Arab Board Pediatrics Clinical Exam study guide
Arab Board Pediatrics Clinical Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Arab Board Clinical Examination in Pediatrics is the clinical stage of the Arab Board of Health Specializations' pediatrics certification, taken by physicians who have completed accredited pediatric residency training and passed the written component. It assesses whether a candidate can practise independently: taking a focused history, examining a child, forming a differential, ordering investigations sensibly, and communicating with families and colleagues. The Arab Board Pediatrics Clinical Exam study guide has 12 sections and about 3,398 words.
01General Pediatrics and Growth & Development
Growth is the most sensitive index of child health. Know the mechanics of plotting and interpreting weight, length/height, head circumference, and BMI on standard charts, and the difference between a cross-sectional single point and a longitudinal velocity.
351 words, about 2 min02Neonatology and Perinatal Medicine
Master the transition at birth : lung fluid clearance, surfactant, and the first breath; understand why delayed cord clamping and thermal care matter. Know the Apgar score is a tool for resuscitation response, not a predictor of outcome, and that NRP-style airway/breathing/circulation steps follow a defined sequence.
313 words, about 2 min03Pediatric Cardiology
Separate cyanotic from acyanotic congenital heart disease and understand the physiology of each. Know the classic lesions: ventricular septal defect (harsh pansystolic murmur), atrial septal defect (fixed split S2), patent ductus arteriosus (continuous machinery murmur), tetralogy of Fallot (cyanosis, squatting, boot-shaped heart, diminished pulmonary flow), transposition of the great arteries (cyanosis with inadequate mixing, duct-dependent), and coarctation (differential blood pressures, weak femoral pulses).
317 words, about 2 min04Pediatric Respiratory and Allergy
Understand the pattern recognition approach to pediatric respiratory disease: upper vs lower, acute vs chronic, and obstructive vs restrictive. Know asthma pathophysiology (chronic airway inflammation, reversible obstruction), diagnosis in children (clinical, spirometry with bronchodilator response, FeNO), and stepwise management with inhaled corticosteroids as controller therapy.
281 words, about 1 min05Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Know the approach to vomiting (reflux vs pyloric stenosis vs malrotation/volvulus vs raised intracranial pressure), diarrhea (acute infectious vs chronic malabsorptive), and constipation (functional vs Hirschsprung). Recognize pyloric stenosis (projectile nonbilious vomiting, palpable olive, hypochloremic hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis) and malrotation with volvulus (bilious vomiting - surgical emergency).
290 words, about 1 min06Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
Understand growth hormone physiology and the workup of short stature (bone age, IGF-1, provocative testing). Know thyroid disorders: congenital hypothyroidism (screening, jaundice, constipation, hypotonia) and acquired hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism.
278 words, about 1 min07Pediatric Nephrology and Urology
Understand fluid and electrolyte physiology and the approach to dehydration (assess severity, use isotonic fluids for resuscitation). Know urinary tract infection diagnosis (urine culture before antibiotics, age-dependent presentation) and imaging indications.
266 words, about 1 min08Pediatric Neurology
Master the neurologic examination by age and the approach to seizures : febrile seizures (simple vs complex), epilepsy syndromes, and status epilepticus management (benzodiazepine first, then second-line). Understand headache red flags (morning vomiting, focal signs, papilledema) and when to image.
254 words, about 1 min09Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology
Understand fever evaluation by age: neonates with fever require full sepsis workup and empiric antibiotics; older children can be stratified by appearance and source. Know common infections: otitis media , pharyngitis (group A Streptococcus, when to treat), pneumonia (viral vs bacterial), meningitis (age-specific organisms), and urinary tract infection .
258 words, about 1 min10Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Understand anemia classification by MCV (microcytic, normocytic, macrocytic) and the workup of iron deficiency (most common cause; low ferritin, low MCV, elevated RDW). Know hemoglobinopathies : sickle cell disease (vaso-occlusive crisis, acute chest syndrome, splenic sequestration, stroke) and thalassemia (microcytic, target cells, elevated HbF/HbA2 patterns).
273 words, about 1 min11Pediatric Emergency, Critical Care and Toxicology
Master the ABCDE approach and pediatric assessment triangle (appearance, work of breathing, circulation). Know shock recognition and management (fluid boluses, reassessment, vasopressors when indicated) and the difference between compensated and decompensated shock.
248 words, about 1 min12Community Pediatrics, Preventive Care and Ethics/Professionalism
Understand well-child care : growth monitoring, developmental surveillance, immunization schedules, and screening (vision, hearing, anemia, lead, tuberculosis). Know nutrition guidance (breastfeeding, complementary feeding, iron and vitamin D supplementation, obesity prevention).
269 words, about 1 min