A guide to the psychiatric interview for the Part Two Oral Israeli Board Exams

An approach to the psychiatric interview section of the Part Two Israeli Board Exams is presented in this three-part article. Part One presents pre-exam preparation and theoretical background to the psychiatric interview based on a comprehensive literature review, Cole-Cohen's "Three Function Approach" and cognitive principles. Part Two is an in-depth analysis of the interview itself. Because psychiatric interviews are essentially uniform in their structure and function, a semi-structured approach is advocated. Part Three presents an approach to the differential diagnosis based on a DSM-IV multi-axial formulation. Management strategies are based on broad biopsychosocial principles and current standards of care. This article is aimed at both psychiatric residents preparing for their boards and psychiatric educators who teach interviewing courses.