AMC and English

Overseas trained doctors have become an important part of the Australian medical workforce and there are a set of processes which have been developed to assess and recognise the skills and qualifications of overseas trained medical professionals. A part of this process includes meeting English language proficiency requirements. It is therefore essential that doctors and other medical professionals improve English communication skills to ensure effective patient care. To be a practicing doctor in Australia, overseas trained doctors must meet the Medical Registration Board language requirements plus the English language proficiency requirements as set by the Australian Medical Council (AMC). Australia is an English speaking country, therefore it is essential that overseas...

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Posted in: Australian Medical Council

Specialist Assessment Pathway

Specialist Pathway Specialist medical training and practice in Australia arose from the model of postgraduate advanced clinical training developed in the United Kingdom. National specialist medical colleges set the standards of training and coordinate the training, education and examination of medical specialists in Australia. The areas of medical practice assessed by the specialist colleges in Australia are set out in. The areas of approved medical specialties are listed in the AMC List of Australian Recognised Medical Specialties. The list includes those organisations, specialties and qualifications that are recognised and approved by the Australian Minister for Health and Ageing. The table and the AMC list differ, as the areas of medical practice...

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Posted in: Australian Medical Council

The Australian Medical Council

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the Australian national standards advisory body for medical education and training. Its mission statement is: "To promote and protect public health and safety by ensuring a safe and competent workforce distributed across Australia to meet community needs." Within Australia, it: Accredits Australian and New Zealand medical schools and medical courses Accredits Australian/Australasian programs of specialist medical training Advises on the recognition of medical specialties and sub-specialties Assesses overseas trained medical doctors who wish to practise medicine in Australia Advises State and Territory Medical Boards on uniform approaches to the registration of medical practitioners and maintains a national network of State and Territory medical...

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Posted in: Australian Medical Council

What is PLAB ?

The PLAB test is relevant for international medical graduates. Those who wish to take up a period of limited registration (which you can do only if you are in supervised employment) and who need evidence that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to practise medicine in the UK. The PLAB test is designed to test ones ability to work safely in a first appointment as a senior house officer in a UK hospital in the National Health Service (NH...

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Posted in: PLAB

Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board test

The Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board test (PLAB) is the assessment procedure conducted by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom that is required for overseas doctors outside the European Union before they can practice medicine in the UK. The PLAB test has 2 parts: Has EMQs (extended matching questions) and SBAs (Single Best Answer questions), This part is conducted in a number of countries including Egypt (Cairo), India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. Part 2 : Consists of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). This Part is available only in United Kingdom. It consists of 14 clinical stations, a pilot station and a rest station. The pilot station is usually unannounced and mixed with the clinical stations. The marks for the pilot...

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Posted in: PLAB

Useful things to buy during medical school

The following is a brief list of some of the things I think have been useful and worth their money in my first two years of med school: 1. Large, widescreen computer monitor. The volume of information required to internalize during the preclinical years of medical school can’t be compiled and organized on paper. You would end up with bookshelves filled with those gigantic 4″ binders. Therefore, almost everything happens on a laptop. Of course, the advantages of portability afforded by laptops are offset by the tiny screen size. Plugging into an external, gigantic screen when at home is a huge advantage. You can actually see what you need to be looking at. It’s brighter and generally has better resolution. More important, the additional real estate allows you to have multiple windows...

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Posted in: Medical Slides

101 Things You Wish You Knew Before Starting Medical School

Simple enough, here are 101 things you wish you knew before starting medical school. If I had known what it was going to be like, I would never have done it. You’ll study more than you ever have in your life. Only half of your class will be in the top 50%. You have a 50% chance of being in the top half of your class. Get used to it now. You don’t need to know anatomy before school starts. Or pathology. Or physiology. Third year rotations will suck the life out you. Several people from your class will have sex with each other. You might be one of the lucky participants. You may discover early on that medicine isn’t for you. You don’t have to be AOA or have impeccable board scores to match somewhere – only if you’re matching into radiology. Your social life may suffer some. Pelvic exams are...

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Posted in: Medical Slides

USMLE Step 1 Exam - 7 Tips For A Top USMLE Score

Studying for the USMLE Step 1 exam is serious business, and we are now in a time where there are more applicants than there are available residency positions, so there is absolutely no room for error in preparing for it thoroughly. It's true, there are almost twice as many people applying for residency today than there are available positions, so students should no longer be striving to simply "pass" the exam and go into a primary care field, because even the simplest residency programs to get into are now extremely competitive. Because of the increasing difficulty in attaining a residency and the direct relationship between getting interviews and a good Step 1 score, I am going to share seven tips that I believe can help anybody do well on the USMLE exam, even if you...

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Posted in: USMLE