Susmita's UK Diary

MRCP part 1 experience

2019-02-10T13:22:00.003-08:00

I gave my MRCP part 1 in just 3 months after moving to the UK with just 2 months of preparation. Almost everyone was telling me that you need atleast 4-5 months of prep (with a job) and that I should allow myself to settle into the system before giving the exam.
However, after moving here, I felt really lonely and home-sick. My mom convinced me to go ahead and give the exam for the sole reason that the prep would keep me distracted.
I booked my exam on the last day of the registration period, still unsure of whether I would be able to prep.

Materials used:

Pass Medicine. (Magraby Notes when I felt too bored to solve questions.)
I did not touch any other q-bank or text book. Infact, due to time constrains, I could solve only 2500 questions out of 3000 that the above q-bank offered.

Also, please go for the online version as new questions are routinely added and the latest guidelines are updated regularly.)

However, as I have always stressed, having a relatively decent medical knowledge and reading standard medical textbooks like Harrison's in my medical school is essential if you want to crack the exam with a very short period of prep. Make sure that you have more time for prep if have not done so in your medical school.

My prep:

When I subscribed to Pass Medicine, I had 82 days for my exam to go. However, I did not start solving until the countdown came to 64 days as I was too worked up my new life in UK.

Gradually I started solving around 30 questions per day and reading explanations. By the 1st of December, when my mother came to visit me, I only did around 800-1000 questions. My pace of study picked up only when my mother's visit. I started doing around 50 questions per day. Mind you that I was working and I hardly had 2-3 hours for prep everyday.

I took an annual leave around 2 weeks before my exam. By then, I could finish all topics from Pass Medicine, except Infectious Diseases and Hematology. I decided not to do them and started revising the topics that I have read again. During this period, I studied for around 8-9 hours per day. My plan was to finish off revision 2 days before the exam and then quickly skim through the 2 topics that I had left. However, unfortunately I couldn't spare time to read the 2 topics and went ahead to give the exam without reading them.

My exam:

I took my exam in London. (8th January, 2019). I reached there 1 day before my exam with my mother and stayed in the same hotel where my exam was being held so that there was no need for me to get up very early in the morning and travel to the centre. A good night's sleep is really essential as the exam is very long and can make you exhausted.

For those who do not know, the exam is held in 2 sessions: morning and afternoon, each session lasting for 3 hours. You have 100 questions to solve in each session.

The question pattern was very similar to Pass Medicine. Some questions were direct repeats. There is a lot of time to think. So even if you do not know the answer to any question, think and choose the best out of the 5 options provided. Remember that the other options might also be right, but you need to choose the best out of them.

Work HARD! Party HARDER! Good luck!

Visit Visa for Parents

2019-01-27T11:36:00.000-08:00

My mom came to visit me in just 2 months after I moved to UK. She stayed here, in the UK, for more than 1.5 months before going back.

The key to getting a visa is keeping it simple and straightforward. It is similar to the PLAB 2 visit visa application.

Remember: Do not lie or show any false documents. Speak the truth and your parents will definately get it

Duration:

I applied for a 6 month visa as it has lesser chances of being rejected.
However, if your parents have been to the UK before, you might apply for a longer visa.
Remember that whether it is a 5 year visa or a 6 month visa, your parents cannot stay in the UK for more than 6 months at a stretch. They must go back to their home country within 6 months.

Documents needed:

To demonstrate sufficient funds: A copy of your parent's bank account. There is no minimum balance requirement, however it should be sufficient to fund their trip. My mom attached a copy of her bank account.( A joint account of my mom and dad)
To demonstrate source of those funds:

A letter from your parent's employer stating their salary
IT returns certificate.

To show the reason of her visit: A copy of your NHS id as a proof that you work in UK. ( This is not needed at all)
To demonstrate ties back home:

Their jobs.
A copy of the properties your parents hold in your home country.
If only either of your parent is travelling, the spouse being back home is a sufficient reason to demonstrate ties.

Cover letter: As mentioned here.

Note:

Do not book flight tickets till you get their visa.
Accommodation: Your parents can stay with you if you have an extra bedroom. If not, that needs to be arranged for and preferably mentioned in your visa application.
Health care is very costly in UK. Your parents, as visitors, are not entitled for free treatment in the NHS. So do consider getting a health insurance for the duration of their visit.

Opening Bank Account without BRP : Dr Muhammad Khattab

2018-11-10T12:36:00.001-08:00

Recently, many people have been facing delays in getting their BRPs and it has been a cause of concern amongst all IMGs. Here is, post by Muhammad Khattab,MRCS-MSc Surgery, a doctor from Egypt on how to go about opening a bank account without a BRP. A heartfelt thank you for allowing me to share your experience on my blog!

After landing in UK, I decided to get a bank account so that I can put all my bank notes (cash) in it and get my salary transferred there as well.

I got a letter from my HR mentioning my address, place of work and my annual salary so that I can open a bank account.

I went to Natwest , HSBC, Lloyds and Barclays. All of them asked for my BRP in order to open a bank account for me.

My BRP was due to arrive on the 15^th of September, however, I was still without one by 1st of October. It was delayed! It was apparently due to a large number of students migrating to UK during this time.

The pay roll team had told me that if you don’t get a bank account before the end of the first week of October, I won't be getting my pay this month end.However they would pay me for the successive two months at the end of November.

I was really frustrated at not being able to get a bank account and was afraid to miss out my first salary. Additionally, it was really difficult to walk down the street without a debit cards because literally all the transactions are done via contactless cards.

