A breakdown of the PLAB exam
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The GMC PLAB 2 is composed of 16 stations, which all require you to demonstrate your competence in 3 areas:
1. Data gathering, technical and assessment skills
2. Clinical management skills
3. Interpersonal skills
You will be graded based on your clinical examination, practical skills and interpersonal skills.
Your practical skills would include:
- checking blood pressure
- performing venepuncture
- inserting a cannula into a peripheral vein
- calculating drug dosage
- giving intravenous injections
- mixing and injecting drugs into an intravenous bag
- giving intramuscular and subcutaneous injections
- basic cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (adult and child)
- suturing
- interpreting an electrocardiogram (ECG), X-rays or results of other investigations
- interpreting basic respiratory function tests
- performing urinary catheterisation
- taking a cervical smear
- Safe disposal of sharps.
And your interpersonal skills would include:
· explaining diagnosis, investigation and treatment
· involving the patient in the decision-making
· communicating with relatives
· communicating with health care professionals
· breaking bad news
· providing clear, legible written instructions where appropriate (eg. prescribing)
· seeking informed consent/clarification for an invasive procedure or obtaining consent for a post-mortem
· dealing with anxious patients or relatives
· giving instructions on discharge from hospital
· giving advice on lifestyle, health promotion or risk factors
You will have only 8 minutes per station, so time-management skills are really important to be obtained as well.
There are 2 test centres for PLAB 2, and they are both in Manchester.
Here at IELTS medical we offer specialized training for PLAB 2 that’ll prepare you with the best of technology and tutors that have taken PLAB and worked in the UK themselves. With the material, the tutor and the technology we have for the course, you can be sure you’ll be appropriately prepared to take your PLAB 2 exam and pass it with flying colours.
The course would involve 10 days of learning, both online and in-person. You’ll learn the theory of what’s expected of you and then you’ll practice that knowledge in mock live scenarios. At the very end of the course, you’ll do a mock exam that will simulate the actual exam. This mock will help you apply all the skills learned during the course and assess how you’d do on the actual day of the exam.
