igbowarrior4way:
Hi again medic98, Did you reach there yet ?

Hello igbowarrior, yes o! I have. Finally, I'm here again. It's been a turbulent past week. Long story, but I'm gradually settling in. Lots of paperwork to be done. I've been jumping from one accommodation to another. Like I said, long story... but it's all working out well, thank God. My medicals are slated for next week after which work begins. Thanks for asking. Wishing you all the best!

Oritna94:

Sorry for the stress. I hope you are adjusting well. Maybe we could communicate via Twitter or Facebook.

No probs bro. I dropped my email above

Gr8amechi:
okay Bro. Maybe any of your social media you don't take too private, maybe your twitter or better still drop your email let me just inbox you directly, then I can add you up on facebook.
Once again congratulations greater heights, I look forward to following your steps

Alright bro.. panasonicmixx that's my email. it's at yahoo.com.

Gr8amechi:
okay boss, still expecting your mail then. How are you adapting hope you not over working yourself

Hello bro, sorry for the late replies. Been overwhelmed with several activities over the past few days/weeks...
The e-mail keeps failing to deliver. We'd have to think of some other way to communicate...

Gr8amechi:
chief I have sent you message to you email, but you yet to reply. Happy Sunday to you boss

Happy Sunday chief! For some reason, my reply to your mail is not delivering. I have no idea why...

practicalclass:


Yes

Ok. That's cool! From all that I've heard, the US pathway seems to be much more advantageous than that of the UK. More power to your elbow! I wish you all the best

basingstoke:
Thank you so much, I have been stuck on 6.5 for the reading and listening, I can not simply wrap my head around those two. I think the test especially the speaking is more difficult abroad than it is in Nigeria. Please if you do not mind, I will like to ask you further skills in the reading and listening, please I have sent you an email request. Will be glad if you can kindly respond to me. And thanks for the grammer correction

Uwc bro! Replied..

practicalclass:
Hello everyone. This post is to provide info for some1 out there. (N.B: it may contain lots of shorthand. Pardon me)

In re: to writing USMLE, its doable and achievable but you must be prepared. Things to plan 4:

- Deciding when to write (it's best to write STEP 1 while still in Med School say after doing Path& Pharm). Though dis depends on availability of funds...

Nice! Thanks for the info practicalclass. Are you currently on this journey?

Gr8amechi:
Wow am really speechless for all these hints you call it little?? Men if this is little then I wonder how much would be lol.
Thanks a lot, am very grateful will follow everything you have said Religiously, one more thing can I send you a pm? Also can I add you up on any social media, facebook, instagram or twitter?? Thanks Alot for your help so far

lol.. You're welcome boss. Sure, you can send a pm and I'll try to reply as soon as possible. Whatsapp is best for me. Just send a mail and we'll take it from there...

Oritna94:


Wow thanks bro. Honestly, I can't remember where I kept those doctor's assessments. But all the same you have given me an alternative. Please update us on your progress. Also I will love to contact you anytime I have a question if you don't mind. Thanks for the heads up once again.

No problem boss. You can send me a mail and I'll reply with my contact details. I'll try to answer any questions as soon as I can. Replies may not be immediate though...

Gr8amechi:
... and also keep us updated with your new environment

Ok boss! I'll try to let you know how it all is by the time I get there. I intend to travel later this month by God's grace.

Gr8amechi:
Good afternoon chief, don't know if you could give us some hint on your IELTS exams success and also keep us updated with you new environment

basingstoke:
hey , congrats, please how did you aced the IELTS Exam

IELTS, hmmn... For the listening and reading sections, I didn't really have any problem with those from the start. I did some practice tests using Cambridge IELTS Students Book with Answers version 9 and 10 which I downloaded online. I tried to simulate exam conditions as much as possible by strictly timing myself, and I always scored band 8 and above from the first attempt, so those were not really problematic.
The major challenge was writing cos I had no one to assess my write-ups. I watched some youtube ielts videos particularly Jessica Beck. I actually watched all (or almost all) of Jessica Becks free writing and speaking videos on youtube. I also completed the Road to IELTS from beginning to end. I then practiced writing and speaking by timing myself and answering some of the sample questions in the materials I had. I had about a month of preparation before the exam. I was working as well so preps was majorly after work. Some friends of mine used ieltsliz and ieltsbuddy in addition to Road to IELTS but I didn't use those.
On the exam day, I was pretty confident, however, I had a little hitch in the listening section. I didn't hear the answer to a question in that section. That destabilized me a little and caused me to miss 2 or 3 more answers. I eventually caught up with the speaker and completed it. Despite the hitch, I felt I would make at least a 7.5 in listening. Luckily, I had 8.5.
Reading was clean. No hitches. I also had an 8.5.
Writing was a challenge, I barely finished. I wrote a lot, asked for extra sheet. I didn't have time to go over what I had written and correct any errors. Thank God I made it 'cos I couldn't imagine having to write that exam again. I scored 7.0 in writing.
My speaking was scheduled for the same day on request because I had to travel a distance to get to the venue and I couldn't afford to make the trip twice. By the time it was time for speaking, I was drained. That exam isn't one I'd like to repeat honestly. It's really exhausting. Thankfully, I had 8.5 in speaking as well.
My advice would be that you should try to assess yourself before your exam and know where you stand. You should have an idea of how well prepared you are. If you are not sure, let a friend honestly assess you, then you'd know whether you're ready to go for the exam or not. You may also consider signing up with one of the online or offline ielts tutorial courses if you have an area that gives you a lot of difficulty. You may also want to ask for advice from those that did theirs in Nigeria because some people say that marking is stricter here (I don't know how true this is). Hope I've helped a little. I wish you all the best. Cheers!

