Someone recently asked my why the same board exam differs in passing score percentage from one year to the next. Here is an explanation of the exciting topic of equalization.

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Beginning in 2008, the FDA began notifying clinicians of the potential of antiepileptic drugs to increase suicide risk and earlier in 2009 issued a public health advisory notifying the public of this increased risk. Also, the FDA is mandating that manufacturers of antiepileptic drugs change the labeling of their meds, adding this risk to the Warnings section of the drug insert.

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The concept of Informed Consent comes up on board exams in many specialties, including psychiatry and neurology ones.

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Today’s post is about an antidepressant augmenter that can lead to incredibly powerful responses and yet, that is NEVER used by a majority of psychiatrists. What drug am I referring to? It is T3 or triiodothyronine.

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Here is the second article in a series of on neuropsychological tests that assess frontal lobe function. The Stroop Color & Word Test is based on this simple but powerful realization.

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As psychiatrists, we often use the MMSE to screen for cognitive dysfunction. The problem with the MMSE is that it does not assess frontal lobe functions. To assess those function we must turn to other instruments. Today I explain the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. This information is pertinent for the Psychiatry Part 1 exam, the Geriatric Certifying and MOC exam, and to a lesser extent the CAP Part 1 and MOC exams.

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Did you know that diabetes mellitus increases risk for depression? Yes, it’s true. Read more on the bidirectional relationship between these two disorders. It’ll hold you in good stead on your board exam.

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Here is the second article in the series. I cover the cognitive disorders associated with HIV / AIDS. Let me repeat: this is a topic pertinent to any and every Psychiatry board exam. Let’s get going.

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I’ve received a ton of questions on study suggestions and resources. Here are my recommendations and links to some great free resources (including my Med Quik Guide).

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