So I had to make a bank account as soon as possible .

A friend of mine talked me through creating an online bank account; it's pretty easy and fast.

The well known names are: Starling , Monzo and Revoult. You don’t need to go to a bank or a BRP to create it. All you need is your address and a valid ID.

Here are the steps:

1. Download the app from Google play store.( I opened my account with Starling bank) and just follow the instructions in the app.

2. Have a valid ID ready next to you

3. Take a video of yourself saying

"Hello, My name is (Your name ) and I would like to have an account in your bank."

4. Take a picture of your ID(passport) and send it to them.

5. With a couple of days, you will receive a debit master card at the address provided by you.

6. Once you receive it, all you have to do is activate your bank account on your mobile! You are now free to add and transfer money as well as use your contactless card!

I gave my bank account and sort code number to my HR and they were happy with it.

NOTE: After you get your BRP, you need to let your HR know your National Insurance number in order for them to approve transfer of your salary.

One month later, my BRP still did not arrive. Had I waited for it to arrive, I would have been without a bank account all this while.

First month in UK

2018-10-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Let me begin this post by thanking all the amazing souls who stood by me when I was feeling lonely in the beginning. Thank you so much everyone.

I started my job 2 weeks after I landed in UK as I was waiting for my occupational health clearance and those 2 weeks were really depressing for me. However, once I started my job, I started feeling better. I met new people at work and started learning new things. I realised how much can I progress in this country in terms of career.

My first 4 month rotation is in the busiest department of any hospital- Acute Medicine. I was officially offered a month of paid shadowing from my hospital, but I started clerking patients from day 1 and was working independently in 10 days. All my colleagues till date have been very supportive in teaching me about anything I do not know about the system.

This is my typical day:

1. My day starts at 9 am sharp.
2. Our entire team, including the consultant, participate in the morning handover, that is the night doctors give you a brief about every patient in the ward and let you know about any jobs that are left for the patient.
3. Morning ward round by consultant and clerking new patients that are admitted.
4. Making sure that we do all the jobs for each patient.
5. Since it is an acute medicine ward, new patients keep on coming in and the clerking- doing jobs cycle keeps on going till the end of the day.
6. At 4.30pm, you start making a handover list.
7. 5pm, handover to the evening team.

Here is a list of jobs that junior doctors are expected to do(there may be lot more jobs than listed here):

1. Clerking the patient.( history taking, examination and initiating a treatment plan for the patient)
2. Writing the drug chart. (You can refer to the BNF if you are unsure of the dosage)
3. Requesting scans.
4. Making referrals: email, via phone, talking personally.
5. Taking bloods.( This is done by the phlebotomist in the morning. However, if you need any additional blood through the day, you will have to take them)
6. Cannulating a patient if the nurses are busy or unable to do them.(Once, my consultant inserted the cannula as none of us were able to do it!)
7. Chasing the scans and bloods.
8. Making discharge summaries for patients.
9. Other jobs like talking to the patient's relatives.

My hospital and my department has been very supportive. If interested, we can also attend lectures that are meant for trainees. Overall, it has been an amazing first month in UK.

First week in UK

2018-09-30T11:33:00.002-07:00

For every IMG, first week in UK in very hectic, both physically and emotionally.

Here is a list of what all you need to sort out in the first week.

1. Accommodation: If you haven't sorted this out before coming to UK.
2. Collect your BRP. The place of collection will be mentioned on your Tier 2 visa letter.
3. Open your bank account. You will need your passport, BRP, address proof(tenancy agreement) and a letter from your HR mentioning your salary and your address.(Please note that not all banks need all these documents. But if you have these four, no bank will say No to opening a new account)
4. Meet your HR: Complete your ID check and discuss about your start date.
5. Make an occupational health appointment.
6. Enroll yourself with the local GP. Open Google maps and type GP surgery. You will get a location of all the GPs in your area. Look out for a GP near you and search for their website online. In their website, you will find an 'Enroll New' form. Fill that up and go to the GP with your BRP/Passport and your address proof(tenancy agreement or a letter from HR)

My first week experience:

Day 1 (Monday):
Reached Kettering. Settled in my accommodation.

Day 2:
Went to Northampton to collect my BRP. Explored the city.

Day 3:
Opened my bank account with HSBC. I walked in without an appointment and I was immediately attended to. The banker then explained me the options available and what all the bank would offer. I was shown a video about it too. A credit card was also offered to me despite having no credit history. All of this took and hour and a half. Once this was done, I was given an opening letter which contained my account number and the SORT code. It is this letter that you need to show to your HR so that they can add you to the payroll.
Later, went for grocery/ kitchenware shopping.

Day 4:
Met my HR. Unfortunately, the earliest occupational health appointment that I could manage to get was on 15th October and my HR wouldn't allow me to start till then. I requested for an earlier appointment and was given 8th. Apparently, the occupational health department has a vaccination campaign next week and hence there are no appointments available next week! So I basically have to wait till 8th of October to start.

Day 5:
Enrolled myself with a GP near my hospital.

Overall, my first week was like a roller-coaster ride. I was happy professionally as I knew that I would have great potential to grow as a doctor. But the very fact that I would be living away from my parents and home for a very long period and probably a lifetime, made me jittery. The thought of leaving my parents away when they grow old has always been on my mind since I arrived. Having never stayed away from my parents and home, I have been so homesick that I contemplated going back home!
However, I have decided to give myself a 3 month time before I take a decision on going back to India. Only time will tell..

