Post-graduation in the UK- what, why and how?

I have fairly recently cleared my PLAB exams and have applied to the GMC for registration. I get a lot of queries from my colleagues regarding it, so I have penned down my experience to give you an overview of the process. Do check out all the links as I found them very useful.

1. Can we do post-graduation in the UK and later return to India? Is there an exam for it?

Yes, we can! PG in the UK is recognized in India however, very few of those who make the shift actually return back, probably because they like the lifestyle or the gap in work culture is too large to bridge. But, if you do decide to return, you won't have to take any entrance exam.

2. Can we do Post-graduation in India and then move abroad? Is our PG recognized or we have to give PLAB again?

Yes, you can move abroad after your PG, however, you have the option of getting entry through other pathways, of which the most common is passing the membership of royal colleges exam which will give you entry at ST3/4 level (basically, residency in the UK is much longer than in India and each year/level will be called as ST1, ST2 etc. just like we say JR1 JR2). ST stands for Specialty Trainee.

3. So is PLAB similar to NEET?

Not really. It is a Licensing exam (not an entrance exam). You give this exam to get your license to practice in UK/registration with the GMC, just like you have to register with your state council to practice in your state for e.g. MMC for Maharashtra.

PLAB is also not a single test. There are 2 parts.

Part 1 is an MCQ exam and Part 2 is OSCE (somewhat similar to a practical exam).

4. How do you get into residency?

It involves appearing for interviews. Marks of IELTS/PLAB do not matter when it comes to residency applications.

5. So after clearing PLAB, the next step is to apply for jobs to get into residency?

There’s a step in between the two. We must demonstrate that we are as competent as those who have completed an internship from the UK and are thereby ready to enter residency. For this, we need to achieve a certificate (CREST) by working in the UK for 6 months to 1 year on average. We can do training or non-training jobs.

The internship is called as Foundation Programme in the UK and unlike India, it consists of 2 years of training. Hence, many people enter into the 2nd year of Foundation Programme (FY2). It's a training post with good payment. There is a similar programme called WAST which you can join instead.

Another option is to apply for non-training posts (like the plain posts in India) where you have the same role, responsibility and payment as a person in that level of residency/training post but without the training elements.

6. So how long does the whole process take?

It's possible to get your GMC registration within a year of taking IELTS and some may even have a job offer in hand. Thereafter, you have to work for about a year to get CREST before you become eligible for applying to a specialty/residency.

7. And what are our odds of getting into our field of choice?

There are a lot of variables like your previous work experience, etc. that will determine your chances. Yet, having a look at the competition ratios for your field of choice will give you a fair idea of the number of applicants for each post. Obviously, certain hospitals will be in more demand and hence, this number is only a gross representation of the competition you can expect. However, it’s definitely easier to get a surgical field in the UK than in the USA, other than OBGY, as has been mentioned by quite a few blog posts .

8. So after we get our Permanent GMC registration, don’t we need to give an exam for getting into residency?

There are exams you can give to improve your CV and therefore your chances of getting in, for example, MSRA or the first step of the Membership of Royal Colleges exams. You should check the Person criteria and the training pathway to determine when you need to clear them.

9. What exactly do we need in our CV? Should I get a research/poster presentation?

Your CV should be tailored to the job you are applying to. You should have a look at the Person Criteria for each job that you're applying for. That'll help you tailor your CV to ensure that you meet the mandatory requirements while attempting to match the desirable ones.

10. Do I need to do a BLS or ACLS course in India?

No, it’s not mandatory.

11. How do you select and rank the jobs?

Still not done with the process. Will Update once I am through.

12. How long is the residency?

It depends upon your field. If you plan on becoming a consultant, for example, it'll be a minimum of 3 years for training for GP, 6 for Psychiatry and 8 for Paediatrics.

13. Isn’t that very long as compared to residency in India?

Well yes, it's a long path to becoming a consultant but the way I see it were you to do PG and Super specialization in India without taking a gap year, you would need 3 years for PG and 3 years for Super specialization. Also, if you are from Maharashtra, like me, then you'd have to do 3 additional years of bond service as well. Otherwise, it is just as long, if not more, as compared to the pathway in the UK. Please note that residency in the UK does not have a super specialization, instead they call it a sub-specialty. Hence, I feel that one shouldn’t be giving the time factor as much importance when it comes to deciding between India and the UK, provided the training program suits your needs.

14. How many exams?

You need to give an English language exam (IELTS/OET) and the 2 parts of the PLAB. Thereafter, if you enter training you have to give 3 parts of the Membership of Royal Colleges exams, and you can choose to take the Fellowship of Royal Colleges exam later on. There is another test to get the CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training) and become a Consultant.

15. Why not USMLE?

That’s a personal choice. There are pros and cons to each. I personally like the work-life balance and the socialist nature of the healthcare system in the UK.

16. How much does it cost?

This should give you an approximate idea of the cost. Please check the websites for current rates. You’ll find the links for each in the relevant section of the blog.

17. How is the residency?

I don't have any personal experience at the moment. However, the work-life balance is much better than India in most fields. They work about 48hrs a week on average with the maximum being 72 hrs. You'd have to work 13 hours at stretch at the most. My friends who've joined the NHS tell me that there's a lot of importance given to teamwork and that the seniors are very helpful and approachable. However, they do complain about having a lot of paperwork to do.

18. How much do you earn?

Your pay is based off a few things, like your level (ST 1/2/3etc), the location (London/elsewhere) etc. You get compensatory payment for the extra hours and unsociable work hours that you put in. Check the link for a better understanding. However, you do pay a considerable amount back through tax (about 40%), which is like working about 1/3rd of the year for free. You also have to pay for rent, food etc. So your savings depend on your lifestyle like whether you drink, smoke, eat-out frequently, etc. Still, you can save some amount each month even after living a fairly comfortable life. Check link for more details.

19. How much do you need to score in these exams?

NO ONE WILL BOTHER ABOUT YOUR SCORE IN PLAB EXAM WHEN APPLYING TO A SPECIALTY/RESIDENCY SO LONG AS YOU'VE PASSED IT! It’s a pass-or-fail exam, which means that you just need to cross the pass mark. The passing point is not fixed. It varies according to the batch of students appearing for the exam, which means that if a question paper set has too many easy questions, then the majority will score high and the pass mark will also be higher as compared to an exam where everyone scored low due to difficult questions. Same for PLAB-2, the pass mark depends on the people appearing for the exam with you. One must try to aim for the best personal score rather than worry about how well others might be doing. That said I feel one can arbitrarily target getting at least 70 - 75% questions correct to guide one's prep for PLAB 1. The pass percentage has been over 60% for both exams over last 5 years.

20. How was your experience so far?

I will be adding new posts describing my journey with useful resources and links in sections so that you can jump right to the stage you’re at currently. Stay tuned for new posts!

I hope it was helpful. Hit like or share it with friends if you did! Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts and help with any queries.

Have a lovely day! :)