PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills)

The PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) is designed to help you prepare for the PLAB 2 Exam in a way that allows you to cover all the high yield topics (as outlined by the GMC in the PLAB 2 Blueprint) but still work around your own professional commitments.

Each Plabinar® comprises a web-based guided MCQ session on a core PLAB 1 subject (e.g. cardiology) to aid learning and understanding during the real exam.  The MCQ-centred study sessions test recall and retention across an entire subject.

The Central Scotland Training Centre is a professional institution that has over 1,000 doctors (up to senior consultant level) in its faculty.  Together they provide a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience and are the backbone of the training provided through our centre.  The PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) is no different – it is overseen by a ‘PLAB Specialist Advisory Panel’ which is a panel of senior doctors with a vast amount of knowledge, skill and experience of working in the UK (they screen/approve the content of the teaching material) as well as junior doctors who have recently passed the PLAB with a good score and are in a special position to be able to pass on their ‘secret exam tips’.  Between them, they have an incredible amount of clinical and teaching experience in the UK and are uniquely placed to be able to help you to pass your exam on the first attempt.  The PLAB Specialty Advisory Panel constantly evolves to ensure it contains practitioners of the highest calibre who are the most up-to-date in their respective fields.

Special Features of the PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills)
  • Plabinar sessions are available for the same topics at different times, to give flexibility for you to study when YOU want
  • Highest yield topics are covered, to maximise chances of passing the exam.
  • Contains the most up-to-date UK guidelines – each Plabinar’s content is reviewed and refined by the PLAB Faculty before each session.
  • Active audience engagement during Plabinars.
  • Participants will be invited to join the online PLAB discussion group, allowing questions to be put to the lecturer.
  • Plabinar slides will be issued to all participants, after the session is over.
Who is the course for?

Anyone who is intending to sit the PLAB 2 Examination, with a view to becoming registered with the General Medical Council and working as a doctor in the United Kingdom.

Eligibility criteria

Anyone can apply to take part in this course.  However, spaces are strictly limited to preserve the quality of the learning experience for attendees.  Therefore, if too many people apply, priority will be given to the following groups:
1. Those who have failed the exam in the past and are on their last permitted attempt.
2. Those who have failed the exam even once.
3. Those who have a confirmed placement to sit the PLAB 2 exam on the next diet of the exam.

Prior qualifications, training or experience required

Attendees should have some basic medical education (e.g. completion of initial part of medical school).  The training will be delivered in English so having a reasonable grasp of English is important.

Method of course delivery

PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) comprises of 2 days of face-to-face training

The PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) covers the whole PLAB 2 Blueprint curriculum published by the GMC.

Each Plabinar® comprises a web-based guided MCQ session on a core PLAB 2 subject (e.g. cardiology) to aid learning and understanding during the real exam.

The subjects covered are:

  • Cardiology (+ ECG interpretation)
  • Respiratory Medicine (+ ABG interpretation)
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Endocrinology & Metabolic Medicine
  • Gastroenterology
  • Renal Medicine
  • Haematology, Oncology & Palliative Care
  • Infectious Diseases & Immunology
  • Clinical Sciences & Ethics, including
    • Physiology
    • Pharmacology
    • Genetics
    • Anatomy
    • Radiology
    • Epidemiology
    • Ethics & the Law
  • Paediatric Medicine & Surgery
  • Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Health
  • Psychiatry
  • Dermatology
  • Emergency Medicine & Intensive Care
  • General & GI Surgery
  • Orthopaedics & Rheumatology
  • ENT
  • Opthalmology
  • Urology
  • Vascular Surgery

NB: The sequence of topics shown above is for illustration only.  The exact sequence may be modified according to specialist/lecturer availability.

Booking is easy as we accept online applications and payments.

If you would like to book a course, you can simply click on the desired course date and you will be taken to our online registration form.

If you have any queries, please email admin@clinical-training.co.uk.

Once the form is submitted, the organising team will review the form and approve/reject the application.  If the application is approved, you will receive an email confirming the approved status of the application.

We have the following options available for participants.

PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) Active Learner Session:

Cost of a place on the PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) Session:
£650

Available dates (please click on the monthly series to continue the booking):

Fully Booked – Please Enquire In Regards To Availability

PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) Silent Learner Session:

Cost of a place on the PLAB 2 (Clinical Skills) Session:
£250

Available dates (please click on the monthly series to continue the booking):

Fully Booked – Please Enquire In Regards To Availability
 

The sessions are held online via Zoom at the Central Scotland Training Centre (CSTC).

If you are successful in obtaining a placement, joining instructions will be sent to you.

There is no on-site training for this particular programme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a number of the questions we are frequently asked.

Do you offer a free taster session?

Yes. The first session is completely free for the evening lectures (plus the following evening’s MCQs).

After my free taster session, can I attend specific MCQ or lecture sessions only, rather than the whole package?

Yes. This is possible by booking through your dashboard as a ‘single payment’. It is subject to space availability (package holders will be given first priority for placements in each session and placements will be limited in capacity per session). The costs are:

  • For morning MCQ sessions, the price is £10.
  • For evening lecture sessions, the price is £20. This includes the lecture plus the MCQs the following evening.

If I join a package part-way after it has already started, what happens?

Each batch of participants is treated as ‘one class’. So, once a 4-week block of morning MCQs OR an 8-week block of evening Lectures/MCQs has started the ‘academic term’ has begun (so to speak).

Therefore, even though you may be permitted to join once the academic term has started (even if it part way complete), your package will end when that academic term ends.

For instance, if you book a 4-week morning MCQ subscription and you join in week 2, your subscription will end at the end of week 4.

If you book an 8-week evening package (Lectures/MCQs) and you join in week 3, your subscription will end at the end of week 8 (once the course finishes).

Will I have access to the notes/slides or MCQs?

Notes/slides are accessible on the candidate dashboard on our website, once you login. This material is made available after each session is finished.

MCQs are not released as they are tutor-led practices, rather than self-directed learning. So they will be displayed online via Zoom during MCQ teaching sessions to help you improve your exam technique and correct any erroneous thought processes.

If I fail or have my exam cancelled, do I get a refund or extension?

No. Our teaching programmes are not linked directly to the GMC. As an independent body, our courses run autonomously.

Do you have a WhatsApp or Telegram networking group?

Yes. Those who attend our sessions will be enrolled into the relevant WhatsApp/Telegram group so they can discuss course issues or particular PLAB questions/problems with the tutor or each other.

Why do you run your programme differently to everyone else?

There are many, many PLAB preparation groups or organisations out there who offer self-directed learning (e.g. practising MCQs in your own time). This suits some people but not others. There are a number of weaknesses in this approach which is why CSTC has adopted the approach it has:

  • If a candidate struggles with an MCQ during self-directed learning, they have no-one to turn to. CSTC offers MCQ practice under tutor supervision.
  • If a candidate fails an MCQ during self-directed learning it is not always clear why they were wrong so they have no means to improve for future MCQs. CSTC’s tutor-led MCQ practice means that the tutor will explore the thought or analytic process that a candidate uses so identify where the weaknesses lie and help the candidate to overcome these challenges so they have a better chance of getting the right answer the next time.

I studied with other leading exam preparation providers but did not pass. What makes CSTC different?

  • CSTC notes are the most up-to-date as they are reviewed and revised by senior consultants based in the UK, with the latest NICE and other UK guidelines.
  • Many other providers only provide limited notes, focussing on specific topics which are considered ‘high yield’. However, this can be a problem in the real exam as other topics may come up which the candidate has not prepared for, losing them marks. CSTC lectures also cover the whole PLAB curriculum in a structured and guided way, to help candidates really understand the material which aids retention and recall under exam pressure. It also means that if a candidate meets a question in the exam that they have never seen before, their strong foundation of knowledge will help them reason through the question and reach a correct answer.
  • Finally, the structured programme of lectures + MCQs + intensive revision/mock exam preparation gives candidates everything they need to succeed in the exam.

What happens after the first 4 weeks of morning MCQs?

One round of MCQs covering all the subjects in the curriculum is completed over a 1 month period. We have 3 such rounds before the May exam. Each round is a separate 1 month subscription:

The 3 one-month subscriptions available to choose from are:

  • Starting from 15 February 2021
  • Starting from 15 March 2021 (not yet open for bookings)
  • Starting from 19 April 2021 (not yet open for bookings)

If you have any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.