There are 2 steps to this exam: plab 1 & plab 2.
plab 1 is an mcq based exam and plab 2 is the practical part, where you will have patient scenarios in different stations.
How did i prepare?
I went for plab 1 & 2 training in 2015 and 2016 respectively. I chose to go to a coaching centre to better utilise my time and attention. I went to Dr. Swamy’s. Initially the centre was in London, so I did my plab 1 coaching there and had to move to Manchester for plab 2 as they relocated in 2016.
How long did I take?
I took 2 months for plab 1 (includes coaching and self study). For plab 2, I took 6 weeks I.e 4 weeks coaching and 2 weeks of practising with my buddy. (Buddy from the coaching centre)
My Personal Experience
I am an international medical graduate who graduated from Wuhan, China and was residing in Oman. In 2015, for plab 1 coaching, we stayed at a room share in a villa close to the centre. Swamy’s classes were in Barking at the time.
I had to take a one year break as I was pregnant with my first child . When baby girl was 5 months old, I jumped back on the wagon to finish plab 2. By that time, Swamy’s centre relocated to Manchester.
so we found a lovely apartment on air bnb and stayed in Handsforth, Manchester for 6 weeks with my mom, husband and baby. I was blessed to have all the helping hands so that I could focus on the exam.
I would take the train at handsforth station, which was just a a couple of minutes walk from the apartment. The train would take me directly to Levenshulme. Dr. Swamy’s institute is just a 5 minutes walk from the station. The coaching centre was feeding friendly too. They offered a spare room to feed my baby during the break. My husband would bring our baby during the break time so I could feed her.
Do I go for coaching or study on my own?
I passed both the exams in my first attempt and that is why I recommend choosing coaching over self study especially if you are on a time crunch.
They pay attentions to all the relevant and commonly asked questions. So we know where to direct our focus and not waste time learning useless information like the TCA pathway or Krebs cycle.
hope this helps. All the best for your exam.
