Dear Fellow Plabbers,
PLAB 2 LONG POST AHEAD.
I’ve been waiting to write this post in order to inspire all those struggling.
I passed my PLAB-2 Exam!!! Alhamdulilah
Cannot thank the Almighty.
I’ll share my journey. Any questions are welcome!
I cleared Plab 1 in March, 2020. And I initially booked Plab 2 for September 2020 so I can study and relax in peace. Since Plab got cancelled, I lost all my motivation.
I took an online course in June 2020 (took 10 out of 14 classes) but honestly I couldn’t pay much attention knowing Plab isn’t happening and online screens gave me headaches!
I was randomly sitting when I got an email from GMC that bookings are open. I flipped a bit but without wasting another moment, I was able to Book for Oct 2nd.
I literally wasted first 2 weeks thinking 1 month is all I need, that’s what many of seniors said. Which was Absolutely WRONG. Please keep atleast 3 months to study and be relaxed.
I organised some notes and started off with reading.
Everyone around me with the same exam date were practising and revising already. That gave me creeps!
I continued reading and finised my first reading around 15th of Sept. then I started practising with a kind friend. We used to set number of stations to be practiced one day that was 10-12 initially. We used to discuss the remaining ones that were similar. I was left with a lot of stations to practice but I had to stop because I was left with very few days and I felt the need to revise. I watched the mannikin and simman videos online. I made 1 page notes for every station mentioning the important question needed to be asked and revised from them instead of the big bundles
Last day I was freaking out because Everyone I knew had been practising throughout covid and they had good command on everything. I was blessed with good communication skills.
Once I stepped out of my exam, I felt that I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER. I felt I was extremely natural and dumb and might have missed out details. Even had crying spells thinking how I’ll fail.
RESULTS came and I passed 13 out of 15 stations.
The two stations I failed were the ones I thot I did good. The ones I thought I did very bad and natural, I scored 12/12. It still feels like a dream.
ADVICE:
To all those taking Plab-2, NO ACADEMY MATTERS. You are a doctor. You earned that title. Whatever you learn in academies for 15 days is nothing as compared to what we all have studied in those 5 years of medicine.
Academies can bring water to you but can’t make you drink it unless you make an effort. You need academy for outline.
No matter how much you study and practice, its How You perform on the day of EXAM.
Try to make your history taking patterns and stick to them. You would able to crack any station with them.
Start practising 1-2 stations per day so you know the whole game and how its done.
I believe GMC expects us to take this exam naturally like how we walk into our OPD with confidence without knowing what patient’s issue is. LISTEN TO the patient’s concerns.
My task was so different than my patient’s concerns. I made sure to listen to my patient first, address to his concerns and then come to my task. I got 9.
Walk in as if its a new station for you because it honestly is.
Utilise the 1 minute outside to plan the things.
If its counselling, dont jump to counselling right away.
Ask the concern and some past history.
There are a set of specific questions you need to ask if certain stations e.g. for COUGH pointing towards TB, take history of crowding and travel.
Like I mentioned after my Plab-1, IF I CAN DO IT. So CAN EVERYONE ELSE.
You are above this exam!
Be NATURAL. Be yourself. Please don’t learn notes. They are only to guide you. DONT BE SCRIPTED cos simulator gives different concerns to different doctors inside. Be a GOOD LISTENER.
Listen Listen Listen.
Smile if you have to. Like you naturally would in an opd or clinic
All the best Please make dua for me and my future endeavours if my post has helped you.
EDIT: for all those asking for the notes, I recommend you all to keep making notes alongside you study. It’s going to help.