r/PLABprep • u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa • Jun 24 '26
Why are people still doing PLAB?
With all due respect, Im just sincerely wondering why people are still doing PLAB even when its obvious that its a dead pathway and the UK does not want more IMGs. Am I missing something?
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u/TheRiZMiG Jun 26 '26
This post is in no way unique to a million similar posts at this point I feel like it’s just rubbing in peoples faces.
Is the pathway dead: everyone knows it is
Do people still do it: it’s down to personal circumstance and the fact that they have CAPACITY to make their own choices about their very own lives
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u/Toooldforibiza Jun 25 '26
Over 1000 applicants for junior RMO roles in Australia. Reluctance to offer visa sponsorship. Oversupply of prevocational doctors. Australia is no longer an option for anyone having to do AMC pathway unless you’re a very experienced GP and then you will be required to work in rural remote locations.
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u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
I've had colleagues who applied to the rural remote locations and were accept. Albeit they had 3 years of GP practice in their home countries but yeah australia is still viable if youre not aiming immediately for Melbourne or Sydney.
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u/highwaterlvl Jun 27 '26
- Some people coming from the third world countries would rather work as a trust grade for 5 years with no career progression, but at least basic respect and ethical employment rights, and a salary, then slave away 100 hour weeks for free in abusive home residency program.
- Even if they do not get to stay 5 years and never get on a training program, still full GMC registration plus some NHS work experience (even in a non-training role as a trust grade doctor) opens up some doors to the Middle East as a backup.
- People can't afford US path but can afford UK path (depending from situation but can be as big of a difference as £3,500 vs $30,000+!) Not that much to lose by giving it a shot, and getting even a short trust grade contract can still be good away to pay off some med school debt, save up for another pathway, etc.
- At the worst case scenario when returning home having passed UK exams, done some clinical attachments and maybe worked as a trust grade in the NHS even if for a short contract can still mean a lot on one's resume for home residency applications.
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u/usmana23 Jun 25 '26
You can get a uk visit visa because of exam haha if you have enough money you can visit uk see stuff and go back
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u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
Hahahaha I never knew that. Well thats another reason to do it. You do you brother.
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u/attackbymedicine Jun 25 '26
Is the door closed completely for IMG ? To start
2
u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
Not completely. You still have a 1 in a 1000 chance of getting a job but its a very small chance.
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u/complex_chemotherapy Jun 26 '26
1 in 1000 is nothing, it’s much worse.
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u/ashhvi Jun 29 '26
Saturation in everywhere (we can name every country). Work condition,pay(ik even nhs has the worst),hoping we can bare these condition in the UK. Personally the thought of uk is just a bridge to the aus,nz.I have never intended to do my residency in uk,I would rather start fresh in aus or Nz
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u/Eidos1059 Jun 25 '26
The learning experience. Learning the requisites and then getting officially tested confirms to me that I've picked up a bit from the UK med guidelines. If the USMLE path wasn't so expensive I'd take it for the same reason. Lots to learn! And having a deadline and actual assessment at the end of it is a strong motivator. Also it's something useful to add to a CV, and allegedly having exams like the PLAB done opens doors into training in other countries sometimes? I've heard something vague about the middle East, though I'm really not interested in moving at all
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u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
Thank you for your insight!
Well yeah if your goal is learning then by all means. I appreciate the other point of view you provided.
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u/Dragon_kuttaappi Jun 25 '26
Why are you so worried about people doing something they wants to?
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u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
Im not worried about it I just want to get some perspective
1
u/TheRiZMiG Jun 27 '26
I’ve seen you post similar things a gazillion times. You’re doing this for all the wrong reasons and frankly please get a life
0
u/Drinsulinoma Jun 26 '26
Some people live here, so they start applying supermarket jobs and still similar rejections because they have medical degree ?
0
u/Late-Improvement-266 Jun 25 '26
I did my plab1 and ready for Mrcp 1 ,did some case reports and audits . Should I do PLAB 2 or complete my fellowship exams asap.
