Immediately after the PLAB 2 Exam You have worked hard. It’s time to relax and have fun. Home vs. the UK 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. Before PLAB 2 Result Comes Out 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. After PLAB 2 Result Comes Out 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. Conclusion 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. Useful Links
1. How long does it usually take for the GMC registration application to get approved? 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. 2. When should I book my GMC registration ID check? 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. 3. For when should I book my GMC registration ID check? 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. 4. When should I start applying for jobs? 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. 5. Should I stay in the UK after my PLAB 2 or go back home? This is a personal decision. Most people choose to stay in the UK for the following reasons:Frequently Asked Questions
What to do After PLAB 2
I have a question regarding ID check. Since my visa has ended. In this situation what should i do. will it be possible to do id check on tier 2 visa. If yes then what should i mention in my job applications. i mean cv and nhs profile. if rest of registration process is done. Should i mention as registered or registration under process?
Yes, it can be done on Tier 2 visa. Be honest about it in your CV. It will not be an issue. Don’t worry. I said yes to my first job even before my GMC registration application was approved.
After passing plab 2 will GMC give full license to practice plz let me know tnx in advanced
If you have completed an internship before PLAB 2, then yes.
Otherwise you’ll get a provisional licence on the basic of which you’ll have to complete internship (FY1 and FY2) in the U.K. Keep in mind that finding FY1 training in the U.K. for non-UK/EEA nationals is not easy.
If I have clinical gap of almost two years how much it effect on getting job in Uk?
If you have been working during the last six months after this gap of two years, then it will play a small negative impact. You will find a job in quick time.
If you have not been working recently, then it can take you from a few days to a few months before you find your first job in the UK.
i have not done anything since my graduation in 2014 because of some personal issues. i have passed plab 1 and going to take plab 2 soon. just worried how it will affect my in job hunting after passing plab 2 as i have 4 years of gap. how badly this gonna affect me . I’m so worried
As long as you start working now, you will be fine. All the best! 🙂
Aoa Dr. Khan. Hope you are doing fine. I have been following your blog since ages from ielts exam to plab2. It helped me alot in every stage of plab journey. You are doing great great job by helping others and May Allah reward you for this. My message would be a bit long. Please bear with me.
I passed my plab 2 exam recently. And now I’m going for registration.
1. My internship have 2 gaps of one month and 48 days each between my rotations. I’m so worried about it as I am unable to fulfil the criteria for registration. Can you tell what could be the best possible way to explain that gap. I’m thinking of getting clinical attachment certificates for the gaps. Or tell them I was waiting for my next rotation to start.
2. As I have gaps in rotations, my house job ended about 2 and half months after the expiry of my provisional pmdc registration.
Can you please help me in this case too ?
1. It is best to be honest. You’ll be fine.
2. Please contact Syed Masood Shah on Facebook for this. He works at PMDC and he’s very helpful. He’s in most PLAB Facebook groups.
Thanks alot.
Brother Amin, I have the same query as you, did the gaps in your internship effect the registration?
How did you go about solving the matter?
Thanks
Hello Naseer Khan . You have been an inspiration to not only me , but to alot of doctors across the globe , and what you are doing is truly commendable . My question is that i recently gave Plab 2 , but unfortunately i failed the exam on 0.3 Mark , although i had every thing arranged prior to my result but some times things donot go accordingly to our plan . After my result i immediately shrug off my disappointment and booked the Next Plab 2 exam which is going to be on 28th Nov . Fortunately or unfortunately it is the day of my expiry of my six months visa as well . My Query is that should i go back to my country pakistan after my exam , or should i extend my visa , so that when i will be able to pass the exam then i will be in the better position to give Interviews as well as to be present for an ID Check after GMC registration . Or should i go to my counry start preparation for MRCP and then when i will be able to In sha Allah clear the exam then through pakistan apply for jobs via skype , and come for ID check by the help of Tier 2 visa .
I am very sorry about the result. 0.3 is a very small margin. This is very unfortunate.
However, I love your positivity. I am glad that you booked the next exam.
I would very strongly urge you to not extend your visa as I have seen people getting into trouble for this. I would urge you to go back to Pakistan immediately after your exam. You can easily apply for jobs and give interviews from Pakistan. You can come to the UK for GMC registration ID check on Tier 2 visa.
Thank u my brother .
Hi I am interested to do pedia or dermatology residency in uk wat are the steps after plab 2.??
I am not sure about dermatology and I hear it is very difficult to find. But pediatrics is easy to get into.
