Psychiatrists facing the daunting prospect of taking Part II of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) certification examination in general psychiatry—the orals—will have an opportunity to gain some valuable preparation experience at APA’s annual meeting in May.

APA and McLean Hospital are cosponsoring a full-day review course for the Part II examination on May 13, which will closely follow the format of the oral examination. The review course, which will include lectures, written materials, and videotapes, will be divided into the following four parts: the patient interview, doing an effective presentation, DSM-IV differential diagnoses, and biopsychosocial treatments.

The course will be held at the Chicago Hilton from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Course faculty, many of whom will be from McLean and other parts of the Harvard psychiatry system, intend to provide course participants with handouts on diagnosis and treatment issues that will cover material not discussed in the lectures.

"The new course is a response to many member requests for a more extensive review course at the annual meeting" than the one that has been offered for several years, said James Thompson, M.D., APA deputy medical director and head of the Office of Education. (The shorter course will be offered again this year on Sunday, May 14.)

APA members who sign up for the new ABPN review course can take advantage of substantially reduced tuition. The course fee for members will be $25, while nonmembers will have to pay $225.