Applying for Tier 2 Visa

2018-09-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

Tier 2 visa is a work visa. Applying for Tier 2 Visa is easier than a Visit Visa because you need not prove any ties back home.

You will need the following documents:

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS):

This is a document issued by the UK home office at the request of your employer.
Your hospital HR will apply for this document once you accept a job offer.
It contains your personal details as well as details about your job and salary.
Maintenance: You will get your first salary a month after you start working. Therefore, you need some money to sustain yourself in the first month. Most of the trusts agree to take care of this, and tick 'Yes' for maintenance in your CoS. If they do so, you will not need to show your bank statement or prove that you have sufficient funds with you during your visa application.

Police clearance certificate(PCC):

You will need a PCC from all the countries you have lived for 12(continuous or in total) or more months in the last 10 years, while aged 18 or above.
This certificate is valid for a period of 6 months.
In India, you can apply for a PPC from your local passport office. Apply, pay and book an appointment for it from the same website which you used while applying for your passport. All you need is just your passport.(and your address proof if the address on your passport is different from your current address). Read more about the process here.

UKVI IELTS:

You can use the same IELTS certificate that you used for your GMC registration, provided it is UKVI and taken within the last 2 years.

TB Clearance certificate:

This certificate is valid for 6 months.
This certificate must be issued by a UKVI authorised clinic.
The list of such clinics can be found here.

Bank statement:

This is only needed if your trust has not ticked maintenance on your CoS or is not an A rated sponsor.
You need to have a minimum of 945 pounds in your account since the past 3 months of your application.

Cover letter:

You may or may not attach this letter. If you have made any minor mistakes in your visa application, you can explain it here.

Accepting a job offer

2018-09-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

Post your interview, you will soon hear from the HR about the outcome of the interview. If you are the first preference for a particular job, you will most likely hear from the HR within a day.

You may or may not chose to accept the job immediately. If you are not completely satisfied with that particular job or are looking for an offer in any particular place, you may ask the HR to give you a few days to decide. Generally, they can hold on your offer for about 10-15 days.

The HR will send you around 5-6 different documents which you need to sign and send it back to them. If you have any doubts, do email the HR before accepting the offer.

Negotiating your salary:

Fresh graduates like me need not negotiate. You will be offered the least as you lack experience.
If you have an year or more of post graduate experience in your home country, you can negotiate. However, please note that some trusts will not consider your experience back home while calculating your salary.
Negotiate your salary before accepting the job offer.

Questions you can ask your HR while accepting the offer:

Will you be having an induction before you join?
Accommodation details
Will they tick Maintenance on Certificate of Sponsorship?
The trust's policy on relocation expenses.
Your annual study budget, if any.

Please note that you need not ask all the questions mentioned above. I never asked the last 2 questions. Each trust has it's own policy for relocation expenses and study budget and is likely to be same for all it's employees. You can find it in your intranet when you join.
You might negotiate relocation expenses if you are joining NHS at a higher level or are in real need of money. I did not since it slows down the process(HRs can be really slow in this issue) and I wanted to join as soon as possible.

The only step left now is to apply for a Tier 2/Work Visa.

My interview experience

2018-09-18T04:23:00.000-07:00

I applied to around 120 jobs, got 18 interview offers, accepted 4 interviews and got selected in all 4 of them. All of them were Skype interviews.
The aim of this post is to show that there is no job saturation at present.

SR NO	LOCATION	SPECIALITY	DID I ATTEND THE INTERVIEW?	REASON FOR ACCEPTANCE/DECLINE

1	London	Emergency Medicine	No	I applied for EM initially, before the Tier 2 cap was lifted. By the time I got my interview,the new rules were in place.

2	Birmingham	Emergency Medicine	No	Same as above.

3	Oxford(JR)	Cardiothoracic anaesthesia and critical care	No	Was really tempted to take this up as it is OXFORD! I had applied because I like critical care. When I got the offer, I realised that it was more of cardio-thoracic anaesthesia. Critical care was not a compulsory part of the rotation. Hence, declined.

4	Coventry	Neurology	Yes	Attended because it was a university hospital. Declined the offer as the consultant told met hat this job won't be the best job to sign off foundation competencies.

5	Cumbria	Gen Medicine with rotations	No	Mixed reviews about the hospital location

6	Watford	Care of elderly	Yes	Seriously considered taking it up. But I did not hear a decision from then for about 10 days as the HR was on leave.

7	Swansea	Gen Medicine with rotations	Yes	Good reviews about hospital. Seriously considered taking it up. The only drawback was the location.Far off from major cities and very less Indian population in Wales.

8	Kettering	Gen Medicine with rotations	Yes	Good reviews about hospital. Great location with good connectivity to major cities in UK. Wanted my first job in a small town as I have lived in a cosmopolitan city all my life. Accepted this offer.

9	Plymouth	Cardiology	No	Already accepted another offer.

10	Kings Lynn	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

11	Kent	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

12	Lincolnshire	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

13	Luton	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

14	Stepping Hill	Rehabilitation Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

15	Telford	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

16	Tunbridge Wells	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

17	Coventry	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

18	Kent	Gen Medicine	No	Already accepted another offer.

The interview prep

2018-09-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

How will you get the interview offer?

The HR will contact you via an email though the job.nhs or trac.jobs website.
The email will contain the date of the interview and a link through which you will have to confirm your interview.
You may or may not be given the option of selecting a particular time slot for your interview.