Please check their official link: http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/training-examinations-professional-development/specialty-recruitment/applications-st1-and-st2/applic
Please also check the general pathway to apply for any training post in the UK: https://naseersjourney.com/2017/07/07/entry-into-training-for-international-medical-graduates/
Please also read about the training structure in the UK: https://naseersjourney.com/2017/03/12/training-structure-in-the-uk/
Good luck!
Thanks a lot sir and I also heard dat plab is gonna replaced by another exam by 2021 is dat true?
PLAB is expected to be replaced by the UKMLA in 2022. You can read about it in detail here.
https://naseersjourney.com/2017/05/06/about-the-ukmla/
Hello sir, i am a recent graduate from the university of Hungary and I would like to find out if i require an internship. My degree is a 6 year degree with the final year being a clerkship year spent in hospital. Do you think if I dont do an internship in the country i am licenced in it would be a disadvantage after PLAB2.
Throughout the course of my study I was able to get a month placement at the Hull teaching hospital in the UK and also a four month placement at s very delectable hospital in South Africa. But not a year internship.
I have heard several people saying I would not be able to get a foundation 1 job. I am really confused please kindly give me your opinion on this. Thank you.
I have heard of the GMC sometimes accepting this and sometimes not. If you can go for 12 months of internship after graduation before moving to the UK, that would be great.
And yes, finding FY1 post is not easy at all for IMGs.
people are well informed with the MRCP journey but what about the journey of MRCS , and how difficult is it??
I don’t know much about MRCS. But this might help:
http://omarsguidelines.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/roeya-rasuls-guidelines-for-mrcs-a.html?m=1
AOA Brother. Do you prefer Clinical Attachment after Passing PLAB 2 test? Does it create any difference in terms of getting jobs?
Regards.
It make no difference to job hunting. But clinical attachment can be very helpful before you start working as it can give you an idea of what to expect at work.
Can we skip CMT or is it the only route to enter specialty training?
CMT is only for Medical Training and not the only way to pursue training in the UK.
Please check my post Training Structure in the UK.
https://naseersjourney.com/2017/03/12/training-structure-in-the-uk/
Firstly, thank you very very much Dr. Naseer for this blog. The way it is organised and kept up is a work of passion!
Secondly, I’m not sure if this is the right post to place my doubts under but I want to know that during F2, what all departments should be covered by one looking to take up A&E / Emergency medicine?
You mean for someone who wants to train in A&E in the future? It’s best to go through A&E itself, along with AMU, General Medicine and Pediatrics. You should also discuss this with someone who is training in A&E or plans on doing so – as they would know more and better than I do.
Thank you for your kind words. It sure has become my passion. Thank you! 🙂
thank you so much dr naseer khan, you are a huge inspiration and a great source of hope through your profound desire to help others. please i have a question; i heard that after first step of PLAB that someone can do his/her internship in UK, please how authentic is this information? i am a final year medical student in gomel, belarus. is it possible for me to pass the first step then go for medical attachment or internship in UK before writing the PLAB second step? please reply.. thanks
1. We can not work in the UK before passing PLAB 2 and GMC registration.
2. Getting internship (House Job) is highly unlikely in the UK for IMGs.
3. It’s best to complete internship in your home country.
4. You can do a clinical attachment in the UK before or after PLAB 2. After PLAB 2 is better, to prepare for your first job. But it is not compulsory. I did not do it.
Can we book for GMC ID check before plab2 results are out? Because I heard the GMC called up people who booked ID check before plab 2 results.
Yes, you can. But yes, the GMC discourages this practice because people were booking ID checks and not showing up for them.
I completed my internship in my country but in our system its one year ,after passing plab2 when applying to jops do i apply for FY2 or i start training in a speciality ????
And another q if i didnt work in my home country after internship so i dont have experience tp mention in my cv and in interviews plus am financially wont be able to do an attachment in such casr can people e no experience nor clin attachment caaccepted in training jops as sprcialist thank u
1. Please check the link attached below.
2. That is highly unlikely. I would advise you to get a job and to start your UK career with a non-training post.
https://naseersjourney.com/2017/07/07/entry-into-training-for-international-medical-graduates/
Very grateful for your blog, Dr Naseer. Hope work is going on very well with you.
If you don’t mind, I have few questions which need some clarification from you:
1. Do you apply for jobs only after you get your GMC registration? Does it affect your job search?
2. From what I understand, we can apply for GP training after we have got our FY2 competency signed (after 3-6 months working in FY2 non training post). Do you know if there is this possibility- certain department that we are in will affect the chances of getting into GP training? Because I’m contemplating if which department I should apply for my FY2 non training post. Eg, surgery/ medical/ A&E etc.
