UK General Medical Council Says 750 Nigerian Medical Doctors To Take UK PLAB 1 Exams

The Nigerian brain drain continues. 

In September 2018, reports became widespread that 5,405 Nigerian-trained doctors and nurses are currently working with the British National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom.

Earlier this year, Pulse did a breakdown of the exact problem in the Nigerian medical profession that makes migration to western colonies the option for Nigerian Medical Doctors.

The brain drain is set to continue, but not as claimed by Twitter user, Chima Amadi who owns the account, @AMADICHIMA. On Monday, March 4, 2019, Amadi tweeted that a whopping 6, 244 Nigerian Medical Doctors are set to take the UK PLAB 1 examinations in March 2019.

The tweet has since circulated, garnering 2,976 retweets and 4,144 likes on Twitter as at 9:58 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2019.

Amadi's tweet reads, “In two weeks’ time, March 14th , 2019, 6244 ( six thousand two hundred and forty four) Nigerian Medical Doctors will be writing the UK PLAB 1 exams as the first step towards leaving our country to practice medicine in the U.K. These may be those that refuse to go into tailoring.”

The report is a lie

In a chat with the UK General Medical Council, Sarah Orr, the Media Relations Officer for the organization exclusively told Pulse the true number is far below the 6,244 claimed by Amadi.

Orr told Pulse the number is actually 750. She says, "There are 750 candidates signed up for the next PLAB 1 exam in Nigeria."

What is the UK PLAB 1 Exam?

The UK General Medical Council official website says the UK PLAB 1, “The exam tests your ability to apply your knowledge for the care of patients. It doesn't test how well you can remember and recite facts. Questions relate to current best practice in the UK, and equipment routinely available in UK hospitals. You’ll need to answer the questions in relation to published evidence and not according to your local arrangements.”

As things stand, the problem does not look like it will be solved anytime soon

On November 17, 2017, Nigerian Twitter user and Medical Doctor who tweets @_TheGrayWolf wrote this thread about the dire state of affairs in Nigerian hospitals, which is driving Nigerian Doctors to seek greener pastures in western colonies.

The problem is not close to a solution, as things stand. 750 is still a huge number to lose in a country with a constantly shrinking medical workforce.

Additional issues

While talking on the general issue of brain drain in Nigeria, Web Administrator, Weli Orlu additionally said on a Quora thread that, “Today many Nigerian youths are misled into believing that they can make quick success in music, this leads to a wasted life, the brain drain into the Nigerian movie and music industry will keep the country starved of other important professionals.

“Every Nigerian youth wants to become a doctor or a lawyer, don’t be surprised to see surgeons that can’t stand the sight of blood, that can happen when youths are misled to choose professions that is not their calling.

“If this trend continues our economy will be skewed, and we may effectively become exporters of doctors, i don’t know if that would happen to lawyers. In the years past we had literary giants and people from different professions in the Nigerian society, but things are changing.”

Nigeria is currently embroiled in an emigration quagmire with a sizeable number of its citizens under 40 are desperate to travel out of the country. When the Presidential election was cancelled in February 2018, Canada became No. 1 trending topic on Twitter NG.