How to ask for Skype interviews?

If you are currently not in UK or cannot travel for any reason, you can ask for a Skype interview to be arranged for you.
First, accept the job offer via the link sent in the email. You will be allotted a time slot.
Then, email your HR saying that you wish to give your interview on Skype.
Once you get a positive reply, send them your Skype address.

Preparing for the interview:

Be thorough with your CV. Go through your CV a day before your interview.
Read all the emergency scenarios from Oxford Handbook.
Read about audit and it's steps, difference between an audit and research and clinical governance(including it's pillars) from Wikipedia.

Dress code:

Formal wear only, even if you are giving the interview on Skype.
For girls, it is advisable to tie your hair neatly.

Length of the interview:

At a junior doctor level, your interview will last for about 15 minutes

Commonly asked questions:

Since the time allotted for each interview is just 15 minutes, interviews tend to avoid about the things already mentioned in your CV.(like walk through your CV, what all procedures can you do. etc)

The following is a list of questions that I encountered during my interview:

What did you learn during your internship? What was your day typically like?
Tell me one instance which demonstrates your team work?
What is your biggest strength and biggest weakness?
This job involves on-call and you may have to work for about 12 hours continuously. Do you think you will be able to manage?
What are you future plans? How do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
Why did you apply for this job?
Tell me one mistake that you made at work. What did you learn from it?
Clinical scenario: MI, PE, DKA, Heart Failure, Pneumonia
Ethical scenario: Patient's son calls you and asks about his father's condition.
Questions about audit, clinical governance and research.
Some informal questions about my city, bollywood and my favourite bollywood hero.
If we were to offer you this job, will you take it up?
Do you have any questions for us?

Questions that I asked them:

I am looking to get my foundation competencies signed through this job, will I get the opportunity to do so?
Will I be getting a clinical/ educational supervisor?
Will I be getting study leaves?

You can ask any questions as long as it is relevant to the job.

Applying for jobs

2018-09-18T04:09:00.000-07:00

When to apply for a job?

According to me, the best time to apply for for a job is after you have passed your PLAB 2 exam and awaiting GMC registration. However, some people might start applying even before their PLAB 2 results are out. You will get most of your interviews after you are registered with GMC.

Where to search for a job?

This is a little tricky because:

Searching for a job(speciality wise) is easier through trac.jobs.
But applying for jobs is easier via job.nhs.

What I did is that I searched for jobs through trac.jobs. Once you get a list of the vacancies, you can see that every job has a unique reference number. I put this reference number in jobs.nhs to find the same advert and sent in my application.

This is just a suggestion. However you apply, make sure that you do not send in duplicate applications to the same job.(each from either website)

Which jobs to apply?

If this is your first job in UK, simply apply to as many jobs as you can in the speciality you are interested in. Just make sure that you are applying at your job level.(Ex, if you are a new graduate, apply for the post of Trust Grade SHO, FY2 or Junior Clinical Fellow)

What I suggest is DO NOT short-list the jobs based on location or hospital reviews. Let the hospital short-list you for an interview and then you can decide whether you want to attend that particular interview or not.

It is now time to prepare for your interview!

Making a job profile

2018-09-18T04:05:00.001-07:00

You can apply for non training jobs in UK via these 2 websites:

1.www.jobs.nhs.uk

2. trac.jobs

It is essential to create your profile in both these websites because employers/ trusts may use either of the two to communicate to you. Each trust has a different policy. However, more than 90% of the trusts will use trac.jobs to communicate. So, if you plan to use only 1 website, go for trac.jobs.

If you wish to apply via jobs.nhs website, do not worry. If your employer uses trac.jobs for reviewing your application, you will get an email saying that your mail has been imported into trac.jobs. You can go to trac.jobs and claim your application.

Please make sure that you DO NOT apply for the same post through both the above websites. Use either one of the two. Applying for the same job twice(even if it is visa different websites), gives a negative impression about you. It shows that you did not bother to remember whether you have applied for the job prior.

Information asked in your job profile:

1. Personal details: name, address, contact number, visa details. etc
Please mention your visa details clearly so that your potential employer knows that they will have to sponsor a Tier 2 visa for you.
2. Your qualifications, including your GMC registration details.
If GMC has invited you for an ID check and your ID check date is in a couple of weeks, you can safely say that you have full registration with license to practise. For all practical purposes, your employer is likely to process your profile after a few weeks, by then you would have your registration.
3. Employment history: Put in your internship details too, as one single employer.
4. Referees: You would need atleast three references for most of your jobs. They will be contacted as a part of your pre-employment checks. So make sure that you keep them in the loop as well.
5. Supporting information:

Declaration of practical experience.
Teaching
Research
Publication
Presentation
Prizes or academic distinction
Management and leadership experience
Team working
Other supporting information

It is perfectly alright if you do not have anything to write about under all these categories. You will still get a job. But please DO NOT put in any fake information.

6. Monitoring information: DOB, religion.etc- for statistical purposes.

7. Safeguarding: A few yes/no questions.

Remember: A 'perfect CV' does not exist. Write whatever you think is important and in whichever format you want. Do not follow anyone. Your CV should be unique and should reflect your personality.

That's it! You have now made your profile. It's now time to start applying for jobs.

My ID check experience

2018-09-18T03:57:00.000-07:00

I booked my ID check at the London office. The GMC building was a 5 minutes walk from my hotel and I reached at 9AM for a 9.45AM appointment.

