Medicine is one of the most rated fields in Nigeria. They are among the well-paid professions and sit among the most coveted in the country. While there is no denial about how well medical practitioners are placed in Nigeria today, experts in this field still look for a way to travel outside the country to practice medicine. While some seek to leave the country for green pastures, some look to leave to gain more understanding of the field.

The United Kingdom is one country that has opened her arms to welcome medical professionals from various countries. However, interested medical students or professional have to seat for one of their International medical exams to be qualified. This post introduces this examination, takes a look at how much the first level goes for and other necessary things to note about the exam.

What is the Cost of PLAB 1 in Nigeria?

Like most other international medical examinations, the demand and rate of registration for the PLAB is on the high in recent times. With a lot of medical practitioners aspiring to practice in the United Kingdom, a lot of people are beginning to pay more attention to the international exam.

As it stands, the first stage costs about £230, which is about N133, 630 when converted with a rate of £1 = N581. This rates the first level of exam among the cheapest international medical examinations today and is significantly cheaper than the USMLE, its United State equivalent.

Eligibility and requirement for PLAB 1

To be eligible for the PLAB step 1, candidates are expected to meet certain requirements. In this section, we will consider the two main requirements for one’s eligibility to sit for the PLAB 1 test.

• Candidate must be a medical graduate – This is the basic requirement here. A candidate must be a medical graduate from a recognized and approved medical school before he or she can enrol for the PLAB 1 test. Also, it is important to note that aspiring medical students, who are yet to complete their degree and wouldn’t complete their degree within the year are not eligible to take the examination. Candidates are expected to be certified.
• IELTS UKV Academic – While this is a general requirement for those looking to study in the United Kingdom in recent times, more emphases have now been placed on this. Candidates are expected to score a minimum of 7 points in each of the four areas and a minimum average of 7.5 points. While the IELTs might not necessarily stop, you from gaining access into the UK, it is still very essential for your visa application and smooth processing.
• House officer – While this is not entirely compulsory for the processing and the entry into the United Kingdom, it always helps for candidate to be at least a house office in Nigeria before applying for the test. This will further enhance once opportunity to be granted visa eventually and will also count as one or two years working experience. It should be noted that regardless of what you feel, have a significant year(s) of experience is an added advantage in your entry into the UK and will also help secure permanent jobs faster.

 Test Centres

Unlike most other international examinations, there are no test centres in Nigeria as it stands. In fact, there are no test centres in Africa as candidates can only take the test in Manchester in the United Kingdom. This is one of the controls in place to maintain the absolute standard of the examination.

While the test cannot be written in the country, there are various centres for trainings in Nigeria today. This affords candidates to participate in ongoing classes and general preparation for the test. The examination body has a sub-division in Nigeria that helps provide professional services and personalized trainings in preparation for the examination. The trainings are conducted with absolute regard to the core needs of the medical graduate in the country.  They provide a 1-day course they title – The Introduction to the NHS – that offers candidates valid information needed to sit for the exam and pass it with flying colours therein. While candidate’s chances of passing the tests are not totally reliant on this training, it serves as a great learning curve and places candidates in a better position to do well in the test.

The courses covered and the issues discussed during the course of the training include the process of application and longlisting, kinds of questions to expect and how to answer these questions, areas the test will cover and relevant materials candidates should use to prepare. Also, examination materials and jointly discussed and there is a period of questions and answers when candidates have opportunity to ask questions and experts will answer. Topics including how to easily secure jobs in and outside the country are also shared with participating candidates.

What you should know about the PLAB 1 Test

The General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK organizes the PLAB test, and it can be taken in various British commissions around the world. The test is one of the core requirements for medical doctors looking to practice in the UK. You would not be allowed to work in the UK without registering and taking necessary steps to obtain the form and sit for the exam. Without PLAB, medical doctors wouldn’t be given the license to practice in the country.