Counselling stations After checking that the patient understands what is happening, always ask them about any concerns they may have; don't just give a lecture. For example, a patient undergoing herniorrhaphy might be more interested in knowing about painkillers rather than the details of the procedure. Let the actor speak, and listen attentively, and the station should then be very easy. Avoid medical jargon. If you are doing a clinical attachment, you might get free patient information leaflets, or you can access them atwww.patient.co.uk. These leaflets will help you to use layman's language when you talk to patients. History stations Learn four common differential diagnoses of each symptom and ask questions accordingly. Some histories have particularly important points. For example, in psychiatry the assessment of suicidal risk and social history is vital. Similarly, in paediatrics questions about how the baby feeds, their waterworks, activities, injections, any significant events during, before, or after delivery, and the health of siblings are important. One important thing in the history station is to respond to the patient's complaints. For example, if he or she has got pain, you could ask the examiner to provide painkillers, or if the patient has photophobia you might offer to dim the lights in the room. Another important thing is not to fire questions—there is always enough time. Take things calmly and keep the patient's comfort in mind. Avoid medical jargon. Examination stations Many candidates don't complete this station, and still pass. The trick is not to panic. Do all the steps properly in the right sequence, and if you miss any, mention at the 4 30 bell that ideally you would have liked to have finished them all. The trend is changing. The initial steps like introduction, consent, and gloves are already assumed to have been done when you read the station outside, so sometimes you may have to start the procedure as soon as you go inside. Keep in mind safety precautions like throwing the sharps in the sharps bin and cleaning with antiseptic solutions. Viva in emergency stations Don't forget the ABC protocol in every emergency station. The guidelines in the emergency section of the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine [1] are sufficient. Update of recent stations Stations from past exams are sometimes repeated. Candidates post previous exam stations in free forums like www.rxpgonline.com, www.aippg.net, andwww.mcqs.com Courses PLAB candidates are usually very apprehensive about choosing a particular course, but most of the courses are almost the same. You just need to get used to manikins, because overseas doctors are not always familiar with them. Mock exams conducted in these courses are more difficult than the actual GMC (General Medical Council) exam. You could take a few mocks to get an idea of the exam, but don't rely too much on them as mock actors are not well trained and the examiners are sometimes too strict. In the actual PLAB exam the examiners are very cooperative and the actors are very well trained. Nowadays almost every course is doing a mock and I would suggest you take one course and one mock-it doesn't generally matter which course or which mock. Exam day The most important thing is to be confident on the day. Act like a doctor and not like a medical student. Everyone gets anxious about the exam and makes mistakes, but make sure you don't make any major errors. With regular practice you can easily avoid making major mistakes.www.geocities.com/plabosce gives a list of some mistakes which you should avoid and will help to prevent you getting a grade D or E. Last but not least Don't complicate your preparation. Some people keep on trying to make a perfect plan for each station. Keep things simple. ■ Correction Personal digital assistants (PDAs)—improving patients' safety source
