Dear all,

One UK exam down, one to go

I was quite nervous about the Professional Linguistics Apptitude Board (PLAB) exam part I, which I wrote on January 23rd, because I hadn't prepared for it for very long. As you likely know, I moved to the UK at the end of November, my shipment arrived a few weeks later, then it was Christmas, and above all else, I was just so darn happy living with my husband at long last, that studying wasn't much of a priority. Suddenly January was upon us, and I, well, quite frankly I freaked out. I almost withdrew my spot from the examination, because I thought surely, this isn't enough time to study for a comprehensive-all-subjects-covered-medical exam. Luckily, I had Loz here to remind me that I didn't have anything to lose by trying (you're allowed unlimited attempts at the exam), so I should just give it my best shot, and that we did.

For three weeks my waking hours were comprised of nothing other than the PLAB. Loz was lovely and took care of meals, and tidying while I focused all my energy on refreshing my medical knowledge. Despite being edcuated in an english speaking country, different training systems put emphasis on different things, and have different expectations. For example, this British exam put more emphasis on eponyms (diseases/syndromes named after people) than my North American training did. Also, different countries have different names for their drugs, and different drugs on their fomularies. A perfect example of this is tylenol (North America) and paracetamol (UK). Luckily, I had spent 3 months of my medical training on this side of the pond, so I was familiar with some of the more obvious name differences, which was good, because besides reading the British National Formulary, there wasn't much I could do!

So, to wind a long post down, I was able to check my status online this morning, and I PASSed the exam, first attempt, and with only about 3 weeks of review under my belt. *phew*

Now I have to study for Part II of the exam, which is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). The format of such an exam is one that tests your practical abilities. There will be a number (15 or 16, I'm not sure) 5 minute 'stations' where you interact with a patient of one form or another. The patient may be an actor, or may be a mannequin, and you are required to perform some element of history taking or physical exam in front of an examiner who is also in the room. I usually enjoy this sort of exam, but realise it is going to take more than 3 weeks of preparation!

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'm one step closer to being able to practice medicine in England, and I'm much relieved for it.

Hugs to you all, and a special thank you to SarahD, who was nice enough to schedule her birthday on the day of my exam to throw some good energy into the universe for me.

A very relieved Strutsy.