Plab 2: Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board 2

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PLAB 2

Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board 2


PLAB 2 is an “objective structured clinical examination” (OSCE) format run by the GMC. There
are 18 stations for the exam each lasting 9 minutes and 30 seconds—1 minute 30 seconds to
see the case, 8 minutes for the encounter. There are 2 rest stations for a total of 20 stations.
Exams are twice a day from Monday to Thursday, so only 40 students will be able to take the
exam per day. The exam is only held in Manchester at the GMC office at 3 Hardman St, M3
3AW. In general the exam is testing your ability to communicate with your patients in English.
Fluent speakers will have an easier time with the exam.

Book your PLAB 2 exam as soon as you get your results for PLAB 1; slots tend to get full
very quickly. Almost no available dates 1 day after the results of PLAB 1 are released. Ideally,
the total time from start of review class to your PLAB 2 exam is 6 weeks.

Training applications are due every year in Nov (British citizens) and March (others). Ideally,
prior to this date it would be good to have 3 months working experience. So to catch the 2019
applications PLAB 2 should be done by August at the latest to give enough time for results, job
hunting, VISA processing, and moving.

I took Hamed / Common Stations for my review center. Hamed review for PLAB 2 is
approximately 15 days of basic stations + 3 rest days + 3 days additional stations for a total of
21 days / 3 weeks. Since GMC is adding new stations constantly, this may increase.

Hamed starting dates: April 8, May 1, May 24, June 16 (See link below for updates). I
recommend 3 weeks of self study. This may be more or less depending on your own level of
confidence.

PLAB 2 Sample Schedule:

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Review starts

Self study Review ends

Self study Mock 1

Self study Mock 2

Train to Exam date /


Self study
Manchester Train to London

PLAB Step 2 (42 Days) Cost Notes


UK Visa: Standard Visitor Visa ₱ 0.00
(Ideally, 6 month multiple entry
still valid)
Flight ₱ 51,000.00 Cathay Pacific
PLAB Step 2 ₱ 60,900.00 http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/
information_for_doctors/gmc_online.asp

C. Uy | July 2018
PLAB 2

PLAB Step 2 (42 Days) Cost Notes


Lodging (AirBNB) ₱ 115,500.00 ~33 GBP per day / 1650 GBP
Hamed Common Stations ₱ 42,000.00 http://commonstations.co.uk/common-
(Review Center; paid as HSBC stations-course/

bank transfer GBP600)


2 days allowance
Address: 18 days review
Radial House, 3rd Floor
22 days self-study / practice
3-5 Ripple Road,
= 42 days total
Barking, London

IG11 7NF
Train to Manchester ₱ 3,053.00 https://www.virgintrains.co.uk
Lodging (Manchester) ₱ 5,000.00
Food / Living expenses ₱ 59,640.00 20 GBP per day / 840 GBP
Transport ₱ 14,910.00 5 GBP per day / 210 GBP
TOTAL PHP ₱ 352,003.00 £4,957.79
TOTAL Cash ₱ 74,550.00 £1,050.00
PHP to GBP 71

Check List:
Item Note

UK VISA If applicable

Flight Ideally 1 - 2 days before review starts

AirBNB / Hotel / etc Ideally near Barking; cheaper if in groups

Hamed Review booking Review slots limited; email ahead of time


and pay via HSBC bank transfer ~600 GBP

Train tickets Virgin trains; cheaper if booked ahead

Hotel in Manchester (1 night) Ideally near 3 Hardman St.

Materials:
Item Quantity Note

Binder 1 I used 2 ring binders; Hamed


provides a small one for exam
stations

Notebook / Writing stuff 1

Physical Exam Materials

Gauze 3 For pretending to sterilize area

IV cannula 2

C. Uy | July 2018
PLAB 2

Item Quantity Note

Vacutainer 4 This mannequin is kind of


difficult so its nice to have extra
since it is consumable

Tape / Micropore 1

Tegaderm 1

Cotton 1 Small piece for after blood


extraction

Catheter 1 Open catheter without sterile


packaging available; ideally
practice with it “closed” at least
once; Ok to share with others

Neurohammer 1 Available at Hamed, but


sometimes hard to get if others
Otoscope 1 are using it

Ophthalmoscope 1

Tuning fork 1

Important Links:
Hamed Review: http://commonstations.co.uk/common-stations-course/

Virgin trains: https://www.virgintrains.co.uk

Job: https://www.jobs.nhs.uk

Residency: https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/


C. Uy | July 2018
PLAB 2

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

16 - Review
starts

23

30

Self study 14 1

Self study 21 2

25 28

C. Uy | July 2018

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