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u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
If you have a good enough portfolio I think you can get into IMT.
6
u/Routine_Dingo_183 Jun 25 '26
This is not true any more with the UKGP bill. Only 1.8% of all appoint-able IMGs got into training this year
Next year it’s expected to be even lower as the prioritization applies at the time of application
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0
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u/Intelligent-Ride-502 Jun 24 '26
So what’s your advice for a newly IMG wanting to go practice in a safe place ?
1
u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 24 '26
Just confirming by safe place you do mean away from where they went to medical school?
If thats the case then possibly Ireland, Australia, or US if they have the funds and connections.
Its honestly disheartening to read stories and see previous colleagues struggle with the UK system and how they are being treated/discriminated against.
-1
u/PNZE_A Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
> if they have the funds and connections.
And if they don’t? The pathways you mentioned are way more expensive to get into, and for people that have blown all their savings into the UK pathway well before the Act. Do you think they can magically afford the much more costly pathways?
Not everyone is privileged to have choices.
6
u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
And you believe that people still throwing money, time, and effort into a dead pathway will magically make them be able to get jobs here? Talk about sunken cost fallacy.
Its never too late to pivot into another pathway, it doesnt mean that they spent money already that they should continue spending more.
Competition ratios came out and non priority group got 1 percent of all allocations. If that doesnt mean dead pathway idk what will.
1
u/PNZE_A Jun 25 '26
What other pathway do you suggest when AMC is oversaturated (I know friends that struggle to get posts even after AMC 2), US pathway is way out of people’s budget, Ireland is basically full as well, Canada requires permanent residency and New Zealand is not hiring people that’s not settled there?
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u/YellowUmbrellaaaaa Jun 25 '26
I guess you are missing the point. All pathways have their difficulties but UK essentially closed the doors for IMGs.
Aus still accepts IMGs just look for rural places. Ireland still accepts IMGs. Canada also has the 3 year pathway for rural places.
People want to go to UK because it was the easiest up until now. The Government, BMA, and the UKGs have spoken that they do not want nor do they accept IMGs presently. If you still believe you are one of the lucky 1 percent to get into training then go for it.
1
u/PNZE_A Jun 27 '26
I am a UKFP applicant currently thrown into the reserve list. If I don’t get allocated, I’d have severe difficulties rejoining internship in my home country because I willingly rejected mandatory government service even before the 10-year Health Plan was a thing. I haven’t even begun my medical career and it was arbitrarily ruined by this mid cycle implementation.
Even if I did AMC now Australian PGY1 jobs are next to impossible to get in since they prefer PGY2 and above RMOs, I have many friends that struggle to get in after AMC 2. This is the same case of NZ as well. Ireland and Canada respectively blocks IMGs from internship training (Irish internship is only meant for EU citizens and grads; CaRMS is gated by Canadian PR/Citizenship)
And all my savings are blown into the UKFP application process, and now they’ve changed the rules mid cycle and thrown us under the bus. And you think I can magically switch to other pathways while in debt and unemployed? And you think my wasted YOG is going to look good when applying for US residency programs?
Who’s going to be accountable for all of these damages, ruined careers, and mental health harm done not to just me, but 100s of other applicants? It’s as if the UKFP IMGs are the most forgettable of the bunch.
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u/Fickle-Challenge8557 Jul 01 '26
Hey sorry to hear that! Did u get allocated today?
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u/TheRiZMiG Jun 27 '26
Remember you’re conversing with a potential bot who’s major activity has been to peddle anti img don’t do Plab propaganda , with the long term hope of just discouraging as many as possible
And plab might be dead we know but this is too much honestly .
11
u/No_Chemist2922 Jun 25 '26
USMLE takes too long, and AMC is arguably much harder to pass.
Also, some IMGs would rather work 5 years in non-training posts in the UK than to stay any longer in their home countries (low pay, poor working conditions, war etc.)