PLAB. (Part 1)

March 1994 and PLAB…….  (Part – 1)

I am sure we all have a fascinating story to tell our friends, relatives, well wishers and of course our enemies.  At least we try at occasions to make it as fascinating as possible.

I often meet relatives both here and back in Chennai, who would be wishing to know or possibly curious to know and in case not to do,  by knowing  what they know or not about my arrival and so perform a root cause analysis of my arrival to survival so far in England.  Some times it would be future friends too.

In my case it has always been my Self bragging story i.e. the evolution of me and me in United Kingdom.  In the process, I have been successful most of the times in bringing about the emotive aspects behind my ventures and in the process, them emotional and possibly compel them to shed and drop few tears too.  (May be few crocodile tears …)

Well, I never dreamt nor even in my wildest dreams, of my arrival in UK, which happened, this month of March, 18 years ago, along with a few hapless, clueless friends like me and in the skyline a horizon of fortunes and misfortunes..

I was told that on passing a  so called “PLAB” examination, we would on a platter be served with a Senior House Officer Job (SHO), life in UK, exposure to culture and possibly few babes and in the process richer by at least £1500 every month!! 

Well, it was around a lac in Rupee value in the year 1993.

Needless to mention that I have mentioned all the above to my mother apart from the babes, which I am sure she would have guessed anyway.  This was before getting her consent to start the process of at least mentally preparing for the PLAB exams, and therefore to begin the initiation.

For those of you, curious to know what PLAB stands for, let me help you.  Plural and Linguistic Assessment Board Exams, conducted by General Medical Council of UK, held two to three times a year in 1990’s.

The exams involved a written and Comprehension English test, Picture test on Medical condition and pathologies, short case and Long cases scenarios and interpretations and eventually a clinical VIVA.  Well it may sound easy but believe me, was the worst exam I had ever taken in my life or for most of  us in our lives (Overseas Doctors in UK), and just because of the large unknown factor embedded in it.

Amma listened to my fairy story carefully for an hour or two and only said “ NO.”  She didn’t even want to mention my plans to my Appa or any one else as she knew from her experience that the plan was a non starter by any standards for our super duper family.

This is in a family of six, including my brother and sister in law, along with my 3 year old Nephew.  My sister was married and had already moved to Hindupur to live with her hubby.

Appa’s gross monthly salary was around Rs 7500 at that time, which never went beyond it and the takeaway was a meagre Rs 5000.  It possibly became  lesser every month after the official and unofficial loans and other commitments he could sneak in before the money could reach my mother.

Brother had already done few years in Ranbaxy as a Medical Rep at that time and my guess was that his contribution to the family was around Rs 2500.  So Amma had around Rs 7500 in her pot every month, to sustain the family, nurture the individuals and their bottomless needs, education and eventually feeding.  This was a typical middle class family rooted to the tradition, of course surviving on occasional loans or a very rare windfall Deepavali or Pongal Bonuses; albeit, happy and content with what it had!!!

The problems would begin only around the 3^rd week of every month and some times earlier on the day of reckoning, when Appa would come with the altered salary slip, however with half the total amount on the slip.  Amma and Appa would start a world war, which would usually result in Appa, throwing away the salary slip, cash, any approachable objects and some time the kiddies, us.

Triggers for the brawls were mostly due to inadequate funds, unexpected  visitors,  ceremonies, and weddings.  Funds obviously were exhausted during the first two weeks itself and Amma, left with little or nothing for the latter weeks, whilst for Appa to rely on Amma’s secret savings.  These were the times, when I was not hugely, terribly disappointed, however hurt, discreetly.

Probably, now you know, from where I got all the motivation to do this silliest of the Exam called PLAB, a great thunder blunder, after my MBBS qualification.

My expectations of life, always, were kept to the minimum, knowingly or unknowingly even during  that time and hence I started preparing for my Tamil Nadu entrance exams.  However the fire of PLAB and a lakh rupee every month was kept kindled and rekindled now and again by few of our friends, who had already reached UK in early part of 1993 and by few seniors from Stanley, who had passed the exams mostly in their first shots, and on whose return arrival at Chennai’s airport, therefore, instantly became Stanley’s unsung heroes, mentors and eventually our coaches!!.

I was working at St ISABEL’S Hospital, Chennai during this time and was getting hugely distracted by mallu babes too.  Meanwhile, I was not exactly sure what had happened to Amma, suddenly to change her mind ( I almost forgot that I had wanted to go to England); however, I think, it is likely my Appa, who swung the pendulum in my favour, on hearing the story , giving me the dreamiest start and nod to prepare for a life in England. 

He must have believed his youngest son totally, unabatedly and wholly at that time, or else, am sure there was no way he would have taken that decision of his life to allow me to pursue the biggest decision of my life.

Well the journey had begun in September 1993, when me, Hari and Ganesh, decided to do the PLAB exams in March 1994 and needless to say, I was neither prepared mentally nor physically, for the journey that endured!!!

To be continued…………………..