I am an IMG from the US currently doing my application for the UKFP and am required to take the Clinical Skills Assessment as part of the application process since I would have finished medical school two years prior to actually starting to work in August 2021, and I was wondering if anyone has any advice for me.
From the information I’ve been sent about it, it seems to be similar to PLAB2 in many ways, but they have also changed things up a bit this year due to COVID since they are now breaking it into two parts so that you do one part virtually in November via Zoom (which is only 8 stations) and then you would do the second part in-person in June 2021. This is a bit stressful since you are not allowed to continue on to part 2 if you don’t pass part 1, and I think it might actually also mean you cannot continue on with your application for FP either. And since the first part only comprises of 8 stations that would have to be in a format appropriate for virtual testing, this means I’d have very little room for error to ensure I get a passing score.
So basically what I am asking is if anyone has undergone the CSA as part of their FP application in the recent past, is there any advice you can offer on how to prepare for it? Is it basically the same as PLAB2 or are there certain significant differences I should be aware of? And, if by some miracle, someone has insider information on the strange new virtual testing (such as what stations or topics are most likely to be tested), I would be eternally grateful if you could share it.
Thank you in advance and best of luck to everyone!