Iran Specialty Board Psychiatry study plan

Draw from memory a labeled diagram of the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, mesocortical, and tuberoinfundibular dopamine pathways and state one clinical consequence of blockade in each

Map each major neurotransmitter system (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, glutamate, acetylcholine, histamine) to its receptor subtypes, second-messenger coupling, and the drug classes that act on it

Build a one-page receptor-affinity table for the 12 highest-yield psychotropics and predict each drug's side-effect profile directly from that table

Explain the pharmacokinetic principles (CYP450 isoforms, half-life, steady state, linear vs nonlinear kinetics, therapeutic drug monitoring thresholds) that govern dosing decisions for lithium, clozapine, and valproate

Solve 30 calculation-style and mechanism-based pharmacology items and write a two-line rationale for every wrong answer

Compare ECT, rTMS, tDCS, and ketamine/esketamine on indication, seizure or stimulation parameters, anesthetic considerations, cognitive adverse effects, and absolute contraindications in a structured table

Sequence the evidence-based pharmacologic steps for treatment-resistant depression and for acute mania, citing the trial logic behind each step

Describe the monitoring protocols for lithium, clozapine, and valproate, including which laboratory values trigger which clinical action

Differentiate the major psychotherapy modalities (CBT, psychodynamic, interpersonal, DBT, motivational interviewing, family-focused therapy) by target symptom, structure, and core mechanism

Distinguish serotonin syndrome, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and anticholinergic toxicity by onset, vital signs, neuromuscular findings, and first-line management

Perform and document a full psychiatric interview structure, from chief complaint through mental status examination, on two practice patients and self-score against a checklist

Define and give one clinical example of each phenomenological concept: delusion, hallucination, illusion, thought insertion, passivity phenomenon, depersonalization, and insight

Apply DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria to distinguish schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and delusional disorder using timeline logic

Explain the dopamine hypothesis, its revisions, and the glutamatergic and neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia with supporting evidence

Formulate a biopsychosocial case conceptualization for a first-episode psychosis vignette, including differential diagnosis and initial treatment plan

Apply DSM-5-TR criteria to separate major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bipolar I versus bipolar II disorder using duration and episode-count rules

Construct a full mood-episode timeline for a bipolar vignette and select the appropriate acute and maintenance regimen for each phase

Identify the neurobiology of mood disorders (monoamine, HPA axis, neuroplasticity, circadian, inflammatory hypotheses) and connect each to a treatment target

Administer and interpret a structured suicide risk assessment (ideation, intent, plan, means, protective factors, and documented formulation) on three practice vignettes

Outline the legal and ethical framework for involuntary admission, confidentiality exceptions, and capacity assessment, and apply it to two short scenarios

Differentiate the anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, trauma-related, and stressor-related disorders by core phenomenology, onset timing, and required duration

Design first-line pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic plans for OCD, PTSD, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder, stating dose ranges and expected time to response

Explain fear extinction, habituation, and cognitive restructuring as mechanisms underlying exposure-based treatments

Apply DSM-5-TR substance use disorder criteria and severity specifiers to alcohol, opioid, and stimulant vignettes

Describe withdrawal syndromes and their management, plus the maintenance pharmacotherapy options for alcohol, opioid, and tobacco use disorders

Distinguish behavioral addictions (gambling, gaming) from impulse-control disorders by diagnostic criteria

Classify the major and mild neurocognitive disorders by etiology and specify the diagnostic workup for a cognitive complaint, including which tests change management

Distinguish delirium from dementia and from depression by attention, course, and assessment tools, and outline non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic management of delirium

Describe the psychiatric presentation and management of common consultation-liaison scenarios: post-stroke depression, steroid-induced psychosis, cancer-related distress, and somatic symptom presentations in medical inpatients

Apply developmental-stage reasoning to child and adolescent assessment, including interviewing the parent-child dyad and using age-appropriate rating scales

Differentiate ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and pediatric bipolar disorder by onset, course, and cross-setting impairment

State the evidence base, dosing, and monitoring requirements for stimulants, SSRIs in pediatric patients, and antipsychotics in youth, including the FDA black-box warning on suicidality

Differentiate the personality disorder clusters and the specific disorders within each by characteristic defense style, interpersonal pattern, and stability of self-image

Apply a structured approach to assessing personality pathology in the context of an acute axis I presentation, including when to defer diagnosis

Distinguish somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, conversion disorder, and factitious disorder by intentionality and symptom production

Compare dissociative identity disorder, dissociative amnesia, and depersonalization/derealization disorder by phenomenology and differential

Outline the assessment and management of the agitated or violent patient, including de-escalation, restraint standards, and rapid tranquilization choices

Explain the ethical principles and legal standards governing informed consent, competence, and involuntary treatment in psychiatric emergencies

Interpret incidence, prevalence, relative risk, and number needed to treat from psychiatric epidemiology studies and apply them to screening decisions

Describe the design and limitations of major community psychiatry models (assertive community treatment, case management, early intervention services) and the evidence for each

Explain primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in psychiatry with one concrete example of each

Compare health-system structures for mental health delivery, including financing models, workforce distribution, and stigma-reduction strategies

Complete two timed full-length mock examinations under exam conditions and analyze errors by domain to identify residual weak areas