Pearls and Prep

By NP Z

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Episodes: 94

Description

******* There are two kinds of clinicians—the ones who follow algorithms, and the ones who understand the “why.” Be the second on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/PearlsandPrep Pearls and Prep: Psychiatric Case Studies is the go-to podcast for psychiatric nurse practitioner students, psych residents, clinicians, and anyone fascinated by the human mind. Whether you’re prepping for boards, sharpening your diagnostic skills, or just curious about what psychiatry looks like behind the scenes, this show delivers clinical gold in every episode. 🎯 What You’ll Learn: Each episode walks you through real-world psychiatric case studies — from initial chart review to final treatment plan — using a structured, digestible, and evidence-based approach. You'll get: 🩺 Psychiatric differential diagnosis deep-dives 💊 Psychopharmacology breakdowns with receptor targets, MOA, half-lives, and pearls for side effect management 📖 DSM-5-TR criteria reviews, clearly explained and clinically applied ⚖️ Rule-outs and red flags, with rationale 🧠 Cognitive frameworks for organizing your clinical thinking 📚 Citations and recent research from PubMed and clinical trials 😄 Engaging, story-based cases with humor, humility, and real-life complexity Each case is crafted to model what clinical decision-making looks like in the real world: nuanced, flexible, and guided by both science and soul. You’ll hear about everything from bipolar depression and PTSD to OCD, ADHD, panic disorder, substance use, and treatment-resistant depression — all through the lens of compassionate, competent care. 🧠 Why This Podcast? There are lots of psych podcasts, but Pearls and Prep is different. It’s not just lectures or interviews — it’s clinical rehearsal meets storytelling. Each episode is a teaching round in audio form, designed to help you think like a psych NP or psychiatrist. The cases are quirky, realistic, and designed to leave you with: 💡 High-yield memory hooks 📊 Clinical decision-making tools 📌 Ready-to-use documentation phrases 🧾 Smart screening questions 🧪 Lab interpretation tips for psychiatry ⚕️ First-line treatment recommendations based on guidelines and nuance Perfect for students prepping for ANCC or AANP boards, for seasoned clinicians wanting to refresh their diagnostic edge, or for preceptors looking to sharpen their teaching game. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Episode Date
Kratom Uncovered: 5 Game-Changing Pearls for Your Practice
Jun 19, 2026
Memorizing ADHD Inattentive Type Criteria Through a Cookie Baking Story
Jun 16, 2026
The DSM Sleep Disorders: One Episode to Make Sense Them All.
Jun 15, 2026
5 Things You Probably Get Wrong About Adjustment Disorder
Jun 14, 2026
Paxil Withdrawal or Depression Relapse? The Difference Changes Everything
Jun 12, 2026
The Borderline Personality Disorder Insight I Wish Someone Had Taught Me Earlier
Jun 11, 2026
Cannabis Psychosis or Schizophrenia? What Do You Do When You Can't Tell?
Jun 10, 2026
Would You Get This Right? Illness Anxiety vs Somatic vs Factitious vs Malingering
Jun 09, 2026
ADHD or Anxiety? The One Question That Changes Everything
Jun 08, 2026
4 Ways Personality Disorders Can Disrupt Even the Best Treatment Plans. And what we Can Do About It.
Jun 07, 2026
What If Your Most Stable Patient Is Developing Your Biggest Blind Spot?
Jun 06, 2026
Tardive Dyskinesia Risk Factors: One of These Should Jump Off the Page
Jun 05, 2026
The Benzo Boarding Pass: The Pharmacokinetics of Fear at 35,000 Feet
Jun 04, 2026
Ninjas at Costco: OCD, PTSD, GAD, or Emerging Psychosis?
