WAM ARCHIVES

I have created this blog primarily to share my experience in this PLAB journey ,there's been positives and negatives,ups and downs and a lot of lessons along the way. There aren't many one stop shops for information easily accessible in this life changing journey especially in its new pattern,for example;had someone informed me earlier,I would have taken the UKVI IELTS instead of the normal academic IELTS; that's why i thought to try and contribute my quota for anyone thinking of embarking on this journey I will try as much as possible to address most concerns and answer most FAQs Please feel free to post any questions/contributions or suggestions All content on my blog is only my opinion.It is not advisable to follow me or anyone else blindly.Please cross-check from official websites Please do not use any of my content, without my permission. Find out about changes to the PLAB exam here Dr William Mante ©2017

This is an OSCE(objective Structured Clinical Examination) The format was changed in September 2016. It now consists of 18 active stations and 2 rest stations (20 stations in all),2 minutes to read the task in front of the station and 8 minutes to perform the actual task making a total of 10 minutes per station and about 3 hours 20 minutes for the exam . REQUIREMENTS Valid PLAB 1 pass IELTS not required COST £840 for exam Transportation cost to and from Manchester Accommodation cost in Manchester Cost and accommodation for preparatory class/academy VENUE It is only held in MANCHESTER,ENGLAND at the GMC clinical assessment building ,3 Hardman Street SCHEDULE held throughout the year,with multiple dates in a month , places however get filled quickly so you have to plan and book fast to secure your desired date. More information on this can be found here . SCORING Each station/scenario is scored over 12 with a passing mark determined for the station after the exam ba

This is a 3 hour test which consists of 200 single best answer questions(no negative marking,so attempt every single question) The passmark varies from sitting to sitting, it is determined by the Angoff method (please find more about this here ),but it is usually between 125-130. It is graded as PASS/FAIL, this means quality of pass doesn't matter so long as you have PASSED SCHEDULE it is held 4 times a year in the UK (London only,but GMC will be adding Manchester as a second venue with 225 test places available from September 2017) - in March,June,September and November You can book up to about 10months before the exam date and this closes a week to the exam date. There is however a specific number of places for each exam,so once the number is filled,no more places will be available,so please book early once you decide on your exam date There are number of overseas venues for the plab 1,it is held only twice a year in these venues (March and November),You can book up to 4

ABOUT FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HOME VS ABROAD ROADMAP FOR PLAB FINANCES FOR PLAB JOURNEY VISA FOR PLAB IELTS MY IELTS PLAB 1 MY PLAB 1 PLAB 2 MY PLAB 2 GMC REGISTRATION TIER 2 VISA UK NARIC

Besides the academic requirements for the PLAB exam, one important aspect that you can't afford to overlook is the financial demands. In fact I dare say the financial barrier can be even more daunting than the academic preparation. This is not to scare you off ,your dream of working in the UK is very much achievable. This post seeks to outline the monetary aspects of the journey so as to help PLABBERS plan well. IELTS - £200 PLAB 1 course - optional /£300-500 PLAB 1 EXAM FEE - £230 PLAB/BUSINESS VISITOR VISA - £80 PLAB 2 EXAM FEE - £840 PLAB 2 COURSE - £550-650 GMC REGISTRATION - £425 TIER 2 VISA APPLICATION - £587 + HEALTH SURCHARGE OF £200/year Miscellanous Food,accommodation and travel including plane tickets and travel within the UK - depends on the individual . Roughly , one will require about £4000-£5000 for the entire journey.It is important to plan well and factor this into your preparations Please post any questions,concerns,suggestions or contributions b

After passing PLAB 2, you are now eligible for GMC REGISTRATION. You will receive an official email from gmc 24-48 hours after results are announced on the gmc website . They will congratulate you and inform you you can register now. You will need the following documents for FULL registration Data page of your valid passport with signature Evidence of completion of Housemanship/internship Decorative certificate of your primary medical qualification Valid Academic/UKVI IELTS with required band (at least 7 in each field and 7.5 overall ) Certificate of good standing from any medical council you have been registered with (only valid for 3 months from date of issue so you have to know when to request for it and the processing times).In Ghana it takes about 5 working days to get it which is very good.So you can easily request for it on the day you pass PLAB 2. The next thing is to log into your gmc online account Go to my registration and fill up your details. You will receive a

