstruction, appendicitis, cholecystitis, hernia and testicular torsion.
276 words, about 1 min05Emergency Medicine and Acute Care
Emergency care in family practice is structured by ABCDE assessment and the recognition of life-threatening conditions . Understand the primary survey, the management of anaphylaxis (adrenaline IM, airway, oxygen, IV fluids, observation), acute asthma severity grading, chest pain triage (ACS vs other causes), stroke recognition (FAST) and the time-critical window, and the approach to syncope, seizure, hypoglycaemia and sepsis (the sepsis six).
293 words, about 1 min06Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
Mental health is a core family-practice competency: recognise, assess risk, treat mild–moderate illness, and refer appropriately . Understand the assessment of depression and anxiety (PHQ-9, GAD-7 as aids, not diagnoses), the stepped-care model, and the difference between grief, adjustment and major depression.
290 words, about 1 min07Community Medicine
Community medicine addresses health at population level : the determinants of health, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, screening programme principles, and the organisation of primary care. Understand incidence versus prevalence, sensitivity/specificity/positive predictive value, and the criteria for a worthwhile screening programme (Wilson–Jungner).
289 words, about 1 min08Preventive Care and Health Promotion
Preventive care is organised into primary (prevent disease), secondary (early detection) and tertiary (limit disability) prevention. Understand the evidence-based screening recommendations by age and sex (cervical, breast, colorectal, cardiovascular risk, diabetes), immunisation across the lifespan, and behavioural counselling (smoking cessation, alcohol, diet, physical activity).
288 words, about 1 min09Communication
Communication is a clinical skill assessed as a competency , not a soft extra. Understand consultation models (e.g.
308 words, about 2 min10Ethics, Professionalism and Patient Safety
Ethics and professionalism underpin safe practice. Understand the four principles (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice), informed consent (capacity, voluntariness, information), confidentiality and its limits, and the duty of candour after harm.
1,197 words, about 6 min