The standard of medical education in the United Kingdom is quite high. Pursuing higher studies in UK is like dream come true for medical graduates in most of the countries. But GMC (General Medical Council), an institution which accredits medical schools throughout the UK set a standard for the overseas medical graduates for practicing medicine in UK. This examination is called PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board) test. As per GMC, any medical graduate who has completed his or her training outside UK, European Union or Switzerland must pass PLAB before they can join as SHO (Senior House Officer) in any kind of health services in UK.
PLAB consists of two parts – Part 1 and Part 2 or OSCE.
In PLAB Part 1, you have to answer EMQs and some single best answers. EMQs can be chosen from any of the subjects usually trained during the schooling days. The subjects include – Anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, psychiatry, ophthalmology and ENT. The question is set by GMC and from a question bank maintained and updated by the organization. Detailed guideline can be found on the website of GMC.
In PLAB part 2, your clinical skill and knowledge about common diseases occurring in the UK are being tested. It is also known as OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination). Part 2 is formulated to check the ability of a foreign medical graduate to practice medicine securely in any hospital in the UK. The standard is fixed and the aptitude from a candidate is expected at the end of first Foundation year (F1).
