Clinical Study Guide for the Oral Boards in Psychiatry » (Third Edition)

Nathan R. Strahl, M.D., Ph.D., is a Consulting Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavorial Sciences at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina.

The Clinical Study Guide for the Oral Boards in Psychiatry, Third Edition, is exactly what every candidate needs to ease pre-exam anxiety and ensure success on this crucial examination.

The third edition of this unique and proven reference incorporates the updated diagnoses reflected in DSM-IV-TR, presenting pertinent clinical information regarding the assessment and treatment of patients you're most likely to encounter during the oral boards in psychiatry—all in a concise study guide that offers practical guidance on how to succeed on this rigorous examination.

But you won't pass this exam on knowledge alone, as this author explains. You'll also need to demonstrate insight, included in the following four key success factors, by

• Understanding that the exam measures their clinical, not theoretical, knowledge of psychiatry.
• Preparing thoroughly (e.g., if you mention a specific medication, be ready to discuss its indications, dosage range, and therapeutic and side effects).
• Showing empathy for the patient by taking a few moments to establish rapport and using reassuring statements that show care and compassion.
• Being open and direct in a manner that fosters a collegial—not an inadvertently adversarial—relationship with the examiners.

The author thoughtfully includes algorithms for “middle-of-the-road” treatment protocols—especially useful if you have only limited experience with a particular patient group.

By combining its distinct advantage over lengthier psychiatry textbooks and references with both the knowledge and the insight so essential to success on this crucial exam, this compact volume proves once again that it is, quite simply, the definitive study guide for all oral board examination candidates.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Judy Blair, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This study guide for the oral boards in psychiatry provides a review of the clinical information involved in the assessment and treatment of the major psychiatric disorders, based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. The previous edition was published in May 2005.
Purpose:As a review, the aim is to provide useful clinical information on the assessment and treatment of the types of patients most likely to present during the exam.
Audience:The intended readers are candidates preparing for the oral boards in psychiatry, typically psychiatrists currently in practice. The author asserts that the study guide also should serve as a useful review for clinicians preparing for the psychiatry recertification exam, which is currently required every 10 years. The author is a consulting psychiatrist at a major academic center who recently took (and passed) his recertification exam.
Features:The nine chapters cover schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-related disorders, personality disorders, cognitive disorders, violent behavior, eating disorders, and miscellaneous topics. The chapters dealing with the major psychiatric disorders are divided into sections, including DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, clinical issues, etiology, prognosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment. Information is presented in an organized, bulleted format, with easy-to-read tables interspersed throughout the text. Each psychiatric disorder is covered in exhaustive detail (this is especially true in the sections on schizophrenia and the mood disorders). In addition, the author provides advice on preparing for the exam, skills needed during the exam (e.g., building rapport with the patient), and emphasizes the importance of being able to come up with a comprehensive differential diagnosis.
Assessment:The author has compiled an excellent review of the major psychiatric disorders, based on DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, with an emphasis on the information and skills needed to pass the boards. Given the influx of new treatments and information relating to the practice of psychiatry, the new edition is certainly justified. This review is highly recommended for candidates studying for the oral boards in psychiatry and for psychiatrists studying for their recertification exam.

1 Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders 1

2 Mood Disorders 101

3 Anxiety Disorders 213

4 Substance-Related Disorders 257

5 Personality Disorders 315

6 Cognitive Disorders 353

7 Violent Behavior 375

8 Eating Disorders 387

9 Miscellaneous Topics 401

Index 449

List of Figures

List of Tables