Psychiatry Workshop

Description

It’s a training program focused on psychiatry designed to help International Medical Graduates (IMGs) prepare for the AMC Clinical Examination (AMC2) — the clinical skills exam required for medical registration in Australia.

it helps IMGs think, speak, and manage patients the way the AMC expects in psychiatry stations.

What the workshop is generally about

1. Core psychiatry for AMC Clinical

• Common psychiatric presentations tested in AMC:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety disorders

  • Psychosis / schizophrenia

  • Bipolar disorder

  • Suicide & self-harm risk

  • Substance use disorders

• How these present in Australian clinical settings

2. Structured psychiatric history-taking

• How to take a focused psychiatric history within limited exam time

• Presenting complaint, biological/psychological/social factors

• Risk assessment (suicide, harm to others, neglect)

• Past psychiatric history, medications, substance use

3. Mental State Examination (MSE)

• Step-by-step approach to MSE

• How to describe findings clearly and safely

• Common AMC pitfalls in MSE wording and interpretation

• 4. Communication & rapport

  • How to:

    • Build rapport with distressed or guarded patients

    • Show empathy without over-talking

    • Handle emotional, suicidal, or angry patients

  • AMC-style communication marking expectations

  5. Risk assessment & safety

  • Suicide and self-harm risk assessment

  • Red flags the examiner expects you to identify

  • Immediate management and escalation

  • When and how to involve seniors or emergency services

  6. Management planning (AMC-style)

  • Non-pharmacological management first

  • Basic medication principles (high-level, not specialist depth)

  • Referral pathways in Australia (GP, psychiatrist, mental health teams)

  • Explaining plans clearly to patients

  7. Exam technique

  • How to structure answers verbally

  • Time management in psychiatry stations

  • What examiners are actually marking

  • Common reasons candidates fail psychiatry stations

  • Who benefits most

    • IMGs preparing for AMC Clinical

    • Candidates who struggle with:

      • Psychiatry stations

      • Communication

      • Risk assessment

      • Structuring answers under pressure