In recent months, BAPIO has received numerous enquiries and appeals for help from international medical graduates (IMGs) who have completed the Professional and Linguistics Assessment Board (PLAB) exam and are looking for suitable jobs in the UK. BAPIO is committed to helping these doctors as far as possible but in view of the difficulties being faced by many of these doctors, BAPIO would also like to provide an update on the availability of jobs in the UK for IMGs.
In 2023, 9,884 doctors passed the PLAB 2 exam, an increase of approximately 70% compared to 2019, while the pass rate decreased by 4% to 63%. Despite the increasing number of doctors completing their PLAB exams, there are limited number of jobs currently available for doctors in the UK, with the scarcity of suitable jobs being more marked for IMGs. Bearing this in mind, BAPIO would like to advise any IMGs contemplating moving to the UK to fully research the UK job market and have a realistic understanding of the likelihood of finding a job in the UK prior to committing their finances and time towards the PLAB exam.
BAPIO members who are affected by this situation and would like to get further advice can reach out for help to their BAPIO division chairs, via the IndigoBAPIO group (https://bapio.co.uk/indigo/) or by emailing the BAPIO office (admin@bapio.co.uk).