Arab Board Internal Medicine Clinical Exam study plan

Map the cardiology syllabus into acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, arrhythmias, valvular disease, and pericardial disease, and rank them by exam yield

Build a one-page decision tree for chest pain triage that distinguishes STEMI, NSTEMI, unstable angina, aortic dissection, and pulmonary embolism

Recite guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction from memory, including agents, target doses, and when each is indicated

Work through 25 cardiology vignettes and write the single discriminating clue for each wrong option you rejected

Interpret 12-lead ECGs systematically using a fixed rate-rhythm-axis-interval-morphology sequence on at least 20 tracings

Explain indications, contraindications, and troubleshooting for defibrillation, synchronized cardioversion, and transcutaneous pacing

Apply the sepsis bundle and vasopressor selection logic to shock states, differentiating distributive, cardiogenic, hypovolemic, and obstructive shock

Practice structured verbal handover of a crashing patient using a recognized communication framework

Classify obstructive, restrictive, and vascular lung disease and match each to its expected spirometry and diffusion patterns

Construct a stepwise algorithm for acute dyspnea covering asthma, COPD exacerbation, heart failure, pneumonia, and PE

Differentiate the chronic liver disease complications of ascites, varices, encephalopathy, and hepatorenal syndrome and state first-line management for each

Distinguish upper and lower GI bleeding by presentation, initial resuscitation, and endoscopic timing

Interpret liver chemistry patterns to localize injury as hepatocellular, cholestatic, or mixed and list the top differential for each

Solve acid-base problems using a fixed sequence: pH, primary disorder, compensation check, anion gap, and delta-delta when indicated

Calculate and correct sodium, free water deficit, and potassium replacement in worked clinical scenarios

Match diuretic classes to their site of action and predict the electrolyte disturbance each causes

Sequence the diagnostic workup of a thyroid nodule and interpret thyroid function tests in the setting of nonthyroidal illness

Apply the diagnostic criteria for diabetes and outline a treatment escalation pathway for type 2 diabetes with comorbid cardiovascular or renal disease

Build a systematic anemia approach using reticulocyte index, red cell indices, and iron studies to reach a specific diagnosis in each case

Outline the diagnostic pathway for a patient with suspected venous thromboembolism and state anticoagulant selection with renal dosing considerations

Differentiate the common causes of fever in the returning traveler and immunocompromised host by exposure and time course

State empiric antimicrobial choices and key resistance considerations for common severe infections, including sepsis, meningitis, and endocarditis

Interpret a peripheral blood smear description and link it to the likely hematologic diagnosis

Apply a joint-by-joint approach to monoarthritis and polyarthritis, prioritizing septic arthritis exclusion in every case

Interpret ANA, anti-dsBNA, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP, and complement in context, and explain why ANA is a poor screening test in low-probability patients

Localize a neurologic lesion by history and exam findings alone, distinguishing central from peripheral and upper from lower motor neuron patterns

Build a stroke pathway covering time windows, thrombolysis and thrombectomy eligibility, and secondary prevention

Differentiate the headache red flags that mandate urgent imaging or lumbar puncture from those appropriate for outpatient management

Assess perioperative cardiac and pulmonary risk using a validated index, and decide when to order stress testing versus proceed to surgery

Reconcile medications perioperatively, specifying which agents to hold, continue, or bridge and why

Apply geriatric principles including falls assessment, delirium prevention, polypharmacy review, and capacity evaluation to clinical scenarios

Practice breaking bad news and conducting a goals-of-care discussion using a structured framework

Manage common emergency presentations including altered consciousness, poisoning, and anaphylaxis with a defined first-five-minutes sequence

Re-test the three highest-yield domains under timed conditions and score each domain separately to expose residual gaps

Rewrite the weakest summary sheet from memory and compare it against your original to identify decayed knowledge

Deliver structured spoken answers to 10 clinical vignettes within a 3-minute limit each, emphasizing reasoning over recall

Consolidate a single high-yield error log of recurring mistakes and commit to a spaced review schedule for the final week