Jun 03, 2026
6 Pearls You May Have Not Known about Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features
Jun 02, 2026
If We Don't Understand Autoreceptors, We Don't Understand Psychopharmacology
Jun 01, 2026
How We Can Understand Psychopharmacology Through Topamax and McDonald’s 🍔🧠
May 31, 2026
The Missing Lab That Looks Like Half the DSM: Why 1 in 3 Women May Be Misdiagnosed
May 30, 2026
Hydroxyzine Explained: The Most Misunderstood Anxiety Medication? Itchy, Edgy… & Its Two Hidden Superpowers
May 29, 2026
Auvelity May Change How You Think About Depression: NMDA, Sigma-1, Dopamine & Clinical Pearls
May 28, 2026
This Mood Stabilizer Problem Can Mimic a Whole New Disorder
May 27, 2026
Exploring the Nuances of Depression: Specifiers and Their Implications
May 26, 2026
Why Luvox Hits Different: Sigma Receptors, OCD, and the Anxious Brain
May 25, 2026
How to Choose the RIGHT Neurotransmitter Target
May 24, 2026
Jane’s Mold Meltdown: OCD or Delusional Disorder?
May 23, 2026
Don’t Panic During the Cross-Taper: 4 Antipsychotic Switching Pearls
May 22, 2026
🧠💣 BOARD BOMBS: The OCD Gold Standard Almost Nobody Actually Gets — And It Delays Treatment for YEARS.
May 21, 2026
These TWO Details Separate OCD from GAD Almost Every Time
May 20, 2026
MDD with Mixed Features: What Do You Reach for When SSRIs Stop Making Sense?
May 19, 2026
Have We Been Treating Only Half of Schizophrenia? Vraylar, D3 Dopamine, and the Symptoms That Quietly Ruin Functioning
May 18, 2026
Board Bombs: The KEY Schizophrenia Symptoms Most Students Underestimate
May 17, 2026
Borderline Personality Disorder and Persistent Depression Can Look IDENTICAL. Until You Ask the Right Questions.
May 16, 2026
Trazodone Isn’t Just a Sleep Med… So What Is It Really?
May 15, 2026
Gabapentin: The Duct Tape of Psychiatry
May 14, 2026
The Most Common Anxiety Disorder May Never Walk Into Your Clinic — But We Still Need to Recognize It
May 13, 2026
The Most Dangerous Window in Psychiatry. Can you guess what it is?
May 12, 2026
Inside the Ring 🥊: Lamictal vs. Seroquel — A Deep-Dive into 2 of The Bipolar Depression Heavyweights.
May 11, 2026
1 in 7 of Your Patients Will Experience This Hidden Dental Disaster! And 80% have No Clue!
May 10, 2026
Board Bomb Bonus Episode: This One Wrong Medication Choice Can Blow Up Your Treatment Plan
May 09, 2026
Board Bomb 💣: Would You Miss This Depakote Red Flag?
May 08, 2026
Board Bomb Bonus Episode: This Long Acting Injectable (LAI) Question Trips Up Clinicians All the Time
May 07, 2026
Board Bomb: This Urine Drug Screen Changes Everything—Now What?
May 06, 2026
Catch the Curveball: Can you spot the problem in this mock medication regimen?
May 05, 2026
PEARL DROP: With SGAs, How Often Is Metformin Actually Used?
May 04, 2026
Psychiatric Board Bomb: Can You Nail this Diagnosis? It is Trickier Than You Think!
May 01, 2026
Five Essential Medications for Managing Acute Bipolar Depression - And how to Think of Them
Apr 28, 2026
This Psychiatric Medication Is Involved in More Emergency Room Visits Than Any Other— And more on: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Elimination.
Apr 27, 2026
BONUS EPISODE: This untreated issue can DOUBLE your patient’s risk of depression
Apr 26, 2026
BONUS EPISODE: Bouncers, Crowds, and Chaos: Affinity, Occupancy, and Intrinsic Activity Explained
Apr 22, 2026
Understanding Intrinsic Activity: The Key to Effective Medication Prescribing
Apr 21, 2026
Bonus Episode: Brief, High-Yield Psych Case. A Board Question You Can’t Miss.
Apr 19, 2026
The HOW and WHY of Remeron: Who It’s Perfect For (and Who It’s Not)
Apr 14, 2026
Trazodone: Receptors, Sleep and Choosing Medications Wisely.
Apr 07, 2026
Easter Egg Hunt: Find the 4 Clinical Errors in This Case
Apr 06, 2026
Understanding Receptor Occupancy: A Key Concept for Clinicians
Mar 31, 2026
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED: Can You Spot the 4 Errors in This Psychiatric Case Study? See if your peers and colleagues can too!
