RxPG - PLAB Part 2 Exam, A Mystery?

I am a newcomer to this site. Although I have been visiting it for the last 3 months, I was only looking at the posts and ideas about PLAB 2, exam experiences etc. Finally I have decided to share my experience.

I came here 3 months back and joined a coaching (Eastham obviously) which was a total disappointment, any guesses?

And I took the exam in December, which I failed. And you know what happens next. More than failing, it’s the 430 pounds which hurt you and the risk of putting that money on line. And this time I did not join any of those stupid coaching who just put up nothing but fear in you regarding the exams. Although I did not do as good this time as I had expected, I somehow managed to pass.

The first time I failed was a fairly easy set of stations. I got 2 E and 3 D. My 2 E came from a psychiatric station where I just went on asking questions to a depressed actress who never looked up at me. The other E came from dose calculation (Insulin). Thanks to coaching which was fed in my mind, I used some stupid dilution technique which was not at all required, and messed up.

But this time was no easy going. Frankly speaking, I have never used an ophthalmoscope in my entire career. The coaching centre had one, with no lights. First time, I picked a working one was in the PLAB exam and guess what, instead of looking for the red reflex; I was looking for pupillary reflex. Guess I was totally out of my mind. The examiner was trying to give me hints, asking “son, what will you see?”, but I was somewhere else. And obviously, I could not visualize in the mannequin anything. I thought this was an E again.

I walked out thinking, ok, never mind, don’t get another E. You still have 3 Ds as your lifeline.

The next station was VIIIth cranial nerve examination with patient complaining of dizziness. I only did the hearing part (whisper + tuning fork) and that too with errors. I guessed it might be a D.

Next was to explain management to patient with BPH and dysuria. I never gave him antibiotics and piled up a list of complicated investigations in his head. Poor old fellow was only taught to speak that he is allergic to amoxicillin, and then I realised, oh no! I messed up again, another D!

Next was taking history of hemoptysis. I didn’t ask her smoking history! Ironically, me myself being a smoker, I skipped this question.

Now what will you assess from this. I was damn sure I am going down again and so are my 430 pounds, and what I see is a pass in front of my number.

Don’t you think this exam is funny? Although we all prepare well, but the thing is you have to switch from one subject to another in a minutes time and then you are bound to make errors (only if u are not a crammer!). So luck is the strong factor in this exam rather than your efforts. That’s what I believe and have experienced.

thnaks trojan for sharing this wonderful insightful experience in plab part 2 exam. He has priginally shared it in plab part 2 forum in RxPG at http://www.rxpgonline.com/postt42986.html. We request more users to share their experiences with plab part 2 exam in RxPG and keep the idea of "sharing is learning" alive.