Arab Board Psychiatry Clinical Exam study plan

Draft a structured interview template covering chief complaint, history of present illness, past psychiatric history, medical history, substance use, social and developmental history, and mental state examination

Practise delivering the mental state examination aloud in under 8 minutes, recording yourself and listing every omitted component

Write 5 worked formulations linking predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and protective factors to a differential diagnosis

Build a one-page glossary of phenomenology terms (e.g., thought broadcasting, passivity phenomena, confabulation) with a self-written example for each

Construct a decision tree that distinguishes schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, and delusional disorder using duration and functional-decline criteria

Compare first-rank symptoms against negative symptoms by writing 10 distinguishing clinical vignettes of your own

Outline the assessment and acute management sequence for a first-episode psychosis presentation

List the main differential diagnoses for psychosis (organic, substance-induced, mood-related, autoimmune) and state one discriminating feature for each

Map the diagnostic criteria for manic, hypomanic, and major depressive episodes side by side and identify the boundary features

Draft a management plan for acute mania and one for psychotic depression, including when to consider ECT

Practise suicide risk formulation on 5 written cases, documenting intent, plan, means, and protective factors

Summarise the evidence base for maintenance treatment in bipolar disorder in a short written comparison

Write assessment notes for one case each of panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, and social anxiety disorder, noting the key phenomenological discriminator

Design a graded exposure hierarchy for a written OCD case and justify each step

Take a structured substance-use history using a screening tool framework and document withdrawal risk for alcohol and benzodiazepines

Outline a brief motivational interviewing dialogue demonstrating at least three core techniques

Build a delirium workup checklist covering precipitants, investigations, and non-pharmacological first-line management

Differentiate delirium, dementia, and depression in a written comparison using cognitive, attentional, and course features

Create a drug table for the major antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood stabilisers listing key side effects, monitoring requirements, and interactions

Write management plans for lithium toxicity, serotonin syndrome, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, stating the immediate steps

Describe normal developmental milestones across motor, language, and social domains and identify red flags at each age band

Outline assessment of autism spectrum disorder and ADHD in children, including informant sources and rating scales

Compare CBT, psychodynamic, supportive, and family therapy by indication, structure, and typical duration

Write a session-by-session plan for a 12-session CBT course for a written case, specifying measurable targets

Construct a risk assessment framework covering self-harm, suicide, violence, and vulnerability, with documentation standards

Write a capacity assessment for a treatment-refusal scenario, applying the four functional abilities

Draft responses to 5 ethics scenarios covering confidentiality, boundary violations, and involuntary treatment

Rehearse a breaking-bad-news and a risk-disclosure conversation with a colleague and note feedback

Synthesise a full mock clinical examination under timed conditions, including interview, formulation, and management plan

Review all self-marked deliverables and list the 10 weakest areas with a corrective action for each

Recite the diagnostic criteria for the highest-yield disorders from memory and self-test against written criteria

Finalise a one-page rapid-recall sheet for emergency management and high-risk prescribing