life in london [continued]

Don't try to bring text books (CMDT,Bailey/love,Harrisons). It adds on to your luggage and you don't require them at least for PLAB 2. the Oxford hand books [OHCM/CS]are more than enough.

Try to keep your weight to the bare minimum as possible because you will be required to keep moving around.
Lodging and travelling are the most expensive things here. Traveling gets cheaper in buses and tubes with various discount cards but there is a hitch .You need to be a student to get them in most of the cases.

For applying jobs and attachments if possible bring a lot of A4/C4 envelops floppies, stationeries [pens, pencils, glue, eraser, cello tape , stapler] .and average number of application one sends before any short listings comes is 200-300. [it costs at least 20-25 envelops per pound in some places in Eastham]

MISCELLANEOUS INFO--

IELTS , PLAB (both 1&2) - GMC wont still give you registration until you have a job contract..UK graduate you would pass finals (equivalent to PLAB) and do one year PRHO (internship in medicine and surgery)

CLINICAL ATTACHMENT   You hear a lot about this once in UK.
in an attachment you just observe, watch and learn by shadowing the SHO. You can do things like calling up the lab to get results etc, but no real clinical work. You can do some history taking as well if the SHO is also present along with you.

SENIOR HOUSE OFFICER  Overseas candidates are getting into unpopular jobs psychiatry geriatric etc Getting into unpopular areas Northern Ireland, Middle of Wales of North England (inner cities) and applying for jobs with high turnover i.e. A & E 


REGISTRAR      Expected to do 2-5 years of SHO training during which depending on the speciality you would be required to clear certain exams (OBSGYN MRCOG part1, Medicine MRCP1 and 2, Surgery MRCS1 and 2) 

CONSULTANT   Approx after a period of  2 years of SHO work (or requisite ) you will start applying for SpR type 1 job which are of 5 year duration and take you up to consultant with accredited training in that speciality or sub speciality.

TRUST GRADE JOBS   Trust grade jobs are the same as SHO except that it does not have approval from the postgraduate dean or the royal college. This means that if you spend 6 months in a trust grade post, this experience will not count towards your exam requirements. Otherwise the pay and leave options are the same as a SHO.

LOCUM    When local doctors are unavailable for some reasons[eg.,consulatnt decides to go on a weekend vacation etc].you go take his place and do his/her job.You are paid quite well.