IMG Toolkit U.K.

48hrs to PLAB 1 exam. In all your preparation, please go through those sample questions on GMC website. You never can tell how helpful they are. Sleep well the night before. Have light breakfast on exam morning. Read instructions carefully. Believe in yourself . Best wishes!

Many times I’ve dabbled into other things to supplement Medicine but it keeps drawing me back like a jealous lover. This practice is my life. It’s my safe haven. It’s my contribution to a healthy society. And as I continue to develop my craft day by day, this jealous lover will repay my dedication bountifully.

Every time I send money home through OhentPay, I realise 80% of it goes to Mummy’s account. 😂 Is that part of what we call Black Tax. Why is it that fathers rarely get the same energy? Why are we not sending much money to our Dads too?

I have the pathway for Drs to practice in Germany, France, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa & Saudi but work-life imbalance is dealing with me, temporarily tho😀. Soon, I’ll share

Got bored, decided to do a PG program in Medical Education. It’s now Dr E.D.I. Pepple. (B.Sc, MBBch, M.Sc, MRCGP, CCFP, PGCert).

IMG Different Pathways: May you find success wherever you go. Which is your preferred pathway?

JOB APPLICATION TITLES FOR DOCTORS IN THE NHS EXPLAINED Part2: ST/CT Doctor: Specialty Trainee Doctor or Core Trainee Doctor is a Specialty trainee in a hospital training to become a consultant in a specific specialty. They usually have a number attached to show the number of years spent in training, eg ST4 Obs/Gyne means Year 4 Obs/Gyne Trainee. SPECIALTY DOCTOR/MIDDLE GRADE/Spr: These are junior doctors working in a specific defined specialty from the rank of a senior House officer to registrar and above but not a consultant. MIDDLE GRADE DOCTOR (ST3 and above): After ST1 & 2 or CT1 &2, a doctor bexomes middle grade. This is equivalent to registrar role. This is a more experienced junior doctor but less than a consultant role. SpR: Specialty Registrar is a higher level trainee in hospital specialty usually from ST3 and above. Specialty Doctor, Middle Grade or SpR are all similar grades of doctors where any IMG who has over 2 years experience in any defined specialty can apply to work on a non-training basis. SPECIALIST DOCTOR: These are senior doctors who are senior registrars or might even be a consultant working in a specialised discipline. Some can work as Specialist And Specialty Doctors (SAS). So if you have such expertise and experience back home, this is the job you should be applying for. GPST: General Practice Specialty Trainee is a specialty registrar in General Practice. This is strictly for those in GP/Family Medicine residency program. Follow @drpepple_ @ImgToolkitUK , comment, repost & like for more.

JOB APPLICATION TITLES FOR DOCTORS IN THE NHS EXPLAINED: Pt1 FOUNDATION (F1/F2) DOCTORS: These are qualified doctors undergoing internship/housemanship for 2 yrs duration under supervision. If you have done house job in your country even if it was done for a year in your country, that equates to F1/2 in the U.K. So, you cannot apply for this role. F1 is Foundation year 1 Doctor. F2 is Foundation year 2 Doctor. F2 STANDALONE DOCTOR: This is the equivalent of Foundation year 2 Doctor who did not obtain his medical degree in the U.K. They are in transition to become trainees and mostly work under consultant or GP supervision. As a fresh IMG post housemanship, you can apply for this role F3 Doctor/SHO: Foundation Year 3 Doctor or Senior House Officers are doctors below the level of a registrar either in training or non training. As an IMG with >2yrs clinical experience, this is the job you should be applying for. TRUST GRADE DOCTOR: These doctors are employed directly by an NHS Trust (Hospital ) in a non-training position. Anyone with post internship experience can apply. Trust grade doctors perform duties similar to their counterparts in formal training programs, but their positions do not contribute towards a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). Trust grade positions provide valuable clinical experience and can serve as a pathway for IMGs to familiarize themselves with the NHS system. ACADEMIC DOCTOR aka CLINICAL FELLOWS: They often work in a combination of teaching, research, and specialist clinical care. They can be any grade of doctor from a foundation year junior doctor to a consultant, GP or SAS doctor. ACF & JCF are basically SHOs and perform similar duties with some academic responsibilities. Depending on their level, they can be work as; (from junior to senior) •JCF- Junior Clinical Fellow •ACF – academic clinical fellow •CL – clinical lecturer •CRF – clinical research fellow •CSL – senior clinical lecturer •reader/associate professor •prof – professor. Like. Repost. Comment. Follow @drpepple_ @ImgToolkitUK for more contents.

Best wishes

Set a reminder for my upcoming Space! twitter.com/i/spaces/1MYGN…

10 CONTENT CREATION IDEAS FOR MEDICS IN NIGERIA: It’s not everyday you should be talking about sex & STIs. I have created 10 ideas to help you create more relatable and useful contents. 1.Health Myths vs. Facts – Debunk common health myths in Nigeria, such as “every fever and headache is Malaria & Typhoid” @Choji_ES is doing this.

