Receiving your PLAB 2 results is a significant milestone in your journey to becoming a licensed medical practitioner in the UK. Understanding the feedback and scores can help you identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect when you receive your results.
Quantitative Feedback
The quantitative feedback provides a detailed numerical assessment of your performance across different domains and stations. Here’s what it includes:
Marks in Each Domain:
Data Gathering, Technical, and Assessment Skills: This includes your ability to take a patient history, perform examinations, and interpret findings.
Clinical Management Skills: This evaluates your capability to create and implement management plans.
Interpersonal Skills: This measures your communication skills, empathy, and ability to build rapport with patients.
Station Scores:
For each station, you will receive a score that reflects your performance in that specific scenario.
You will also be informed of the score required to pass each station.
Overall Score:
Your total score across all stations will be provided.
The overall score required to pass the exam will be indicated.
Qualitative Feedback
In addition to the numerical scores, you will receive qualitative feedback that provides insights into specific aspects of your performance. This feedback is crucial for understanding where you need to improve. The feedback is based on 10 pre-set statements that examiners use to describe your performance. Here’s a look at what each statement means:
Consultation:
Feedback such as "Disorganised/Unstructured Consultation" suggests that your approach to questioning or examining was not logical or systematic.
Issues:
"Does not recognise the issues or priorities" indicates a failure to identify key problems or management priorities during the consultation.
Time:
"Shows poor time management" highlights that you spent too much time on certain parts of the task at the expense of more critical areas.
Findings:
"Does not identify abnormal findings or results" points out a failure to recognize significant findings in history, examination, or data interpretation.
Examination:
"Does not undertake physical examination competently" indicates issues with your technique or use of instruments during the physical exam.
Diagnosis:
"Does not make the correct working diagnosis" suggests inaccuracies in your diagnostic process.
Management:
"Does not develop a management plan reflecting current best practice" shows that your treatment plans were not aligned with contemporary standards.
Rapport:
"Does not develop rapport or show sensitivity" indicates a lack of empathy or ineffective communication with the patient.
Listening:
"Does not make adequate use of verbal & non-verbal cues" highlights deficiencies in active listening and response to patient cues.
Language:
"Does not use language or explanations that are relevant and understandable" points out issues with how you communicated medical information to the patient.
How Examiners Mark the Exam
Each station is evaluated based on your performance in the three domains mentioned above. Examiners do not know the pass mark while assessing candidates. The pass mark is calculated using the borderline regression scoring method, which varies with the difficulty of the station and the exam session.
Pass Criteria
To pass the PLAB 2 exam, you must:
Achieve the total score required to pass the exam.
Pass a minimum of 10 out of the 16 stations.
Improving Based on Feedback
Use the feedback provided to:
Identify specific areas where you need improvement.
Focus your study and practice on weaker domains.
Seek guidance from mentors or join study groups to address challenging areas.
By thoroughly understanding your PLAB 2 results and the feedback provided, you can better prepare for future attempts or continue to develop your skills as a medical professional. Remember, each piece of feedback is an opportunity for growth and improvement.
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