If you don't live in the UK,you will require a visa at a point to complete the PLAB journey.The  good thing is that both the Family Visitor visa and the PLAB(Business Visitor) visa can be used to take the exams. They both now fall under the Standard Visitor visa. For the PLAB 1 , most people choose to take it in their home countries or nearby countries. For example Indians and Nigerians can take it in their home countries,Ghanaians can travel to nearby Nigeria/Sudan for PLAB 1.However this can only be at the March and November attempt. The June and September exams are only held in the UK.Based on your personal circumstances, you might have to go to the UK and hence will need a visa. PLAB 2 is only held in Manchester,UK and you will require a visa If you don't reside there . Just like any endeavour,it is important to plan towards your visa application. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to be in employment,be it government or private hospital. You will require the following document

The Hardworking and dedicated Dr Naseer has done some good work on this topic so i won't duplicate the information. please check it out here

FACEBOOK GROUPS (PLAB,PLAB 2 - 2017,IMG's in the UK) IELTS LIZ www.gmc-uk.org MR DANIEL MANTE DR SANDRA DARKO THE ENTIRE MANTE & DARKO FAMILIES DR SAMSON CHISI & the entire staff at the SAMSON ACADEMY DR NASEER KHAN ( https://naseersjourney.com ) DR KWABENA BOATENG DR PIUS BAKAH DR KAYUMBA DR PATIENCE KUWORNOO ALL THE HELPFUL PEOPLE WHO WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS

This is an acceptable alternative to the UKVI ACADEMIC IELTS to prove your English proficiency when applying for a Tier 2 visa . After assessing your qualifications, they will be able to give you an English Language Assessment document as proof of your English language ability as part of your Tier 2 Visa application . The steps are as follows : Log on to https://www.naric.org.uk/naric/ Create a log-in account Choose the RED ROUTE,Visa and Nationality service You will see online application,click on apply now Follow the steps and fill the application pages ,personal details,address,nationality,purpose of application(visa) et al You will need to upload the following documents : 1 Degree Certificate (MBChB,MBBS,BMMS,etc) 2.Academic Transcripts 3.Letter from your university confirming English was the medium of instruction Once these documents are uploaded,you can proceed to payment (the fee can vary depending on the postage to the part of the world you are ) - £125+VAT Th

I am Dr William Mante, a Medical  Doctor from Ghana,West Africa. I obtained my MBChB degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology ,School of Medical Sciences in 2013.I proceeded to do my mandatory 2 year housemanship/internship and finished in 2015. After Housemanship , I was at the crossroads.There was a lot of confusion as to the way forward. I sought advice from some senior colleagues ,obviously times had changed and the opportunities that were easily available in times past were fading . ALWAYS BEWARE OF NAYSAYERS AND WET BLANKETS, some people will always try to offload their personal negative experiences,disappointments and failures in life on you.Shun such people and rather surround yourself with people who are POSITIVE minded and MOTIVATED. Trust me,you will need this. I had to explore my options,whether home or abroad .I researched a lot on PLAB,USMLE,GERMANY,CANADA ,amongst others but first I needed a plan . Luckily for me a friend showed me an adv

The IELTS stand for international English language testing system. It is required for PLAB 1,GMC registration (not a prerequisite for plab 2) and TIER 2 visa application. It tests your proficiency in the English language in 4 areas : Listening,Reading,writing and speaking Each area is scored from band 0-9 and the average of the 4 areas gives your overall band . TYPES various types of IELTS exist.there is the General and academic. You only require the academic module for plab. There is the simple ACADEMIC and the UKVI ACADEMIC (monitored with CCTV and a little bit more expensive ),it is better to go for the UKVI academic from the get go since it satisfies PLAB,GMC registration and TIER 2 visa application. CRITERIA PLAB 1 At least band 7 in each of the 4 areas and at least band 7.5 overall score PLAB 2 Not required GMC REGISTRATION At least band 7 in each of the 4 areas and at least band 7.5 overall score TIER 2 general visa Only IELTS UKVI ACADEMIC of at least band 4

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS COS ENGLISH EVIDENCE- UKVI IELTS /UK NARIC POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE IOM TB TEST APPLICATION FORM MAINTENANCE OR BANK STATEMENT