Preparation Course for PLAB 2 (OSCE)

This two-day intensive course is designed for International Medical Graduates preparing for the PLAB Part 2 examination. It is suitable for candidates with adequate medical knowledge who wish to brush-up on the method of practice in the United Kingdom. Candidates will be exposed to a variety of interactive sessions which will enable them to refine the professional values and behaviour which will be tested in the exam.

The course will provide candidates with an insight into how to gain marks in the core areas being tested in the exam: a) knowledge, skills and performance; b) safety and quality; c) communication, partnership, and teamwork; d) maintaining trust.

Candidates will have the opportunity to practice a number of procedures, skills and scenarios in order to enhance their competence in focused history-taking of common complaints, examination, management of common complaints and emergencies, clinical and procedural skills, and essential communication skills. There will also be a tailored feedback session.
The course is estimated to cover 70 hours of individual revision.

Topics Covered:

Day One will cover the following areas:

• Core knowledge and understanding

• Fundamental principles of investigations and management

• Speciality and system specific topics

• Part 1 of information giving, information gathering, and breaking bad news

• Part 1 of clinical examinations

Topics covered on day one will include:

• Essentials of history taking for common surgical, medical, obstetrics, gynaecological and paediatric complaints

• Essentials of history taking for common psychiatric complaints

• Management of common complaints and emergencies in surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and psychiatry

• Ethics of care in the United Kingdom

• Essential communication skills

Day Two will cover the following aspects:

• Part 2 of information giving, information gathering, and breaking bad news

• Communicating with relatives and health care professionals

• Giving instructions on discharge from hospital

• Giving advice on lifestyle, health promotion or risk factors

• Part 2 of clinical examinations

• Clinical and procedural skills

• Data interpretation

Topics covered on day two will include:

• Essential communication skills

• Essentials of basic life support

• Procedural skills – urinary catheterisation; venepuncture and inserting a cannula into a peripheral vein; starting a line; giving intravenous injections; mixing and injecting drugs into an intravenous bag; giving intramuscular and subcutaneous injections; arterial blood gas sampling; vaginal examination; taking a cervical smear; digital rectal examination; suturing techniques; checking blood pressure; calculating drug dosage; basic cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (paediatric and adult); suturing; safe disposal of sharps

• Interpreting an electrocardiogram (ECG), X-rays and basic respiratory function tests

• Examination skills - knee, hip, shoulder, spine, skin and neck lumps, thyroid swellings, abdominal and scrotal examination, gravid uterus, mental state assessment, cardiorespiratory examination and examination of cranial nerves

About PLAB 2:

The Part 2 is tested by means of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), with the exam comprising 18 scenarios (8 minutes each). The candidate will be tested in settings such as a mock consultation or an acute ward. The topics in the test covers everything a UK trained doctor might expect to see on the first day of Foundation Year Two (FY2). It will test their ability to apply knowledge to the care of patients and all the questions relate to current best practice.

The following three areas or ‘Domains’ will be tested at each scenario in the test:

Domain 1 - Data gathering, technical and assessment skills: Covers history taking, physical examination, practical procedures, investigations leading to a diagnosis.

Domain 2 - Clinical management skills: Covers formulating a diagnosis, explaining something to the patient, formulating a management plan.

Domain 3 - Interpersonal skills: Covers how the candidate approaches the station: whether they establish a rapport with the patient, how they use open and closed questioning, involving the patient in the management and demonstrate their professionalism and understanding of ethical principles.