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PLAB exam had
been cancelled in all locations outside the UK
UK June 09, 2006
Dr. Prem Chand
On Friday, GMC spokeswoman confirmed to TOI that the exam had
been cancelled in all locations outside the UK. The GMC claimed
the decision was taken because of "low demand". it said,
it expected normal service to resume from January 2007. Even so,
representatives of the Indian medical community here told this
paper that the GMC's exam cancellation appeared to signal which
way the wind was blowing.
On 19 June 2006 a new application category for Postgraduate Doctors
and Dentists will be available within Tier 2 of the Business and
Commercial work permit arrangements. From this date all applications
for doctors and dentists filling training posts within the NHS
at Foundation Programme, Senior House Officer, GP Registrar or
Specialist Registrar level must be made using this new form. Applications
should be submitted by the appropriate Postgraduate Deans for
a work permit to cover the entirety of the programme at that level.
One-line announcement of the cancelled PLAB-Part 1 exam was
made by the General Medical Council (GMC), which conducts the
assessment to certify non-EU doctors to practice medicine in the
UK. The move comes just 12 weeks after health minister Lord Warner
announced that non-EU doctors could no longer avail of work-permitfree
training visas to enter the UK and complete their studies or look
for jobs.
Dr Shiv Pande, who fought for India's right to be an overseas
location for the PLAB-Part 1 test soon after he was elected to
the GMC in 1994, told TOI it was a "personally sad day"
that the exam would no longer be held there. But he said it was
just as well the GMC had "put young Indian doctors out of
their misery".
From: "parthaab" <parthaab@...>
Date: Sun May 28, 2006 12:17 pm
Subject: PLAB for EU : Letter to TB, PH, BMA and GMC parthaab
Dear Sir/Madam,
We, non-UK, non-EU doctors, who qualified to work in the UK through
taking the PLAB exams, do feel we have been discriminated against
by
GMCs waiver of the same exams, for doctors who are 'non-UK but EU',
medical graduates.
We believe that EU Laws do not compel the GMC to waive such
qualifying exams as seen in the link :
http://europa.eu.int/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/factsheets/eu/employment/rightofaccess/en.html#2429_10
It says here : "Nevertheless, a national who holds an offer
in his
name from an employer in a Member State, other than that of which
he
is a national, may have to undergo a vocational test, if the employer
expressly requests this when making his offer of employment."
There is no reason therefore, for not applying PLAB exams for ALL
non-
UK medical graduates on an equal basis. This is also an issue of
patient safety in the UK.
We hope you would rectify this anomaly and clarify to us your
position in this regard.
Thanking you
Dr. Parthasarathy
OPINIONS:
..i would wholeheartedly advise Dr.Prahbu
and UKAID to shut up and accept what is available, otherwise go
back to whereever they came from and earn 10th less what they earn
in the west...
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