“Japa to UK with Dr Pepple” Telegram group for IMG Doctors. Join with the link below. There’s a verification process. t.me/KingDavid1127

Join fellow international medical graduates for a full-day, in-person conference designed to help you navigate and thrive in the UK. Including talks from our medico-legal advisers, @AshokHandaOx and more special guests. Register here: ow.ly/H0hg50T44GG

TRANSFERRING YOUR FAMILY MEDICINE EXPERIENCE TO WORK IN THE U.K. Concerning my earlier post about practicing in the U.K. as a GP if you have prior Family Medicine experience, the information is about how you can develop your Portfolio in line with U.K. RCGP standard to grant you access to the UK GP register to practice in the U.K. Requirements: You must have a minimum of 24months family medicine experience either as a current resident doctor or as a family medicine consultant already. You should also have passed a minimum of one postgraduate exam that is family medicine specific such as Post graduate college exam in Family medicine or the RCGP International AKT exam. You must have a recognisable Family Medicine targeted eportfolio/log entry from your institution. The information for this pathway is a bit technical but doable and cannot be explained sufficiently on this space. We shall be organising a FREE Focused Webinar in September with a candidate who went through this same process to shed more light and guide anyone interested . Watch out! However, I discussed a bit of the process on my X space this week. Kindly listen to the space link attached below starting from the 1hr 2mins timescale. x.com/drpepple_/stat…

Set a reminder for my upcoming Space on Bank Holiday Monday ! twitter.com/i/spaces/1nAKE… @KeypointsAcad @daggspete

CAREER REFLECTIONS. (Every medical student should read this) It’s almost 20yrs that I’ve been in the doctoring line. Started off 2016 in Medical school. Being a Family Physician seems to have been my best career decision. I joined General Practice training with the band wagon. It was short duration training. In 3 years, you’re done and earning almost same, if not more than your hospital colleagues. That was the catch. It was a no brainer especially for someone starting training after age 30. But, I hated the training. I didn’t really fancy the idea of being a GP. The exams and work load were even more demanding & ridiculous but I managed to finish. 3 years post residency, I really think I made the best decision being a GP. The flexibility, the lifestyle, the exchange value of skills abroad, the remuneration (although the U.K. is now stifling fund & autonomy out of the specialty). I probably would’ve been a grumpy Gynaecologist somewhere still swimming in liquor & waiting till retirement before I start living . This is not a post to berate any specialty but to encourage people to make an informed decision between passion & reality. I’ll like to see many Nigerians as Orthopods, Neurosurgeons, Paediatricians but make sure it’s an informed decision. If you’ve figured out what specialty you want to go into, you don’t know what the lord has done for you. For those still trying to decide, it’s quite a confusing phase. I pray you get clarity. And if you think you want a switch or japa to a more rewarding clime to practice, be bold about it and seek mentorship. The choice of a specialty should be one that gives you the freedom to enjoy the pleasure of your work & sorts out your bills comfortably. The world is your oyster.

Do you know you can use your IELTS/OET certificate for GMC registration even if it has passed the 2yr expiry date? This is how; ● your certificate must be less than 3 yrs old on the date of your application ● Have passed PLAB 2 less than 3 months prior to the date of your application #Afroplab

It appears the evidence of this tweet and the reality of things will drive people into taking the Primaries exam and eventually starting residency in Nigeria, especially combining the recent difficult of the PLAB 3 phase. My honest advice will be; it will indeed be very reasonable to commence residency while going about these exams. Times have changed, we need to change with it! The days of ditching residency for these exams are over, it’s the sad reality! The advantage of residency will be putting you at a better position when eventually at the job phase or even the possibility of getting GMC registration for instance through membership exams without the PLAB pathways. My DM is open, always happy to help the best way I can. You can always contact @drpepple_ @DrJohnBishop @fiyinsiku @Ahums1 for best advice on these matters. ❤️❤️

How it’s going. Vs. How it started Many juniors ask what was the reason for my choice of specialty. Truth is, I started out as a Gynaecology enthusiast (photo in blue scrub) but the lifestyle I wanted took me to being a GP (Family Physician). For me, it’s basically, age, duration of training & most importantly, the specialty that supports the versatile prospects that my life is navigating towards. If you know me, you’ll know I have interest in politics, finance & tech. It’s a no brainer that the work life balance & fulfillment that comes with family practice affords me the opportunities to do all of these & also enjoy the pleasure of my work. So, my younger colleagues, don’t let anything or anyone dissuade you from any specialty of your choice, especially abroad. ANY SPECIALTY YOU WANT IS POSSIBLE! You can smash the glass ceilings. Do you due diligence. Ask questions. Go for what you want. If you’re starting training this week in the NHS, give it your best shot. Reach out for guidance if you have to. We’re all here for you. Best wishes

STAY MOTIVATED I missed going to Med school with my mates because of N50k. I had to endure 4 years to get a B.Sc in Human Anatomy before getting back to Medicine & Surgery. The year I wrote JAMB for Medicine, I fell short by few marks. I was supposed to do a basic pre-lim course for 1 year to be ushered into Medical school the next year. I couldn’t afford the fees of N50k because my mother’s salary was paid late that month. That was how I missed out of Medical school. As a teenager, I cried myself to sleep every night for 1 week. Then we were placed on Anatomy supplementary list. That’s how I got to study Anatomy for 4 years before eventually switching to Medical school. I just remembered when I first paid my son’s private nursery fee of £1000/month. When I got the receipt, I sat in my car for 5 minutes literally sobbing. I wasn’t crying because I couldn’t afford the money, but it was refreshing tears of joy that I could pay what is the equivalent of N2m as nursery fees for my boy to go play & come back with dirty clothes everyday, whilst as his dad, I couldn’t afford N50k for school fees years back. Life is in stages. Success takes time. If you stay consistent with a bit of favour & luck, your pain will turn to testimony.

Forget all Western storytelling. Your location is a greater determinant of financial success than how hard you work. A rising tide lifts all boats.