Two doctors linked to a Romford tutoring academy have been struck off after a tribunal found they helped overseas candidates gain an unfair advantage in the PLAB 2 clinical exam.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service ordered the erasure of Dr Elmira Yaghmaei and Dr Hamed Salehi after hearings that ended on 30 September 2026. The cases turn on how station material reached candidates who must pass the practical test before UK registration. ⁠

How a Folder at the Centre Started the Inquiry

Concerns about Dr Yaghmaei, a tutor at Common Stations PLAB Academy in Romford, began after a PLAB 2 sitting in February 2019. A General Medical Council member of staff found a folder left at the Clinical Assessment Centre. It held a large volume of exam information, and wording claimed copyright on behalf of Common Stations, which investigators linked to her.

She denied creating material that would let students cheat. The tribunal was told her role did not include distributing scenario packs. It nevertheless found statements from former students who said they already knew the answers.

A note attributed to Seema Khan said the stations were 'exactly word by word the same as we were taught'. In April 2019 Mr Hankins, then head of assessment at the GMC, said the contents were designed to enable candidates to cheat. Dr Yaghmaei left Common Stations in March 2019.

What the Plab 2 Exam Asks Candidates To Show

PLAB 2 is the clinical and professional skills assessment set by the GMC for overseas-qualified doctors seeking UK registration. It is an objective structured clinical examination, meant to reflect Foundation Year 2 work rather than a memory test.

The exam comprises 16 scenarios of eight minutes each, plus at least two rest stations, and lasts around three hours. From 1 April 2026 the fee is £1,036 ($1,368). Candidates need a valid PLAB 1 pass and must clear PLAB 2 within two years. Candidates are normally limited to four attempts, although an additional attempt can be requested under the GMC's rules.

It is held only in Manchester, at the GMC's two clinical assessment centres at 3 Hardman Square and 3 Hardman Street in Manchester. Sharing exam content before the sitting is listed as misconduct. ⁠

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Why the Tribunal Ordered Erasure

Dr Salehi, described as director of Common Stations, obtained confidential exam information from candidates and caused them to breach the terms of the test. The tribunal heard he distributed teaching materials so students could gain an unfair advantage. He also claimed a 100 per cent PLAB 2 pass rate. The posts were proved. The accuracy of the claim was not. ⁠

Ms Fairley, counsel for the GMC, said the conduct showed a 'flagrant disregard' for professional standards. Distributing teaching materials was proved against both doctors. Both were struck off. An appeal would not lift the order until it ended. ⁠

On 2 October 2026, an account posting as ConsUltaNT-ACP, which presents itself as a consultant advanced clinical practitioner, noted that Romford doctors had been struck off for helping students cheat on medical exams.

The PLAB 2 route remains the main practical gateway for many overseas graduates, and the £1,036 ($1,368) fee is unchanged. The assessment is set at the level expected of a doctor entering the second year of the UK Foundation Programme.

The doctors have 28 days to appeal the tribunal's sanction; if an appeal is lodged, the erasure does not take effect while the appeal is pending, subject to the applicable rules.

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