P.S: @basingstoke, you may have to work some more on your grammar cos I can see that you made the same grammatical error twice in your questions above. It should be ace not aced and use not used... no offense intended.. just trying to help. Cheers!!

Oritna94:


Concerning GMC registration. What evidence do you use for completion of internship? Is it your provisional certificate? Or is there something else you need to show. I completed mine years ago.

Hi! For GMC registration, you can request MDCN to send a letter to GMC confirming completion of your internship with the dates and postings included. I requested for one in December and it was about 20k. They can send it together with your Certificate of Good Standing which costs about 62k. That's 82k in all. An alternative way would be to use those forms you were given immediately after internship. The ones you had to sign at the end of each posting that had doctors copy and hospitals copy. If you still have them and they have no errors (cancellations or tipex use), you can send that to GMC instead. It doesn't matter how long ago you completed your internship. What matters is that you are able to prove that you actually completed it. Cheers!

Gr8amechi:

Chief big congrats to you, greater heights hope you keep us updated

Thanks bro! I wish you the same.

igbowarrior4way:


Many thanks again for all your tips man.

Uwc. Glad I could be of help.

igbowarrior4way:


Wow that’s great news Medic98. That will be in an emergency department then? Are many trusts in UK offering such like? Do you know of the area at all where the hospital is? Wow you really inspire me to get going, and am sure the house will join me in congratulations man !!

Thanks . Yes, it's in an Emergency Department job and Yes, lots of trusts in the UK are offering such jobs at the moment. There are a whole lot of other jobs available in other specialties as well. It all depends on what you want. The only difference is that not all jobs fall under shortage occupation. With the issue of refusal of COS applications recently trending, shortage occupation jobs such as Emergency jobs tend to give greater security/assurance in securing COS and subsequent tier 2 visa. There's a lot of information that you may not fully grasp at the moment, just begin from where you are and gradually advance in the process. As you go along, you'll get more information and be better equipped to make necessary decisions at every point in time. Here is the link of a good blog that gives lots of information about the UK PLAB journey - omarsguidelines..com. You can also get a lot of info from various whatsapp, telegram and facebook PLAB groups. I wish you all the best in your journey bro!

igbowarrior4way:
Any result off your interviews yet medic98? Are they done via Skype or something?

Yes, there is! Thanks for asking. I got a trust grade job in Emergency Medicine last week. Plenty work, but what does a man do? I accepted the first offer that came because it was okay and I'm sort of in a hurry right now 'cos my I.D check date is fast approaching... No time for me to be too picky. Yes, most NHS interviews are done via SKYPE. NES suitability interviews are usually done via regular phone call. Cheers!

Nyinyez7:


Thank you so much

Uwc

Nyinyez7:
Please can anyone add me to the group please on Watsapp n telegram. giftnluv@gmail.com

Hi Nyinyez7, I think you should contact the poster below. He may be able to add you. Cheers!

obuksjr:
Download telegram app, so I can add you to the group.

DBestDoc:


Congratulations Doc.

Thanks, Doc!

igbowarrior4way:
Many thanks for your wise advice..

You're welcome chief

How necessary would it be to have UK hospital experience in the form of clinical attachment, as I’ve heard this is likely to make you more marketable in UK before you get NHS job? And may even lead to a job offer?

Completely unnecessary at the moment as there are several jobs available. I know lots of people who have got jobs in the last 2 years with nothing other than plab 2 passed. I've even heard that some people secured NES jobs before taking plab 2. The demand for doctors has been way more than the supply in the past 2 years, although that demand seems to be reducing gradually... Despite the decline in demand, I don't think clinical attachment is necessary, at least for the time being.

Do you think this is important yourself, and will it figure in your plans?

Nope. It's definitely not in my plans to do one. I had an interview 2 days ago and I wasn't asked about any clinical attachment... (I'm awaiting the outcome). I have another scheduled for Monday and another for Wednesday. At the moment, it's simply not necessary.

Again thanks for your patience explaining the order of things..

You're welcome boss.

igbowarrior4way:
[quote author=Medic98 post=64085262]
Thanks. I'm currently in Nigeria

Well done medic98, when do you intend to do your registration? and is it better to move to uk to job hunt? (Though for me am not sure of anyone to stay with).Just, as am starting on the journey myself, and new here, and could use some help on the order of things. Cheers boss.