The receptionist verified my ID and gave me an ID card. I was asked to wait till someone calls for me. There is a coffee machine and a water purifier at the office. I sat there sipping my hot chocolate and reading the Good Clinical Governance booklet provided by GMC.

After 10 minutes, I heard a female call my name. She escorted me into a small room where I was asked to show my original documents. She told me that she will have the documents verified and will come back soon. I was left in the room alone with nothing to do. I took my phone about and started browsing.

Ten minutes later, she was back in the cubicle with my documents and I was informed that the documents have been successfully verified. She then went on to do some 'admin work' on her computer for 5 minutes, post which she congratulated me saying that my name has now been included in GMCs online register for doctors.

I was asked to confirm my address. My GMC registration certificate would be sent to this address. I provided my Indian home address.( I received my certificate after 4 weeks)

That's it. My name was now visible in their online register.

Applying for ID check

2018-09-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

IMP: GMC has announced that candidates taking their PLAB 2 test after October 2nd, 2018 need not go again for an ID check. GMC will verify your ID(by means of your passport) when you go for your PLAB 2 exam. This is good news for IMGs qs it saves money for a 2nd trip. (However, in case of any doubts or discrepancies, GMC reserves the right to call any doctor again for an ID check)

Once GMC verifies your documents, you will receive an email inviting you for ID check. It will also contain the list of documents that you need to carry with you for the check. You can book the ID check date from your account.
Dates are available throughout the month at their London and Manchester offices. You can book an appointment at either of the places.

Note: ID check date can be booked as soon as you pass PLAB 2. However, there is a chance that GMC might cancel your appointment if you book a date before your documents are verified. So it is up to you to decide when to book the date. I booked it immediately after passing PLAB 2 and GMC did not cancel it for me. Read about my ID check experience here.

Changing/Verifying your name

2018-09-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

Both GMC and EPIC will ask you for proof if the name on your degree and passport is different. This can be due to:

1. Your degree contains your father's name as middle name but your passport doesn't mention this. This is what you can do:

Most of the counties, including India, mention father's name on the last page of your passport. Simply email them a copy of the same.
Alternatively you can get a document signed by the authorised official of your medical school. The document MUST have the same line as mentioned:

This certifies that the names [name on document] and [name in ECFMG record] belong to one and the same person.

I had a similar problem and I sent both the above documents to GMC as well as EPIC.

2. Name change post marriage.

Simply attach a copy of your marriage certificate.

3. Spelling error:

Get the name changed on your degree if possible.
In most of the cases,changing names on your degree becomes very difficult. So you can get the spelling of your name changed on your passport.
Every country has different rules for getting the name changed.
In India, you need to make an affidavit and publish your name change in 2 newspapers. With this proof, you will have to approach the passport office for a new passport to be made.

ECFMG EPIC Verification

2018-09-18T03:50:00.000-07:00

Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials or EPIC is a service provided by ECFMG, USA. EPIC is a service that verifies of your medical credentials.

GMC requires your primary medical qualification/ medical degree to be verified by EPIC before GMC registration. You can start this process as soon as you have your degree certificate in hand. Please note that there is no need to get your transcripts verified.

Procedure establishing an EPIC account:

Login to their official account: www.ecfmgepic.org
Create your own account
They will ask for your personal details as well as details about your medical college.
Enter you name as mentioned in your passport. Click here to read about what to do if the name on your passport and degree is different.
You will have to pay $125 to establish your account.
EPIC will take 1-3 days to verify and establish an account for you. You will receive an email when it is done.

Procedure for confirming your identity/ NotaryCam:

Once your account is established, Login in to your account.
EPIC will upload your EPIC Identification Form or the EIF form.
You will now have to get it verified and digitally signed by using NotaryCam.
You will receive an email through which you can schedule your NotaryCam appointment.
You will need your passport and your laptop/mobile.(make sure it has the front camera)
On the given date and time, you will receive a link from a NotaryCam agent.
Open that link and your video call will start.
The person will have a copy of your EIF form with them.
You will be asked to check the spelling of your name and other details on the form.
After this, you need to show the first page of your passport. Make sure that the entire passport is visible on the screen.
Once this is done, the person will help you to digitally sign your account and the process is done. It hardly takes 2 minutes for this.
The signed form will reflect in your EPIC account in a day or 2.

Verification of your credential:

Login to your account and upload your credentials in the 'My credentials' tab.
Select 'Primary Medical Diploma' while uploading your degree.
Also, select for the report to be sent to GMC directly once the entire process is done.(If you do not do this now, you will have to pay $35 to send a report to GMC later)
EPIC takes $80 for each credential verification. You will have to pay the fees now.
Now comes the tricky part. If your college participates in electronic credential verification process, EPIC will directly send an email to your medical college and they will verify it electronically.
However, if your medical college doesn't have this facility, EPIC will send a courier to your college. It needs to be signed by an authorised official(mostly the dean) of your college.
There is an optional courier fee of $30 pounds. This is highly recommended as you can track your application and see whether it has reached your medical college.
Once it is signed by the authorised official, the college itself has to directly courier it to ECFMG. Make sure that the college sends it, that is, there should be a college stamp in the 'From' address.
You will receive an email once your credential is verified and you can view it in 'My reports' tab. A report will also be sent to GMC if you have selected the same prior.

Read about what to do if the name on your passport and you degree is different here.

Certificate of Good Standing from various state medical councils in India

2018-09-18T03:43:00.000-07:00

This post is aimed at helping Indians apply for a Good Standing Certificate from their respective state medical council.