Mar 24, 2026
Board Bombs: Can you get these 3, high-yield board-style questions right today?
Mar 20, 2026
After the Antidepressant Works: The Clinical Decision That Prevents Relapse
Mar 17, 2026
Exploring Drug Affinity: A Key to Effective Prescribing
Mar 10, 2026
Modafinil versus Armodafinil: This Subtle Difference Makes a BIG Impact
Mar 03, 2026
Understanding the Mechanisms of Weight Gain in Psychiatric Patients
Feb 24, 2026
Six Shocking Mental Health Pearls That Will Transform Your Clinical Practice
Feb 17, 2026
Bonus Episode: Can You Answer These 3 Second Generation Antipsychotic Questions?
Feb 13, 2026
The Nuances of Treating ADHD in Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Feb 10, 2026
Serotonin Syndrome: High-Yield Pearls Every Clinician Should Know
Feb 03, 2026
Optimizing Antidepressant Therapy: To Increase, Switch or Augment?
Jan 27, 2026
Bonus Episode: One Detail That Can Derail Your Diagnosis
Jan 25, 2026
4 High-Yield Cannabis Pearls Every Mental Health Provider Should Know
Jan 20, 2026
Exploring Remeron: Eight Things Every Practitioner Should Know
Jan 13, 2026
Vitamin D & Mental Health: Pearls Every Clinician Should Know
Jan 06, 2026
In the Ring: Lexapro vs. Prozac - A Comprehensive Analysis
Dec 30, 2025
PEARL OF THE WEEK: A DSM Diagnosis That Can Reduce Life Expectancy by an Average of 7 Years
Dec 23, 2025
Stocking Stuffer Bonus: High-Yield Pearls on Bipolar Activation, SSRIs, and Mood Stabilizers
Dec 22, 2025
T-Tests and Tummy Aches: How to Read a Research Study Like a Pro
Dec 16, 2025
Pearl of the Week: What Is the Only Transdermal Antidepressant?
Dec 09, 2025
Navigating Acute Dystonias: Clinical Insights and Management
Dec 02, 2025
Pearl of the Week: The Bipolar Blind Spot
Nov 25, 2025
Bonus Episode: Board Bombs: 3 High-Yield Psychiatric Questions to Prepare You for Your Board Exam
Nov 21, 2025
Exploring the Diagnostic Challenges in Anxiety: Jean Luc's Journey
Nov 18, 2025
PEARL OF THE WEEK: What is the only DSM diagnosis that requires a rating of symptoms?
Nov 11, 2025
Exploring Mixed Features in Major Depressive Disorder: The Case of Gus
Nov 04, 2025
Board Bombs - 3 Critical Questions to Prepare you For Boards and Empower your Practice
Oct 28, 2025
Exploring the Nuances of ADHD vs. Bipolar Disorder in Outpatient Care
Oct 21, 2025
Board Bombs: 3 Great Practice Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Board Prep Questions
Oct 14, 2025
From Volcanoes to Nightmares: A Deep Dive on Prazosin
Oct 07, 2025
The Intricacies of Diagnosing Anxiety Disorders
Sep 23, 2025
Off the PHARM: Abilify Decoded: Insights into Its Unique Approach in Antipsychotic Therapy
Sep 18, 2025
A Deep Dive into Second Generation Antipsychotic (SGA) Augmentation for Incomplete Response in Major Depression
Sep 09, 2025
🔍 Diagnosing Performance Anxiety: Key Considerations for Psych NP Students
Aug 26, 2025
The Dance Between Dependence, Depression, and Dopamine: A Case Study of Beanbag Benny
Aug 26, 2025
Exploring the Nuances of Bipolar I: Insights from a Mock Patient
Aug 26, 2025
Elevate Your Psychiatry Knowledge with Pearls and Prep
Aug 12, 2025
Demystifying Major Depressive Disorder with Mixed Features
Jan 14, 2025
Vitamin D in Psychiatric Practice: Evidence-Based Pearls That Matter
Jan 07, 2025