Thanks chief. I intend to complete my registration very soon. Moving to the UK to job hunt is not necessary if you plan it properly. You can get a job while in Nigeria and travel once with a tier 2 visa rather than having to go with a visit visa and still come back to apply for a tier 2(work) visa. The proper order of things should be IELTS, PLAB1, PLAB2, Secure a job, Complete GMC Registration (preferably with Tier 2 Visa), Start work. The first 3 stages are fixed. The next 2 stages can be interchanged depending on your plans and circumstances. The last stage is obviously fixed.

MrBigiman:


Many thanks. Did u have to go thru Plabable question bank too?

No, I didn't...

MrBigiman:


Thanks chief. What are the best question banks for Plab1. I have gone thru the 1707 questions, Sampson's 7mocks. Which other will you advice. Thanks.

You're welcome chief. If you've gone through those, I believe you are fine. Going through the 1700+ questions only is enough to pass plab 1 in my opinion. The extra materials only give an extra boost to your score. For more materials, you can check out the PLAB group on facebook and you can also join various plab whatsapp groups. Lots of materials are usually shared in such groups. There are several Swamy mocks available as well. I wish you all the best bro!

...

famzynet:


@Medic98, thanks a lot for your explanations. They are really very helpful and comforting. I wish you all the best in your job hunt. I'm glad that you are now in the easiest part of the whole process as I am made to understand that jobs abound and its a matter of one making choice of city,pay and how convenient. Good luck.

You're welcome. I'm glad it helps. Yeah, true @ job availability. Thanks.

Penboy:

Wow.. Congrats.
How's over there?

Thanks. I'm currently in Nigeria

famzynet:

Wow! Congrats.

Thanks!

famzynet:

Please any advice for us about the PLAB 2?

I think what you need to know about plab 2 is that it has a very very high pass rate especially amongst Nigerians, as long as you attend an academy and you have the determination to pass. In my opinion, if you went through medical school without too many issues, you shouldn't have a problem with passing the exam.

famzynet:

Is it a scary exam?

Lol. Honestly, it can be scary, before the exam especially if you don't have too much time to prepare, during the exam, just like any other oral exam where you have the examiner directly in front of you watching every move of yours and listening to every statement, and after the exam while waiting for the results, but trust me, you'll do just fine!

famzynet:

Can attending the tutorial for just 2 weeks and writing the exam in 1 week time be ok to pass for someone that has just one month work leave for everything?

Yes. I know a lot of Nigerians who did this. Academy for 2weeks and internalization of the material for one week. It's difficult, don't get me wrong, but very possible. You'd just have to begin studying the material from day 1. You may not have any time to enjoy the UK while you're there for the exams 'cos you should be spending most of your time studying and practicing. It's doable. Lots of people have done it. You can do it. It's all about the adrenaline bro! Having said that, I think the ideal time would be 2weeks for the academy and 3weeks for study and practise. That's just my opinion. I'm sure you know that people are different...

famzynet:

What is your opinion of one using PLabright because of their sponsorship? I am writing Plab 1 in march but I know its going to be a walkover for me cos I know exams I can easily pass by just glancing through few past questions. My major concern is Plab 2 since I don't know much about how to prepare for it and I will be taking it this year.

Hmnn, Plabright. Well, plabright is advantageous because of the sponsorship they offer but from what I heard from a friend who used them, they focus majorly on teaching communication skills while they give you all the past questions that have been asked so far in the exam for you to do your own research on how best to answer them. In contrast, the other academies tend to teach you not only communication skills, but also every topic concerning every single question that has been asked in the past as well as how to answer them. So what most of those who attend plabright do is that they get materials from colleagues attending other academies and read up on their own without the privilege of having listened to explanations on those materials. I know a few Nigerians who used plabright and passed without issues so it's not bad. It all depends on the individual. In your case, it's a little bit tricky since you don't have a lot of time. What I would advise is that you can get the most recent plab 2 materials as soon as you pass plab1 so that you can begin familiarising yourself with the stations before you go for the academy. That way, you give yourself a head start and wouldn't feel the impact of the short time you have that much. Having said all that, I may not be the best person to talk about plabright since I didn't attend the academy. You can find out from other peeps as well. Hope this helps. I wish you all the best

rugged7:
There is no hard and fast rule about this stuff...
Of course people can pass it by just watching videos and not being in the u.k
BUT, not everybody is as sharp as you.
And i promise you, those swammy lessons are very useful
And u do practice sessions with one on one with swammy or people who have recently passed the plab
To me, i would advice anybody to at least do a minimum of 2 week prep at swammy/samson b4 the plab2
It will save u money and heartache later
Clinical attachment sharply- apply barnsley NHS or sheffield
Meanwhile, any female doctors interested in marrying male doctors, or vice versa, let me know too.
I link u up.
quality dey marry quality...chikena
Spec o! make una no fall my hand
No Dulling

Is the offer in bold still available?

@ Orthodude - Sorry I'm just seeing your PM. I haven't been in here in a long while. Since its been a long time, I'm sure whatever queries you had has been resolved..

IELTS, PLAB1, PLAB2 done. Now job hunting...

Hi guys. It's been a while in here