If you do not find the name of your state medical council in the list and wish to contribute to this blog post, do let me know.

NOTE: DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE MCI FOR CGS, UNLESS YOU ARE DIRECTLY REGISTERED WITH MCI. IT IS A VERY TEDIOUS PROCESS AND REQUIRED APPROVAL BY YOUR STATE MEDICAL COUNCIL AS WELL.

Good Standing from Maharashtra:

Before you begin, let me warn you that it will take some time for them to process.(Infact, lots of time.LOL) It might take more than a month. So plan in advance.
You can applying only after you get your permanent registration number.(CGS is not issued on your provisional registration)
Login to you MMC account from this website.
Go to Application for Doctors.
Click on Good Standing from MMC.
In purpose of Good Standing, select Licensing Authority Details and put GMC's details and email id(img@gmc-uk.org).MMC will send your CGS directly to GMC.
Do not select the Personal option. Only difference between the two is the fee that you pay. But do not try to save money and go for the personal one. GMC almost always sends a mail to MMC for CGS verification and MMC will not verify the personal one.
Now wait till MMC approves the fee payment for you.
Once approved, pay the fee. At present(2018), they take Rs 6000 for issuing CGS.
MMC will generate your CGS soon(depends on your luck) and e-mail it to you as well as the GMC.
Sometimes, GMC can miss the mail sent by MMC and may again send an email back to MMC for verification. MMC will reply to GMC in a couple of weeks if you had put in GMCs details while applying and paid Rs 6000.

Good Standing from Delhi:

By Dr Isha Narang

Total time taken:1-3 weeks.
Login to your Delhi Medical council account from here.
Apply for Good Standing Certificate.Proceed to upload your photograph and signature.
Pay Rs 1100 via card(preferably) or bank draft.
You are almost done but just wait till you get a notification that your certificate is ready via SMS/e-mail.
Download from the website. It is an e-document.
Done with this. Concentrate on other important things.

Documents for GMC Registration

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1. The 1st page of your passport.

2. Your primary medical qualification/ degree certificate.

3. Certificate of good standing from your medical council.(Validity: 3 months from the date of issue)

Indians have the option of getting your CGS from their respective state medical council or the Medical Council of India (MCI). Getting it from the state medical council is easy. MCI has a long and tedious process for it's application and is best avoided. (Very few people have mentioned that GMC has asked them to get a CGS from MCI despite getting one from their state medical council. However, such a situation is really rare. So don't bother about it.) Read about applying for CGS from various state medical council here.

4. IELTS test report form.(Validity: 2 years)

5. Internship completion certificate(ICC).

If your ICC doesn't mention the start and end dates of each rotation or the total duration of each rotation, like in my case, get a letter from your medical college with all the mentioned dates and attached it to your ICC while emailing the GMC.

6. EPIC verification number to be included in your mail. Read more about the process here.

7. GMC may ask you for additional documents like documents for verifying your name if the name on your passport and degree is different. Read more here.

Procedure for GMC Registration

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Login to your GMC account.
Go to My registration>>My account.
Select the PLAB pathway or IMG 2 and proceed.

Now comes the part where you have to put in your Internship dates.

Put in the dates as mentioned in your internship completion certificate.
Mention each rotation separately.
In India, we have the concept of pre-graduation internship (unlike most other countries). Make sure you select that option.

Next comes 'Your professional experience'

You need to mention everything you did in the last 5 years or from the date of your graduation.
Make sure to cover every date. Do not leave a gap. For ex, if your last entry was 10/8/2017, the next entry should be 11/8/2017. ( However, you are allowed a gap of 28 days in entire time period of 5 years)
For Indians, start from the day you passed your final years MBBS.(Check the date on your passing certificate.)
You need not mention each rotation of your internship separately here.
If you were not doing anything, chose 'Other' and explain yourself. Some chose to put in 'Travelling'
Put in all your employment details.

You now need to tell GMC about 'Your registration and licensing history'

Chose your country name and select the one applicable to you.
Indian graduates: Please select the name of your respective state medical council that you are registered with.

You are then asked a few more Yes/No type of questions and then proceed to payment. Check the GMC registration fee here.

You will now receive an email from GMC confirming your payment. It also gives you instructions on how and which documents to send them. You can read more about the documents required here.

My PLAB 2 experience

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My prep:

I gave my exam in Manchester.

I had 15 days to read for the exam.

There were around 170 different cases when I gave the exam.( every month, GMC keeps on adding new stations and the number increases).I used to study in the morning and practise with my study partners in the afternoon. I took around 5 days to finish the first read.

While practising I realised that I was weak in management. So for 2 full days, I just read the management part of each case.

I practised around 40- 50 cases with my partner. I timed all my stations while practising. I neither had the time nor energy to practice all the 170 cases. However, I felt confident with just 50 cases and decided to focus on the script of my case.

I also kept 2- 3 days aside for the examination and manikin cases. Trust me, you NEED to practice these cases atleast twice. Time management is extremely essential in these cases and hence you need to practice them a lot more.

I read the notes around 3-4 times before my final exam.

