AMC 2 Psychiatry station practice

Example Psychiatry stations in Vivora

• Low mood and not coping

  You are a GP. David Nguyen, 35, was booked in by his partner, who says he "hasn't been himself" for a couple of months. He looks flat and tired.

• Low and not coping after a new baby

  You are a GP. Emily Hughes, 30, comes in six weeks after the birth of her first baby. She says she has been feeling low and tearful and is not coping. Assess her and discuss management.

• Drinking more than he should

  You are a GP. Greg Marsh, 48, has booked in saying his wife is "on at him" about his drinking. He looks tired and a little embarrassed.

• Episodes of panic

  You are a GP. Jess Lambert, 27, presents with recurrent episodes of a racing heart, breathlessness and a feeling of dread.

What examiners focus on in Psychiatry stations

• A structured mental state assessment woven naturally into conversation
• Direct, specific risk questions about suicidal ideation, plan and intent
• Warm, unhurried rapport-building language rather than a checklist tone
• Considering capacity, consent and a basic safety plan before finishing

Common mistakes IMGs make in Psychiatry stations

• Hesitating to ask direct risk questions out of politeness
• An overly clinical or detached tone with a distressed patient
• Skipping collateral history or a safety-netting plan at the end

Why practise Psychiatry out loud

Reading about a psychiatry presentation is not the same as running the station: taking a focused history, asking the examiner for findings, and giving a diagnosis and plan out loud, under time pressure. Vivora builds that fluency directly, so the real exam feels familiar rather than the first time you've said any of it aloud.