PLAB vs USMLE

PLAB vs USMLE

This is the most featured question put by the juniors to PLAB-oriented seniors, “Bhai PLAB better hai ya USMLE better hai.” The answer is complicated. I personally think it depends on how we define the criteria for being “better”. If it means having the best training in the world, sure, nothing beats USMLE, however, if you want a balanced lifestyle with loads of pounds, put on your royal armor and march onward with your golden horse to Buckingham Palace (Or you could always take a flight😂). Secondly, and more importantly, your personal circumstances matter, so choose wisely. Here is a comprehensive comparison:

VARIABLES	USMLE	PLAB
IELTS/OET	Not required	Required (Clearing IELTS/OET itself is relatively more difficult than passing PLAB1)
LEVEL OF EXAM	Difficult Only 1 attempt Scores matter	Easier  Multiple attempts Scores don’t matter
PREPARATION TIME	Depends largely on your clinical knowledge. 8-14 months for STEP 1  4-6 months for STEP 2 CK 2 months for STEP 2 CS	3-4 weeks for IELTS/OET 2 months for PLAB 1. 2-2.5 months for PLAB 2
WHEN CAN YOU TAKE EXAM	Anytime during/after graduation	Only after graduation
COST IN TOTAL	PKR 25-30 lac	PKR 8-10 lac
PAY AT YOUR FIRST JOB (AFTER TAX DEDUCTION)	Avg 3500 USD/month (PKR 550,000)	Avg 2800-3000 GBP/mo (PKR 600,000) 💷
FIRST JOB	Training job	Most probably non-training job
WORKING HOURS IN JOB	Avg 80 hours/week	40-48 hours/week
LOCUM JOBS	No	Yes (30-50 GBP per hour at junior level)

COMMON MYTHS AMONG KEMCOLIANS

1. UKMLA IS COMING AND IT’S BAD Firstly, nobody knows for sure when it will come into action. GMC has been giving tentative dates for this since 2015. The latest expected time for its arrival is 2023. Secondly, contrary to what medical students might think, I personally believe that it will open new doors for immigrants and further increase their chance for getting into specialty training. See, locals do not take PLAB, only we do. But according to GMC, UKMLA will be necessary for all the graduates, locals as well as immigrants, to obtain their GMC registration. Hence, increased prospects for us.

2. THERE ARE NO JOBS IN UK According to a recent survey, UK has the second lowest doctor-to-patient ratio in Europe, so there are plenty of jobs here. To have a brief idea, just visit www.jobs.nhs.uk.

3. UK TRAINING PATHWAY IS WAY LONGER THAN USA It might be longer but it certainly by no means is “way longer”. In reality, it depends on many factors i.e., what specialty you want to pursue, when you are taking the royal college exams, if you are clearing the exams in first attempt, if you are getting your competencies signed in time, if you are taking any breaks during your training. In most of the cases, it takes around 6-8 years to become a consultant from start of your first non-training job.

4. THERE IS TOO MUCH TAX IN UK There is around 25% tax on junior doctors’ pay. After deduction of this “too much tax” if you are still earning 3000 pounds (aka PKR 600,000) per month in your first non-training job, I don’t think it’s a bad deal by any means (And I am not even including the locum money here). Having said that, the tax structure is UK is built in such a way that the higher you earn, the higher the taxes. So, the wages of consultants in UK seem relatively smaller than those in USA. May be that’s why many consultants come back to Pakistan after completing their training. 

5. THERE IS NO SAVINGS IN UK It depends on where you live and how you live. For example, in London, everything including accommodation, commuting and food is expensive, hence, you’ll be having very little savings. On the other hand, working in small county like Durham will result in plenty of savings. 

SUMMARY

After aforementioned discussion, one might think of UK road as a fairy pathway. Theoretically speaking it is, but the ground reality might feel a bit harsh. For example, following recent trends, after clearing PLAB and getting GMC registration, it’ll take months for you to get your first job in UK. Exceptions, however, are always there. I have also seen people getting jobs within one month of their GMC registration but usually it takes around 5-6 months. (We will discuss it in detail in another post and also put light on the factors which can enable you get the job as early as possible).