Exam day:

My exam was in the morning.
I reached the examination centre at 7AM.
The ground floor reception guy checked my booking appointment paper and asked me to sit there.
At around 8.30AM, all those who had their exam with me were escorted to the floor where the GMC office was located.
Here, our IDs were checked and we had our biometrics taken. We were issued an ID card with a number on it(between 1-20). This is your start station number. For ex, if your number is 17, you will start from the 17 station and then move on to 18,19,20,1,2...and so on.
We were then escorted to a room where GMC showed us a short video about the exam. You can watch this video here. We were also also provided with some water, coffee and biscuits.
After, this we were are taken to the main exam area and he bell starts.
I was nervous for my first station. But I soon forgot all of it as the station progressed.
I tried to be as calm and as natural as possible.
Before I could even realise, the exam was over!
It's now time to celebrate. The test location is very close to the city center. So roam around and shop as much as you can!

Tips for PLAB 2

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Tips for the exam:

Be confident. Nobody likes a timid doctor.
Smile. Remember: Laughter is the best medicine.
As soon as you enter the cubicle, do not rush to start off your station. Greet the examiner and show him/her your id. Thank him and proceed with your case.
Do not memorise the script provided by the coaching academy. The examiner gets bored of hearing the same stuff everytime. Personalise it.
Be natural and go with the flow. Do not overact.
Use words like Please, Sorry, Thank you.
Be sympathetic.
Questions tend to be very long If you do not have time to read the question completely before you enter the cubicle/ can't recollect the question, just excuse yourself and read the question. The actors are trained to go in an 'off' mode the moment you say excuse-me and pick up the question paper. Just say thank you whenever you want to resume.
While examining the patient, verbalise your finding. Do not be silent.
Remember the patients name and call your patient by his/ her name as often as you can. It helps create a good rapport with the patient.Do not mess it up.
Read the question carefully. If the question says that you are a doctor in the A&E and it is a psychiatric scenario, summarise by saying that you will refer him/ her to the psychiatric team. However, if the question says that your are any FY2 in psychiatry, do not mention psychiatry referral. Tell them that you will get your seniors involved.
Instead of blurting out the management and your treatment plan, discuss it with the patient. Ask if he is comfortable with your plan.
Remember that you are an FY2/SHO. So always involve seniors in your management.
Do not rush the stations. It is okay if you do not finish the entire station.

Preparation for PLAB 2

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PLAB 2 doesn't test your knowledge. It tests whether you are a 'safe doctor' or not and how good your communication skills are.

Pattern of examination:

There are 20 stations in total,including 2 rest stations. So you will have 18 cases.
Each station is of 8 minutes and you get an additional 1.5 minutes to read the question.
The question is posted on the door outside each cubicle. There is an addition copy kept inside too.
Once your 1.5 minutes for reading the question is over, you will hear a bell. Your 8 minutes now start. Knock the door and enter the cubicle.
You will hear a warning bell at 6 minutes.
At the end of 8 minutes, you again hear a bell.
Move on to the next station.

Marking scheme:

Each station carries 12 marks.
Marking are equally divided between:

History taking and examination(2+2)
Interpersonal skills(4)
Management(4)

Time for prep:
2-4 weeks(I had 15 days for prep and it was more than sufficient for me)

Materials for prep:

Almost everyone recommends joining a course(online or classroom).
Classes help by providing a list of all the stations and a script for each station.
However, I have known people who have passed PLAB 2 without joining an academy. You may chose not to join if you can get hold of the latest notes from any of the academy and have a good study partner.

How to study:

Go through all the notes ones.
Find a study partner and start practising the stations.
Once you practise around 10-15 cases, you will understand your weak points. Focus on them.
It is not essential to practise all the cases with your partner at it consumes a lot of time.(50-60 is a good number)
Practise with atleast 3-4 different people. It is wise to have different people's opinion.

You can find some tips for the PLAB 2 exam here.

PLAB 2 Accommodation

2018-09-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Finding accommodation for PLAB 2 can be a task. I suggest you use the following websites for booking:

1. airbnb.com.
If you are a first time user, you can register through this link and get 25 pounds off.

2. booking.com

I am sure that there are many such websites. However, I have used only the above 2 till date. Please read through all the reviews before booking a room.

What if you do not find rooms near your exam centre/ coaching class:

Public transport is cheap both in London and Manchester.
In Manchester, you get a bus pass for 15 pounds a week(unlimited travel). So use google maps to find a room near a bus-stop.(check if there is a direct bus from your accommodation to classes)
If in London, you can buy the Oyster card or use your wireless card.

PLAB 2 Visa

2018-09-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Since PLAB 2 is held in UK only, you will need a short term visa for the same.

You can apply in the following categories:

1. Business visa>> subcategory- PLAB
2. Standard Visit visa>> mention your reason of visit as PLAB 2 exam.

I applied via the first route.

The PLAB/business visa is granted for 6 months while the standard visit visa can be for 6 months or 2 years depending on what you select. It is advisable to go for the 6 months one as it has less chances of rejection and costs less money.

When you apply, the official there look out for 2 things:

1. Whether you have sufficient ties back home. This ensures that you will return to your home country after your job is done.
2. You have sufficient funds.

Demonstrating sufficient ties:

If you are an intern in India, get a letter from your college that you are a bonded candidate and that should be more than sufficient.
If you have a job, get a letter from your employer or attach your appointment letter.
If you don't have a job, show a proof that you stay with parents/ family members and will come back.(attach a copy of their passport/electricity bill.etc). You can also show any property that is in your name.

