OSCEPilot Blog

• The PLAB 2 Teaching Station: Inhaler Technique Step by Step — Teaching stations in PLAB 2 can feel overwhelming, but inhaler technique is a common task with a clear structure. Here’s how to set up, demonstrate, and check understanding—with exact phrases, timing, and worked examples to stay confident and concise.
• Angry patient stations in PLAB 2: a script that actually works — PLAB 2 angry patient stations test de-escalation, not diagnosis. Learn exact phrases to use, what examiners mark, and common IMG mistakes like over-apologising or defensiveness.
• How to Structure Any PLAB 2 Station in the First 60 Seconds — A repeatable 60-second routine for PLAB 2 stations: reading the task, introduction, and agenda-setting with a worked example to build confidence and clarity.
• What the PLAB 2 mark sheet actually rewards (and what it ignores) — The PLAB 2 mark sheet is split into three domains: data gathering, clinical management, and interpersonal skills. Here’s exactly what examiners tick—and what they overlook—with worked examples from real stations.
• How to Practise OSCE Stations Alone (No Study Partner Needed) — No study partner, no problem. Four methods for building real consultation skills solo — empty-chair consultations, recordings, structure drills, and AI patients — plus a realistic weekly plan.
• PLAB 2 vs PRES 3: Which Route Should an IMG Choose? — UK or Ireland? An honest comparison of PLAB 2 and PRES 3 — fees, sitting frequency, job market realities, and why the preparation overlaps by about 90% — from an IMG who took the Irish route.
• The 8 Stations PLAB 2 Candidates Fail Most (And How to Fix Each One) — Breaking bad news, the angry relative, suicide risk, teenage confidentiality — the stations that sink candidates test behaviour under pressure, not knowledge. Here is how to train each one.
• How PLAB 2 Is Scored: The Three Domains Examiners Mark You On — 16 stations, 8 minutes, three equally weighted domains. How the PLAB 2 pass mark actually works — and why candidates who only revise clinical knowledge keep failing a communication exam.
• PRES 3 Explained: The Irish OSCE Guide for IMGs (2026) — What PRES 3 actually involves — format, the €1,500 fee, limited Dublin sittings, how it compares to PLAB 2, and how to prepare — written by an IMG doctor working in Ireland.
• How to Recover After a Bad PRES 3 or PLAB 2 Station — A difficult station doesn't mean you've failed the exam. Here's how to reset your mindset, stay focused, and maximise your score in the remaining PRES 3 or PLAB 2 stations.
• PLAB 2 / PRES 3: How to Explain Risk to Patients Clearly — Learn how to explain risks and benefits clearly in PLAB 2 and PRES 3 communication stations, with practical examples and common mistakes to avoid.
• PLAB 2 / PRES 3: How to Handle an Angry Patient Without Losing Marks — Learn a simple approach to managing angry patient stations in PLAB 2 and PRES 3, with practical communication techniques, example phrases, and common mistakes to avoid.
• PLAB 2 / PRES 3 Safeguarding Children: A Practical Guide for OSCE Stations — Learn how to approach safeguarding children in PLAB 2 and PRES 3 OSCE stations, including red flags, communication tips, and common mistakes candidates make.
• PLAB 2 / PRES 3 Consent Stations: A Practical Guide with Examples — Learn how to approach consent stations in PLAB 2 and PRES 3, including capacity, explaining risks and benefits, and common communication mistakes.
• PLAB 2 / PRES 3 ICE Examples: Ideas, Concerns and Expectations Explained — Learn how to use Ideas, Concerns and Expectations (ICE) naturally in PLAB 2 and PRES 3 communication stations, with practical examples and common mistakes to avoid.
• Can you use PLAB 2 to register as a doctor in Ireland? Yes, the 2026 rule explained — Yes. The Irish Medical Council now accepts a successful PLAB 2 result as an exemption from PRES 3 for eligible General Registration applicants. Here is what changed, who can use the exemption, and how to apply.
• PLAB 2 / PRES 3: How to Break Bad News Using the SPIKES Framework — Learn how to break bad news confidently in PLAB 2 and PRES 3 using the SPIKES framework, with practical examples, communication tips, and common mistakes to avoid.
• PLAB 2 Communication: What Examiners Actually Want to Hear (and Common Mistakes That Cost Marks) — Discover what PLAB 2 examiners are really assessing during communication stations, the common mistakes candidates make, and practical ways to improve your consultation skills.
• How to prepare for PLAB 2: a realistic study plan — A simple, week-by-week way to prepare for PLAB 2 that focuses on spoken rehearsal, not just reading.
• Time management in OSCE stations: making 8–10 minutes count — How to pace an OSCE station so you finish on time without rushing or running dry.
• Breaking bad news in an OSCE: a safe structure (SPIKES) — A calm, repeatable framework for breaking-bad-news stations that earns interpersonal marks.
• How to practise OSCE stations without a study partner — No study partner? You can still get high-quality, spoken OSCE practice — here's how.
• PRES 3 (Ireland): what to expect and how to prepare — An overview of the Medical Council of Ireland's PRES 3 clinical exam and how to get ready for it.
• Managing exam-day nerves for PLAB 2 / PRES 3 — Practical, evidence-aware ways to keep nerves from costing you marks on OSCE day.
• 7 common PLAB 2 mistakes (and how to avoid them) — The avoidable errors that cost candidates marks in PLAB 2 — and simple fixes for each.
• Clinical management in OSCEs: building a safe plan — How to present a structured, safe management plan in an OSCE without ever needing exact drug doses.
• How to score well on interpersonal skills in PLAB 2 / PRES 3 — Interpersonal skills are a full third of your marks — here's how to earn them deliberately, not by luck.
• How to nail the data gathering domain in an OSCE — A repeatable structure for taking a focused, high-scoring history under exam time pressure.
• PLAB 2 vs PRES 3: what's the difference? — How the UK's PLAB 2 and Ireland's PRES 3 compare — and why prep for one largely prepares you for the other.
• PLAB 2 station types: the high-yield scenarios to practise — The categories of station that come up again and again in PLAB 2 — and how to prepare for each.

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