3. For the NHS job section
– Address section: do you need a UK address or u can put your home address?
– Please select the category that relates to your current immigration status. This status will be subject to checking before interview: do we put it as ‘Visitor’?
– Visa section: we need not put anything, because we have not got our working visa yet right?
– Please indicate your professional registration status: does that mean the GMC registration?
– Referee: do we need at least 2 referees from previous/ current employment, or they prefer more?
– Supporting information: any advise on how do we write this? And do we need to change this as we apply to different jobs (hospitals)?
Thank you for your kind assistance. May God bless you.
Hello sir!
I have cleared plab 1. Before plab 2 i was checking the documents required. My internship certificate doesn’t mention individual dates for rotations! I am requesting a document specifying the dates at mu university! I wanted to know what the GMC will want to confirm with the university so that i can keep my university informed about this and there are no delays! Thank you in advance sir.
Hello.
Thanks dr. Naseer for this very helpful blog.
I was in a fix, part of which has been resolved after going through this blog. Now only one question is left behind.
Thing is that as per my current situation, I may be able to book 6th or 10th April, 2018 only for my Plab2. This would mean result around 25th April and hopefully GMC registration application approval in the last week of May, 2018.
Now there are 2 problems. My plab2 visa is valid till 04th May, 2018 only.
My IELTS certificate is dated 04/6/2016 means it will be valid max till 04 June, 2018.
What I want to clear is that should my IELTS certificate be valid even after gmc application is approved (for ID check basically, according to my understanding) OR I would not need IELTS after application is approved?
Also, according to your opinion, should I get a visit visa again (or extend my current visa) for ID check (so that it can be done BEFORE 04 june, to avoid IELTS issue) OR I should go directly for my job and tier 2 visa??
Regards
They will definitely ask you why you want to stay for 3 months.
This is what most people do. They book a short stay. Once they take their PLAB 2, they extend their stay.
I have completed USMLE steps 1, 2CK & CS and got ECFMG certified. Also have some clinical experience in the US (Internships). Will that help in getting a job in the UK at all? I mean provided i clear the PLAB exams by next year? Thank you.
Everyone gets a job in the U.K. since there are more vacancies and less doctors. So you will get a job.
USMLE won’t help in getting a job. Only clinical experience makes a difference.
Hi Dr.Naseer,
I have a job offer in a NHS trust(as associate research fellow). Prior to starting work, I have to complete PLAB of which I have yet to do PLAB2 and registration later.
Can my GMC ID check happen when I enter UK on a Tier 2 visa, rather than waiting in UK until PLAB 2 results are out? Please let me know.
You can’t get GMC ID check until you pass PLAB 2 and your GMC registration application is accepted.
I wanted to ask 3 questions
1)How much gap is sufficient for prepping for plab 2 after plab 1 ?
2)I want to apply for FY1 in UK (im a Uk citizen) is it possible or cutting too close schedule wise?
3) im currently in my final yr of mbbs my results come out usually around march can i still give plab 1 if my final result hasnt been released but i have given my final yr exam ?
Thank you
1. Depends entirely on your planning. Studying for PLAB 2 only takes a month or two.
2. I am sorry but I have no idea since I did not apply for Foundation training.
3. No, you can not. You have to pass your finals before taking PLAB 1.
I wanted to ask a question if i may
after i finish my Gmc registration I want to stay in my home country to finish
my IM residency which will take 2 years to finish
dose this affect my registration or harm it in any way
thank you
Yes, you’ll have to give up your GMC registration for these two years.
Hello sir, it’s been a really helpfull for us in deciding our path after mbbs. But i have one question
How long it will take to complete both parts of plab and how much it would cost?
1. It can take 6-18 months.
2. This will help about the cost:
https://naseersjourney.com/2017/04/01/total-expenditure-on-plab/
After passing PLAB 2….how much time u have to stay in Uk….if u donot want to permanently settle in UK….n when u come back u r at what status in ur country
You can stay in the UK for as long as you like. Your status on coming back depends on what you’ve achieved in the UK.
After clearing PLAB 2 can someone go for MRCP? Or going for MRCP directly is a better option?
This might help:
https://naseersjourney.com/2017/03/12/plab-vs-mrcp/
Hi Dr. Thank you so much for your information. I am a graduate of Anesthesiology training program in my home country but after graduation, I practiced as a company doctor in numerous companies. Will this be credited or will this add to my experience gap? Thanks
As long as you were working in a clinical capacity, this will not count as a clinical gap. But yes, hospital jobs might provide better clinical experience.