Hi!, I am a Nigerian Medical doctor (just qualified!) looking to join the foundation programme in the UK, in order to practice (housemanship). I plan to take the PLAB 1 exams this November, from your experience, please is it worth joining a course to prep for plab 1 or is it something that can be done on my own. Also, what was your study plan like roughly, just to have an idea? (e.g how many hours per day, how many weeks/months and materials covered). Thank you so much!

qanda:
This write up is a guide for Nigerian Medical Practitioners who want to continue their practice in the UK.

Upon graduation from Medical School, I was eager to contribute my quota to the Nigerian health sector. Few months in practice, my hunger to serve Nigerians was replaced by another type of hunger; the hunger to continue my medical practice abroad, this was after experiencing over 9 months nonpayment of salary, governments lack of commitment to the health sector and the outdated equipment available to majority of Nigerian doctors. I developed a global mindset of pursuing personal development and contributing to the global health sector - the world is now a global village.

I searched the internet about the available options and learnt about PLAB, a two-part assessment exam that international medical graduates from outside the European Economic area and Switzerland are required to pass before they can legally practice medicine in the UK. The exam is conducted by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom.

Passing the IELTS exam is a prerequisite to writing the PLAB exam. IELTS is a test of English Language proficiency. It is designed to assess the language ability of non-native speakers who intend to study or work in the UK. The IELTS requirement for PLAB is a band score of 7.5 (not less than 7 in each of the exam modules – writing, speaking, listening and reading). To prepare for IELTS, I used materials from IELTS online, IELTS buddy, IELTS Cambridge. IELTS Cambridge materials are available on the video section of Q and A App.

After passing my IELTS exam, I registered a General Medical Council (GMC) account on the GMC website to secure a reference number. After securing a reference number, I registered for the PLAB 1 exam. In Nigeria, the PLAB 1 exam is written in March and November in five cities including Abuja, Enugu and Lagos. The pass rate (cut of mark) for the exam is dependent on the average performance on the day you sit for the exams.

After passing the PLAB 1 exams, I registered for the PLAB 2 exams in Manchester. It is a bit tasking to secure a VISA for this exam especially if you do not have a sponsor, but its not impossible. Drawing from my experience, you’d need to maintain a healthy bank account over a 6 – 7 months period. A healthy account means that you receive a regular monthly payment in your account from a legit source, one you can explain and maintain a minimum balance of NGN800,000. The account should have minimum withdrawals.

I did not subscribe to the services of any agent to process my VISA, it was when I got to Manchester I discovered that a majority of the other participants from Nigeria secured their VISA with the service or guidance of an agent. Whether to use an agent or go about obtaining the Visa yourself is a choice.

The PLAB 2 exam is quite costly and should be well planned. There are a number of tutors for the PLAB 2 exams, they include Samson, Swamy, Hammed….. I understand that Samson now has presence in Lagos, Nigeria. This is a good development for Nigerian doctors, you can save a reasonable amount of money on accommodation by enrolling with samson in Nigeria as against traveling to Manchester – you will eventually need to travel to Manchester to sit for the exams. Note that the PLAB 2 test is not a written exam. It is a practical exam that tests for your listening skills and how you empathize with patients. Again, the pass rate is determined by the average performance of the participants.

To give you an idea of the cost of the exams, note that this is a guide as at the time I wrote my exams (2018-2019).
IELTS – NGN 75,000
PLAB 1 – NGN 196,000
PLAB 2 – NGN 395,000
Visa fees – NGN 120,000 for priority, NGN45,000 for Regular.
Flight ticket - this depends on your choice of airline and vary from time to time.
Accommodation in Manchester, I spent about NGN255,000 (one month period)

The materials I used in preparing for the exams would be available on Q and A App. I will also share how I secured employment on my Q and A App account. I encourage you to install the App from Google Playstore. If you have any questions for me, use the comment section.