Iran Specialty Board Psychiatry study guide
Iran Specialty Board Psychiatry · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Iran Specialty Board Examination in Psychiatry (بورد تخصصی روانپزشکی) is the national certifying assessment that physicians in Iran sit after completing psychiatry residency training. Passing it is what allows a psychiatrist to practise as a specialist and is normally required for hospital appointments, academic posts, and insurance or licensing arrangements. The Iran Specialty Board Psychiatry study guide has 12 sections and about 4,179 words.
01Basic sciences relevant to psychiatry: neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, psychopharmacology, genetics
This domain tests whether you can turn neurobiology into a clinical decision: which pathway explains a side effect, which receptor explains a switch, which gene justifies a monitoring rule. Four dopamine tracts: mesolimbic (positive symptoms), mesocortical (negative/cognitive symptoms, prefrontal D1 hypofunction), nigrostriatal (extrapyramidal symptoms), tuberoinfundibular (prolactin rise from loss of tonic D2 inhibition of lactotrophs).
330 words, about 2 min02Psychopathology, phenomenology, and psychiatric interviewing/diagnostic formulation
This domain tests the precision of your descriptive language. Examiners reward the candidate who can name a phenomenon accurately, distinguish it from its neighbours, and build a formulation from it.
316 words, about 2 min03Psychotic disorders and schizophrenia spectrum
The exam tests duration criteria, boundary cases between schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses, and evidence-based sequencing of treatment. DSM-5-TR schizophrenia: at least two of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behaviour, negative symptoms, with at least one from the first three; continuous disturbance for at least six months, including at least one month of active symptoms; functional decline; not due to substance or medical illness.
384 words, about 2 min04Mood disorders (depressive and bipolar spectrum)
Questions here turn on episode definition, specifiers, and the switch-risk logic that decides whether an antidepressant is allowed. Major depressive episode: five of nine symptoms for two weeks, including depressed mood or anhedonia, with functional change; exclude mania and hypomania before prescribing.
370 words, about 2 min05Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, trauma-related and stressor-related disorders
This domain tests duration thresholds, the panic-attack definition, and the sequencing of psychotherapy versus medication in OCD and PTSD. Panic attack: four of thirteen symptoms peaking within minutes; panic disorder requires recurrent unexpected attacks plus one month of anticipatory anxiety or maladaptive behaviour.
355 words, about 2 min06Substance use disorders and behavioral addictions
Exam items focus on counting DSM-5 criteria for severity, recognising withdrawal timelines, and choosing substitution therapy safely. DSM-5 substance use disorder has eleven criteria; 2-3 mild, 4-5 moderate, 6 or more severe.
321 words, about 2 min07Neurocognitive, neuropsychiatric and consultation-liaison psychiatry
This domain rewards a systematic approach to the confused inpatient and to psychiatric presentations of medical illness and medication effects. Delirium: acute onset, fluctuating course, inattention, disorganized thinking or altered consciousness.
343 words, about 2 min08Child and adolescent psychiatry
Items test developmental thresholds, cross-setting symptom requirements, and which medications are actually approved and safe in children. ADHD: at least six symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity for six months (five for older adolescents and adults), onset before age twelve, present in two or more settings.
358 words, about 2 min09Personality disorders, somatic symptom, dissociative and sexual disorders
This domain rewards pattern recognition across clusters and a precise distinction between symptom disorders, factitious disorder and malingering. Cluster A (odd): paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal.
355 words, about 2 min10Biological and somatic treatments (pharmacotherapy, ECT, TMS, other neuromodulation) and psychotherapy
Items combine practical prescribing rules with the indications and contraindications of ECT, TMS and the major psychotherapy models. Antipsychotics: high potency (haloperidol, fluphenazine) means more EPS and less sedation; low potency (chlorpromazine) means more anticholinergic and orthostatic effects.
364 words, about 2 min11Emergency psychiatry, suicide risk, aggression, and ethics/legal issues
The exam tests safe decision-making under time pressure and the ethical framework that justifies restriction of liberty. Suicide risk assessment: ask directly; prior attempt is the strongest single predictor.
342 words, about 2 min12Community psychiatry, epidemiology, prevention, and health system/administrative topics
This domain tests quantitative reasoning about tests and study designs, plus the service-delivery models that shape psychiatric care outside the hospital. Incidence counts new cases over time; prevalence counts existing cases.
341 words, about 2 min