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About this exam

The Egyptian Board in Family Medicine is the national specialty qualification for physicians who intend to practise comprehensive, continuing, community-based primary care in Egypt. It is aimed at graduates who have completed internship and are training in family medicine, and at practising primary care physicians who want a recognised specialist credential. Assessment is not a single written paper: candidates should expect a multiple-choice component testing clinical knowledge across the whole curriculum, written or essay questions requiring structured clinical reasoning, an objective structured clinical examination with stations covering consultation skills, procedures and communication, and an oral examination in which examiners probe judgement, ethics and safety. Content is broad - internal medicine, paediatrics, women's health, surgery and emergency care, psychiatry, community medicine and epidemiology, preventive care, geriatrics, dermatology, ethics and practice quality - with the emphasis always on the undifferentiated patient in front of you rather than on subspecialty depth. Preparation works best as a planned cycle: map the curriculum domains against your own weak areas, read a current family medicine textbook alongside national guidelines for common conditions, practise consulting aloud with a colleague for the OSCE, and rehearse concise, evidence-referenced answers for the oral. The official body publishes current examination dates, fees, number of sittings and pass standards; confirm all administrative details directly with them, as this page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with the Board.

What you'll study

Common questions

About Egyptian Board Family Medicine preparation

What does the Egyptian Board in Family Medicine actually consist of?

Expect several components rather than one paper: a multiple-choice knowledge test, written or essay questions, an OSCE with clinical and communication stations, and an oral examination. The exact structure, number of stations and weighting are set by the official examining body, so check its current regulations before you plan revision.

How long are the exams and how many questions are there?

The official body publishes the current duration and question counts for each component, and these are revised periodically. Do not rely on figures from older candidates. Download the latest examination regulations or contact the Board directly, then build a timed practice schedule around the published format.

How much does it cost and what is the passing score?

Fees, passing standards and any component-specific minimum marks are set and published by the official body, and they change. This independent page does not quote them. Check the Board's website or its registration office for the current fee schedule, payment deadlines and the pass criteria in force for your sitting.

How difficult is it, and what trips candidates up most?

The knowledge paper is usually the easiest hurdle; the OSCE and oral are where candidates lose marks. Common failure modes are freezing in a station, skipping examination steps, poor counselling structure, ignoring red flags, and answering oral questions with textbook lists instead of a reasoned plan for this patient. Practise aloud under time pressure.

Can I retake a failed component, and how many attempts are allowed?

Retake rules, the number of permitted attempts and any requirement to repeat the whole examination vary and are governed by the Board's regulations. Ask the Board in writing before you sit, and keep copies of correspondence. Plan your first attempt as if it is the only one, so a retake never becomes your strategy.

In what order should I study the domains?

Start with the highest-weight domains - internal medicine, family medicine principles, paediatrics and women's health - because they also feed the OSCE stations. Then add surgery and emergency care, psychiatry, and community medicine with biostatistics. Leave ethics, quality and practice management for a short, focused block near the end, since they are small but easy marks.

How should I prepare for the OSCE specifically?

Rehearse complete consultations with a colleague acting as patient, timed to the station length. Cover history, focused examination, explanation, safety netting and closure. Practise procedures you may be asked to demonstrate, and drill communication stations such as breaking bad news, addressing non-adherence and counselling on lifestyle change.

Which resources are worth my time?

A current comprehensive family medicine textbook, national guidelines for common conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma, and your own clinic records of real cases. For community medicine, revise study design, measures of association, screening test properties and basic tests of significance. Avoid question banks built for other countries' exams; the epidemiology and service context differ.

Is this page official, and where do I register?

No. This is an independent study resource with no affiliation to the Egyptian Board or any examining authority. Registration, eligibility, document requirements, dates and results all go through the official body. Always confirm administrative and clinical details against its current publications before acting on anything you read here.