Where do I start What will I need? How do I plan and map out the entire road to the UK? So many of us have started to consider making a career as a doctor in the UK, but it’s hard to do so without having everything laid out in front of you. It’s always best to make an informed decision. We will outline every step from the very beginning of the journey until you get a job in the UK. 1. Getting your Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) You can’t sit for the PLAB exams without your PMQ (primary medical qualification, e.g. MBBS). That means you can’t sit for PLAB being a medical student. You don’t necessarily need to have the main diploma/certificate in order to appear for PLAB, but you will need them before you apply for GMC registration. Just a pass result in your final exams will make you eligible to embark on the PLAB route. But I will highly suggest getting a provisional MBBS degree until you get the main one. That being said, for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), it’s highly recommended to apply for GMC registration AFTER completion of the internship/house job, as that makes one eligible for FULL GMC registration. 2. Completing an acceptable pattern of internship Internship is not needed to appear in the PLABs. But, an acceptable pattern of internship is necessary for FULL GMC registration. Those who haven’t completed any form of internship after graduation can clear PLABs and get provisional GMC registration, but that’s only suggestible if you intend on getting into UK medical graduates’ internship- UKFPO Foundation programme. Otherwise, getting a provisional GMC registration means nothing if you are not going to get into UKFPO. Your best bet will be complete an acceptable pattern of internship elsewhere than UK. Read more here- Internship & UKFPO. 3. English Language Proficiency Before you can take PLAB 1 exam, you need to have the obtained required score in either IELTS or OET. You can read further on this topic here — English Language Proficiency for PLAB, GMC & Tier 2 visa. Regarding planning for IELTS/OET- when to take it and all, please have a look here, How to plan for IELTS/OET & PLAB 1. Looking for materials for IELTS or materials for OET? 4. Taking PLAB 1 Overseas, PLAB 1 takes place twice, in March & November. Recently, GMC is also opening seats in June and September as well. In the UK, it happens four times a year; March, June, September & November. There is no hard and fast rule like if your country has centers that you can’t take PLAB 1 in the UK. You have to book PLAB 1 exam from your GMC Online account. Here is how to open a GMC Online account and book PLAB 1. And very importantly, how to prepare for PLAB 1. If you wish to appear for PLAB 1 in the UK, please look into our PLAB 1 & 2 in 6 months 5. EPIC Verification of your credentials It is best that you complete your EPIC verification of your PMQ after your PLAB 1 pass results are out. You can also do it any time before that, but it would be wise to make sure your have your EPIC verification done by the time your PLAB 2 results are out. The process, steps, costs- everything about EPIC is discussed here, EPIC for GMC Registration. 6. Booking PLAB 2 and applying for UK Visitor Visa This is a huge discussion and there is a dedicated category containing related posts to it in our blog. It is highly advisable to read through the posts and ask in the comments if you need anything to be clarified. Here is the category link, UK Visa Guidance for PLAB. PLAB 1 can be taken by your own preparation, but for PLAB 2 many attend different courses/academies. Planning for them is crucial as you would want to get everything (up to your GMC registration) done in one visa (6 months) time period, so know how to plan for PLAB 2 & course. Before going for PLAB 2 and potentially completing your GMC registration in the same visa period, you should ensure you have all the papers needed for GMC registration. 7. Visiting UK for taking PLAB 2 The standard visitor visa you will be assigned will last for 6 months, during which so much can be completed: PLAB 2 academy and self-practice before the exam PLAB 2 exam itself and ID check. Waiting for the result. Fun times! Application for GMC registration Applying for jobs online Attending job interviews in person or online Related posts in our blog will help you handle all of these things smoothly: What to expect for the PLABs Online Application for GMC Registration What to expect for the GMC ID Check You potentially can return to your country after you are done with PLAB 2. Applications for GMC registration, jobs and interview can all be done online. This post will give an idea on how to apply for jobs in the NHS. The Interview Part 1 gives you a plan to arrange physical interviews. The Interview Part 2 helps you to prepare for any NHS job interview. 8. Applying for GMC registration If you are in the UK when your PLAB 2 results are out and you have all the evidences required for GMC registration at hand, you should apply for GMC registration. GMC registration is applied from the same GMC online account and the payment can be done by anyone’s credit card. You technically can bypass most of the above steps if you are making your GMC registration on the basis of your PG qualification. You don’t have to take PLAB, if you have any of those accepted degrees (but IELTS/OET and EPIC still applies). Read more here, How to apply for GMC registration. 9. Looking for jobs in the NHS Once you obtain FULL GMC registration with a license to practice, you officially can be appointed as a doctor anywhere in the UK. Congrats! So, that’s when your job hunt will begin. It is always advisable to start at a non-training job like LAS or trust grade post to get into system rather than jumping into training application without any NHS experience. This post further explains How to apply for jobs in the NHS. 10. Applying for Tier 2 (work) Visa You have aced your interviews and landed a job. Congrats again! Now the last thing on your plate is to apply for a Tier 2 visa. The process is much easier compared to the standard visitor visa. And guess what? We have a dedicated category containing related blog posts for it as well. Please have a look at our Tier 2 Visa Guidance. How long the entire PLAB journey can take? Let’s take a look back at all the steps in a timeline, with allowances for a hassle free approach: December, 2018 — Took IELTS. January, 2019 — IELTS results came out. March, 2019 — Took PLAB 1. April, 2019 — Passed PLAB 1. June, 2019 — EPIC Verification completed. (You can start the process in March, after appearing PLAB 1) July, 2019 — Booked PLAB 2 exam in October, 2019 and course in mid to ending August, 2019. Applied for Standard Visitor Visa. ~ UK Visa for 6 months starts ~ August — September, 2019 — Course and self-practice for PLAB 2 exam. October, 2019 — Took PLAB 2. November, 2019 — Passed PLAB 2. Applied for GMC Registration. Job application via NHS Jobs website. December, 2019 — January, 2020 — Job application via NHS jobs continues. Attending interviews in person if possible. ~ UK visa for 6 months ends ~ January — February, 2020 — Application for jobs and possibly a few successful interviews by then. March — April, 2020 — Tier 2 visa application and commencing as a doctor in the UK. Please keep in mind that this is a general timeline. You don’t need to follow it to a T. As you can see, in this timeline, it shows March 2019 to March 2020, a year from your taking PLAB 1 until you start a job. You can cut short the entire process to a minimum of 6–8 months. How? Get EPIC verification done way before you embark on your PLAB journey. Take less time preparing for PLAB 2 exam. Take PLAB 1 in the UK and PLAB 2 in the same visa. Read more to know the associated risks involved in completing PLAB 1 & 2 in 6 months. To keep it simple, it is safe to say that your PLAB journey should not take more than 1.5–2 years if you are diligent in your planning and approach. But, yes, failing in any of the exams like IELTS, PLAB 1 or PLAB 2- can push you back a little in the timeline, but as the saying goes — Good things come to those who wait. How much it can cost? The total cost of PLAB is a matter than needs to be understood and sorted before you begin your road to the UK. You can have a step by step cost breakdown from how to plan funding for the PLAB Journey. To sum, many may think this is the road less traveled, the road of hurdles and uncertainty, but rest assured that it is doable, especially when we are there for every step of your journey. Good luck
