PLAB (Psychiatry) Sample Questions Set-21
Categories: U.K. PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board)
Question. A 60 year old man was brought to A&E by his daughter following ingestion of a large amount of medications. His daughter says that he has been withdrawn lately and that he has been neglecting himself. The patient himself says that he is tired of life and mentions that he has not left his house in the past three weeks as he claims that his neighbours are talking about him. He also claims that his neighbours have evil thoughts toward him. The patient concedes that he needs help. What is the SINGLE most appropriate next step in management of this patient?
A. Home visit by community psychiatric nurse
B. Hospital admission
C. Refer to general practitioner
D. Urgent referral to the psychiatric outpatient clinic
E. Discharge home with advice
Answer: (b) [The most important thing to glean in this question is that this patient has conceded that he has a problem and that he needs help. This single fact would be grounds for a voluntary hospital admission. He needs a general hospital admission, voluntary or otherwise, for the very fact that he has ingested a large quantity of medications. The type of medication was not given in the stem but nonetheless, it would be dangerous to send him elsewhere.
(A) is incorrect. This patient needs proper psychiatric treatment by an entire team of medical professionals, not a single home visit. He is also suicidal, and has attempted to take his own life.
(C) is also incorrect for the above reasons.
(D) this patient has been neglecting himself and become withdrawn, and he has ingested a large amount of drugs, possibly with the intent to take his own life. Referring him to an outpatient clinic in this condition would be dangerous.
(E) Discharging home would be the worst option amongst the answers.
Question. A 33 year old woman has persistent fear when she has to speak publicly. She sweats and has palpitations and finds it very difficult to breathe. She is afraid of what people might think of her. She tries her best to avoid these situations. What is the SINGLE most likely diagnosis?
A. Agoraphobia
B. Acute stress disorder
C. Social anxiety disorder
D. Obsessive compulsive disorder
E. Generalized anxiety disorder
Answer: (c) [One of the hallmarks of social anxiety disorder is the intense fear of public speaking. They have a fear of being criticized. Sufferers fear that they may look stupid or appear boring.]
Question. A 33 year old man who lives with his mother, always thinks when traffic lights turn red, his mother is calling him to come home. This is followed by his actions to drive back home. What is the SINGLE most likely diagnosis?
A. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
B. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
C. Schizophrenia
D. Bipolar disorder
E. Cyclothymia
Answer: (c) [He thinks that the changing of traffic lights is giving him a message. These are called delusional perceptions and are a feature of schizophrenia.]
Question. A 24 year old male on remand in prison for murder is referred by the prison doctor. He is noted to be behaving oddly in prison and complains of hallucinating. He has a previous history of IV drug abuse. On questioning, he provides repeated wrong answers to questions nonetheless, his answers are in the correct category. For example, when asked who is the prime minister of England, he answers Bill Clinton. What is the SINGLE most likely diagnosis?
A. Capgras syndrome
B. Cotard syndrome
C. Ganser syndrome
D. Somatization disorder
E. Hypochondriasis
Answer: (c) [Ganser syndrome → is a type of factitious disorder, a mental illness in which a person deliberately and consciously acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness. They Mimic behavior that is typical of a mental illness, such as schizophrenia. It is also sometimes called prison psychosis, because the syndrome occurs most frequently in prison inmates, where it may represent an attempt to gain leniency from prison or court officials. They produce ‘approximate answers’. They may give repeated wrong answers to questions which are nonetheless ‘in the right ballpark’. Example, ‘what is the capital of Scotland?’ Answer ‘Paris’. These symptoms may occasionally be associated with organic brain illness but it is much more commonly seen as a form of malingering in those attempting to feign mental illness, usually prisoners awaiting trial.]
Question. A 28 year old schizophrenic man refuses to let his father into the house because he has the delusion that his father has been replaced by an identical looking imposter. He easily recognised other family members but would misidentify his father. What is the SINGLE most likely condition he is suffering from?
A. Capgras syndrome
B. Ganser syndrome
C. Todd’s syndrome
D. Fregoli delusion
E. Cotard syndrome
Answer: (a) [Capgras syndrome → A type of delusional misidentification in which the patient believes that a person known to them has been replaced by a ‘double’ who is to all external appearances identical, but is not the ‘real person’.]
These questions cover various aspects of medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, and professional skills. Remember to refer to the PLAB exam syllabus and guidelines for a comprehensive understanding of the exam content and format.
The PLAB test is a prerequisite for international medical graduates who want to practise medicine in the UK. Passing both parts of the exam is also a requirement. To receive a licence to practise medicine in the UK after passing the exam, you might need to complete additional exams, such as the GMC registration process and securing a job offer or training placement.
In order to practise medicine in the United Kingdom, international medical graduates must pass the PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) exam. The General Medical Council (GMC), which oversees medical practitioners in the UK, is in charge of administering it.
The PLAB exam is divided into two parts:
PLAB Part 1: This written, multiple-choice exam gauges your knowledge and comprehension of clinical practise and medical principles. It has 180 single-best-answer questions and covers a variety of subjects, such as surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and more. The PLAB Part 1 exam is available in many different nations.
PLAB Part 2: This practical test evaluates your clinical abilities, communication abilities, and ethical standards. There are 18 situations in all, all of them take place in the UK and include interacting with fictitious patients. Your capacity to gather data, generate accurate diagnoses, and create treatment plans is evaluated by the examiners.
You must fulfil specific requirements, such as holding a primary medical certification recognised by the GMC and possessing the appropriate English language proficiency, in order to be qualified to take the PLAB exam. The GMC's website should be checked for the most recent and comprehensive qualifying requirements.
A strong foundation in clinical expertise and medical knowledge is necessary for PLAB exam preparation. Many applicants prepare by combining self-study, books, online sources, and practise tests. Additionally, a number of for-profit businesses provide training programmes and resources created expressly for the PLAB exam.