PLAB 2
Now after clearing it, I can confidently say that it’s not very difficult to clear the exam, rather it takes a lot not to clear the exam.
The exam is unpredictable and so does the marking. The stations in which a candidate thinks was awesome is the one on which they face failure. I must say, I missed covering a few things in stations, sometimes due to anxiety and sometimes due to a shortage of time. However, the one thing I was perfect with was the approach of the station and handling patients’ concerns. The simulators are not like how we practice. On the other hand, they are very helpful and to the point, and straightforward in answering the questions. If you would give them space to speak, they will steer you to the core of the station themselves, making the station very doable for you. I am immensely thankful for the simulators and the examiners I got. But it's not always the case, at times, simulators cannot be very open and then the candidate has to hold the leash of the station and conduct it accordingly.
So first thing first, the preparation: I only used one source to study from and that’s the Aspire notes. They are the best to ace the exam. Though everyone has their preference, the point is to use only one source and stick to that till the day of your exam. Handling multiple notes can confuse and disturb the approach.
Now, the academy: Well, I might not be the right person to get any sort of guidance regarding that. From the very start of my preparation, I was against academies. It’s just their way of exploitation as they are well aware of IMG’s weaknesses. Though I ended up taking an academy course just for the sake of getting mocks and exposure to exam-like scenarios before appearing for the actual exam. Another rationale for opting for the academy was to practice simman and examination stations and guess what? I failed those two stations in my exam! So all in all, the academy didn’t give me any speck of help. Surely, I would have never taken the academy if they would have offered only the mocks.
From the beginning, I was using aspire and practicing with different people, and being very honest, I was doing absolutely the same as the ones were doing with taking academy. Academy is not a necessity if you have a good intellect and can catch things from your practice partners. However, that notion has always been quite subjective and every person is free to make choices for themselves.
On the flip side, I can very positively share my experience with Dr. Bose’s mocks. They are online without any examination or mannequin stations but still, they are immensely more worthy than academy mocks. She gives various affordable packages for her mocks and is the best simulator. Her feedback improved my approach and highlighted the mistakes which I perhaps was missing.
The total time required for preparation is very variable and depends on one’s availability and dedication. I was preparing in breaks for the past 12 months and had faced 3 cancellations of the exam because of COVID. But if I would shrink it then a focused period of 2 months is enough to get familiarized with the format and peculiarities.
To my understanding, The most essential do’s and don'ts for plab 2 are:
Do’s:
being fluent and confident in whatever you’re saying, avoid pauses in conversation, in the management part ask for patient’s concerns after every statement you make, follow the patient (if they have given you any concern at the very start of your station, forget the mugged up format we follow and mold the conversation in the way the patient is leading you), keep practicing with a right and compatible partner.
Don'ts:
don’t flaunt your medical knowledge or try to give extra information, don’t repeat the information you have already given, don’t worry about time and finishing the station, don't interrupt the patient, and dont be 100% sure of any thing you are not sure of.