Funds:

The amount of funds depends on the duration of your stay.
You should have around 1000 pounds for a 1 month stay.
If you are earning and have sufficient funds, a copy of your bank account statement and your income tax returns would do.
If you are a new graduate/intern, a copy of your parent's bank account statement, their IT returns and a simple signed letter from them saying that they will sponsor your trip will be sufficient. (no need for an affidavit)

Cover letter:

This is not essential.
It is to make things easy for the officials. You can explain all the above mentioned points in this letter.
Write the letter in your own words. Do not copy-paste from anywhere as they are used to reading hundreds of such letters everyday and will get bored if it sounds same.
Make sure to add the following points:

Address it to 'The Entry Clearance Officer, UKVI'
Add a subject: state your visa category there
In the 1st paragraph, introduce yourself and state the purpose of your visit.
Next, elaborate more on the purpose of your visit, start date, duration of stay, accommodation plans and what you plan to do(study/ roam about) and what are your plans after coming back home.(complete your bond/ job.etc)
Explain finances: Tickets, accommodation, day to day expenses, additional money for emergencies.
Sign off by thanking him/ her and saying that you will follow all the rules of their land.

Supporting documents:

PLAB 1 test results
PLAB 2 booking confirmation
Copy of your and your parents passport.
Letter from your medical school/employer
Bank account statement
IT returns
Sponsorship letter from parents(if they are sponsoring you)
Electricity bill as evidence for your home address
Copy of you final year MBBS/ graduation certificate: Proof of your profession.
Proof of accommodation in UK.(hotel booking, if staying at some relative's place: a letter from them, their address proof in the form of electricity or council tax bill)

Please note:

It is advisable to not book flight tickets before you get your visa.
Accommodation may/ may not be booked before.
Mentioning attending PLAB 2 coaching: This issue is controversial. Recently, some people (especially those who applied at Chennai, India) are being refused visa on the grounds that these classes are not accredited to take in international students. So it is upto you to decide. However, I personally feel that you should not hide anything in your application.

Booking PLAB 2

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On the day of your PLAB 1 result, keep your credit card ready to book your PLAB 2 date. PLAB 2 is held in Manchester, London and Cambridge, and the dates fill up really fast. So plan your booking date even before your result comes out and book your date without any further delay.

Cost:

840pounds

What if the date you want is booked:

It is highly advisable to book the next available date and re-plan your schedule. However, due to any
reason if this isn't possible, then what I suggest is to wait for 10 days. From what I have noticed,
GMC tends to open up more slots and there is a possibility that you will get the desired date. But
please try this approach only if you feel that there is no way that you can give this exam at a later
date.(GMC may or may not open the new ones)

Also, try checking/refreshing the date/booking page every hour for the next 10 days. There is a
high possibility that someone cancels his/her slot and you can book it.

Also, remember that once you book your slot, you will NOT be able to see the list of available dates.
So think and plan wisely.

Date swap:

This is highly unadvisable. Here, 2 people who want to swap their dates cancel their booking at the
same time and immediately book the other date(the slot gets freed and hence is visible on the GMC
website). But this is risky due to the fact that the freed slot becomes visible to everyone and anyone
can book it if not fast. Standard cancellation charges will also be applicable.

My PLAB 1 Experience

2018-09-06T09:30:00.003-07:00

I prepared for around 3-4 weeks for this exam. Mind you that it was not full time prep. I was an intern then.

On the day of the exam, I was surprisingly calm. We were offered coffee/tea and biscuits before proceeding for the ID check.

The exam is easy. Time is the essence. I finished my first round in 2 hours and planned to use the last 1 hour to revise all the questions. However, I could not revise the last 25 questions.

Also remember that many questions might have the same answer. In my test, the answer to around 6-7 questions was 'normal saline' and I started to panic, although I knew that it was the correct answer :)

Be calm. You will ace this exam

Susmita's UK Diary

MRCP part 1 experience

Materials used:

My prep:

My exam:

Visit Visa for Parents

Category:

Duration:

Documents needed:

Note:

Opening Bank Account without BRP : Dr Muhammad Khattab

First month in UK

First week in UK

My first week experience:

Applying for Tier 2 Visa

You will need the following documents:

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS):

Police clearance certificate(PCC):

UKVI IELTS:

TB Clearance certificate:

Bank statement:

Cover letter:

Accepting a job offer

My interview experience

The interview prep

How will you get the interview offer?

How to ask for Skype interviews?

Preparing for the interview:

Dress code:

Length of the interview:

Commonly asked questions:

Applying for jobs

When to apply for a job?

Where to search for a job?

Which jobs to apply?

Making a job profile

You can apply for non training jobs in UK via these 2 websites:

Information asked in your job profile:

My ID check experience

Applying for ID check

Changing/Verifying your name

1. Your degree contains your father's name as middle name but your passport doesn't mention this. This is what you can do:

2. Name change post marriage.

3. Spelling error:

ECFMG EPIC Verification

Procedure establishing an EPIC account:

Procedure for confirming your identity/ NotaryCam:

Verification of your credential:

Certificate of Good Standing from various state medical councils in India

Good Standing from Maharashtra:

Good Standing from Delhi:

Documents for GMC Registration

Procedure for GMC Registration

My PLAB 2 experience

Tips for PLAB 2

Tips for the exam:

Preparation for PLAB 2

Pattern of examination:

Marking scheme:

How to study:

PLAB 2 Accommodation

What if you do not find rooms near your exam centre/ coaching class:

PLAB 2 Visa

You can apply in the following categories:

When you apply, the official there look out for 2 things:

Demonstrating sufficient ties:

Funds:

Cover letter:

Supporting documents:

Please note:

Booking PLAB 2

My PLAB 1 Experience