Why take the PLAB exam at all?
Moving to a different country and practising one of the most complex professions in the world, in a system that you are not familiar with, is not an easy task.
Apart from that, it is expensive and time-consuming; passing the language requirement exam (IELTS or OET), passing PLAB 1 and passing PLAB 2 will cost a small fortune and 6 months to 1 year of your life. But in the end, you will be able to practise in the UK and continue your training in the leading hospitals in the world. You can attend clinical research projects and even start your own practice as a GMC registered doctor. The benefits and opportunities will be endless.
What is PLAB 2 and What does it cover?
PLAB 2 is an OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) exam.
All of the stations are very common clinical or ethical scenarios where you need to interact with the patients, relatives or colleagues. You will have to pass through 15 stations, each lasting 8 minutes. You will also have 90 seconds to read through before entering the room.
The common mistake that PLAB 2 candidates make is thinking about this exam as regurgitating facts to the patient or relatives. It is far from it. It is about how good and active a listener you are, how you involve your patient in his or her care, how you de-escalate a heated conversation with an angry relative or a patient and how safe a junior doctor you are.
Even though the PLAB-2 covers the vast curriculum of the Foundation Year Programme, by applying certain principles, you can pass the exam without revising all medical school, again. (Please see the PLAB blueprint – https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/plab/plab-test-blueprint )
The PLAB blueprint sets out the scope and content of the test including the topics, skills, and procedures that a doctor who passes the test would need to be able to demonstrate.
You will be marked against three domains for each scenario;
- Data gathering, technical and assessment skills: History taking, physical examination, practical procedures, investigations leading to a diagnosis
- Clinical management skills: Formulating a diagnosis, explaining something to the patient, formulating a management plan
- Interpersonal skills: How you approach the station: whether you establish a rapport with the patient, how you use open and closed questioning, involving the patient and demonstrating your professionalism and understanding of ethical principles
None of the scenarios will cover complex medical conditions. In the UK, an FY2 doctor is one of the most junior doctors working in medical wards, surgical wards, A&E or basic GP. There is always someone else more senior to them who can help in case of need. Fy2 doctors are expected to initiate management of acute conditions and escalate appropriately to their seniors, diagnose and manage common illnesses and not to miss important life-threatening conditions.
Top Tips to Pass PLAB 2
Tip 1: PLAB 2 is not an easy exam, it shouldn’t be underestimated. However, many IMGs can pass this exam after 6-8 weeks of intense preparation. After watching the videos on our website, you should practise as many scenarios as possible with the study partners either via zoom or face-to-face.
Even though pass rates are higher compared to other international medical exams, still ⅓ of candidates fail. PLAB 2 pass rates statistics: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/plab/recent-pass-rates-for-plab-1-and-plab-2#PLAB1
Tip 2:Communication skills have paramount importance for PLAB 2, you need to observe as many gold standard consultations as possible and mould them into your practice with your own words.
IMGs frequently struggle with verbal communication in English in the PLAB 2 exam. Many IMGs fall back on memorising scripts and repeating stock phrases learned from books or academies.
Unfortunately for the candidates, these phrases sound unnatural and insincere, and the responses do not always correspond to what the patient has actually said. Examiners can tell when you are not truly interacting with the patient and will mark you down for it.
For avoiding this pitfall, listen to as many different consultations as possible and broaden the phrases you can use.
Tip 3: Take the exam as soon as possible but avoid predictable major life events if possible
Getting married
Childbirth
In the 6-8 weeks that you will be studying for the PLAB2 exam, you will need to be completely focused on revising and practising.
Tip 4:Find study partners whose exam dates are closer to yours, so that you both can be motivated. Do not try to revise from a book. Many candidates mistakenly believe that if they review a PLAB2 book two or three times, they will be able to pass, just as they did PLAB 1. This is very wrong.
PLAB 2 assesses a different type of knowledge. Although some basic factual knowledge is required, PLAB 2 is not intended to test your medical knowledge. If you passed PLAB 1, you already have 80-100 percent of the knowledge you need. PLAB 2 assesses all of the qualities of a good doctor that cannot be answered by a Google search or a book. As an example:
The ability to elicit, interpret, and contextualise clinical signs; Empathy; Demonstrating Good judgement in ethically challenging situations;
The ability to think broadly;
- Confidence. Good communications skills
- Knowing your limitations
Tip 5: Be yourself, it is easy to create a fake persona when we are being watched and marked, but this will cause us to be perceived as ingenuine and robotic. So try your best to bring your authentic self. Do not try to regurgitate long pre-rehearsed phrases as it will sound very unnatural. Think of the PLAB 2 exam as if it is just another day in the clinic. It will make you calmer and help you build a rapport with the patients more easily.