Guidance for Undergraduates

The following things will help you in improving your CV:

1. Audits.
2. Research projects.
3. Quality improvement projects.
4. BSc or BA degree obtained during medical school.
5. Journal publications.
6. Poster presentations.
7. Oral presentations.
8. Teaching experience (formal or informal).
9. Clinical attachments (in the UK).
10. Courses.
11. Workshops.
12. Seminars.
13. Voluntary work.
14. Leadership and/or managerial roles (academic or non-academic).
15. Any other extracurricular activities.
16. Electives (abroad).
17. Electives (in the home country).

Remember that it is necessary to have documentary evidence of the above-mentioned points. Otherwise, they will not count.

Even if you do not have any of the above-mentioned points, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Most people do not have any of the above and still get multiple job offers in the UK, due to the severe shortage of doctors in the UK.

All of the above will make a bigger difference when you apply for a training job. However, while applying for your first job, which is probably going to be a non-training job, your recent clinical experience will make more of a difference than any of the above. Which is why it is best to not skip your House Job and to continue working even after your House Job finishes.

Once you start working in the UK, it will be easier to add all of the above to your CV, as you will have more opportunities in the UK. Therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry if you do not have any of the above for now.

You can also check Dr. Omar Alam’s guidelines for improving your CV.

You can visit CT 1 Recruitment’s website to check their scoring system for training applications, which might help you in assessing what might help you in improving your CV.

Before you design your personal roadmap for PLAB, it is important to know the general Roadmap for PLAB.

Personal Roadmap for PLAB

The following would be the ideal roadmap. But you can tailor it according to your circumstances.

1. Begin your homework for PLAB 2 visa 6 months before you graduate.

2. Start your ECFMG verification process as soon as you graduate.

3. Take IELTS soon after graduating.

4. Take PLAB 1 exam as soon as you pass IELTS. Do not worry about preparation. If you give yourself ten to twelve weeks, you can pass PLAB 1 very comfortably.

5. Apply for PLAB 2 visa during your House Job or immediately after your House Job depending on your homework for PLAB 2 visa.

6. Take PLAB 2 exam once you get your visa.

7. Get registered with the GMC.

8. Apply for jobs in the UK. Since there have been so many vacancies in the UK for the last few years, it will be very easy to find a job.

As discussed in my post Homework for PLAB 2 Visa you only need to be careful about the following things:

A) Employment
Make sure you are employed as soon as you graduate.

B) Salary
It is best if you are paid on time during your employment. It would also be ideal if you could save your salary once you start working.

C) Bank Balance & Transactions
Make no big transactions in or out of your account. You will have to explain these transactions later on. If you do make them, make sure you have explanations along with documentary evidence for them.

IELTS

It’s best to study for IELTS just before or soon after graduating. This can depend on the roadmap you design for yourself.

PLAB 1

You can not take PLAB 1 before graduating. You don’t even need to study for PLAB 1 before graduating. Preparation for PLAB 1 only takes 10 to 12 weeks. So you will have more than enough time to study for it after you graduate.

PLAB 1 only tests clinical subjects, not basic sciences. And there is no need to study any particular book for PLAB 1 preparation during medical school.

It is very important to stay in touch with the news to remain aware of the following:

1. UKMLA developments.
2. Any other changes by the GMC.
3. Latest study trends.
4. Latest study material.
5. Any other updates relating to your UK journey.

You can stay updated by following the following link and sources:

1. GMC’s news centre.
2. Facebook PLAB group.
3. Naseer’s Journey.
4. Omar’s Guidelines.
5. Following other Facebook groups, blogs and links mentioned in the Useful Links section of my blog.

It is difficult to enter the UK’s training system through FY1 as explained here. Therefore, it is best to make plans for your House Job in your home country as explained here.

Yes, you can.

It is best to take IELTS before graduating, to save time after graduation. Since the PLAB exam will be replaced by the UKMLA soon, it is best to take PLAB as early as possible.

Ideally, you will complete your GMC registration within two years of your IELTS. Even if you do not complete your GMC registration within two years, remember that you do not need IELTS to appear in PLAB 2; you only need IELTS for GMC registration. Most candidates whose IELTS expire, go to the UK for PLAB 2 without a valid IELTS. On their PLAB 2 trip, their exposure to English increases and their English improves significantly. They take IELTS right after PLAB 2 with no or minimal preparation and get more than the required score very comfortably.

You need to graduate from medical school and achieve the required score in IELTS before you can register yourself for PLAB 1.

You need IELTS Academic or IELTS UKVI Academic, from British Council or Australian Education Office, with 7.0 in each of the four areas and an overall score of 7.5.

This includes any teaching experience that you might have without having a formal teaching contract. For example, if you ever taught anything to your colleagues, your juniors or even your patients, can count as your informal teaching experience.

You can provide evidence for this by asking people who attended your teaching session to fill JRCPTB’s evaluation form. You can download the form by clicking here.

It makes absolutely no difference as to which books you use during medical school. PLAB 1’s preparation is based on clinical knowledge and reflexes, not on any theoretical knowledge. You should not start preparing for PLAB 1 before graduating.