What to do After PLAB 2

You have worked hard. It’s time to relax and have fun.

After taking the PLAB 2 exam, you have the option of going back home or staying in the UK. There is no harm in either of these options. But if you choose to go home, keep in mind that you would have to visit the UK again for your GMC registration ID check.

1. Documentation

Make sure you have your documents ready. Go through my post to see which documents you will need for GMC registration. Make sure your Certificate of Good Standing is ready as it may take a few weeks to be ready.

2. Applying for Jobs

You can begin applying for jobs even before your result comes out. Most hospitals will allow you to apply this early. However, a few of them will not. Even if you choose to wait until you get your result (which is fine, unless you’re in a hurry) you should at least make your online profile at NHS Jobs. 

3. Clinical Attachment

This might just be the ideal time to go for a clinical attachment since you have 4 weeks available before your result comes out. But you must have made prior arrangement to go for an attachment at this time. You can also go for a clinical attachment after your result comes out. You can go through Dr. Omar Alam’s guideline for clinical attachments.

1. GMC Registration

Apply for GMC registration the day after your result comes out. You can find guidance here.

2. Apply for Jobs

Start applying for jobs if you have not already started. You can find guidance from here.

3. Help Others

Now that you have passed your exam and you have an ample amount of time, it is the ideal time to give back to the community. You can do this by answering people’s queries related to PLAB on the Facebook groups. You can also arrange career guidance sessions in your home town or home country where you can guide juniors.

4. Post Graduation Exams

Most people have 4 to 6 months of a clinical gap during this period since they do not work in their home country after taking PLAB 2. This time period is more than enough to pass another exam. You can study for MRCP, MRCPCH, MRCOG or any other relevant exam during this phase.

5. Work in Your Home Country

Most people do not choose this option, but you can choose to work in your home country during this period. If you do not, the clinical gap on your CV does not make a largely negative impression.

Pros: No/little clinical gap on your CV.

Cons: You might just want to rest and take a break. Otherwise, you might feel tired.

The only things you need to look out for are GMC registration and applying for jobs. It is best if you have documents ready well before time and if you have filled your NHS Jobs profile before time.

• My Timeline for PLAB 2 Planning.

It usually takes 2 to 5 weeks. But it depends on individual cases. My process took 36 days. But out of these 36 days, 26 days were taken by my university to reply to GMC’s email. So if they had replied earlier, I would’ve been free from GMC’s processing in less than 2 weeks.

This is a personal choice. I made a good estimate of how long it would take for my application to get approved and I booked my ID check a day after I took PLAB 2.

I start my House Job without registration in my home country; I knew that would require an explanation and it would take time. So I booked my ID check for 6 weeks after my result. And my application was approved only 2 or 3 days before my ID check date.

This is also a personal decision. I started applying a day after I passed my PLAB 2. But a lot of my friends had started applying before the passed PLAB 2. Make sure that the interview date does not fall before your PLAB 2 result and you will be fine. Read more here to understand the process.

This is a personal decision. Most people choose to stay in the UK for the following reasons:

• They can attend job interviews in-person (most employers do accept Skype job interviews, though).
• They will be in the UK for the GMC registration ID check.