Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine

The 2013 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine Examination (Parts 1 and 2)

From its inception until 2012 the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine was a single examination comprising several different papers, all of which had to be passed at the same time to achieve an overall pass. In 2013 the structure of the Diploma changes such that is now a two-part examination, the parts of which have to be passed sequentially.

The exam will be held in September and October 2013 at Hamilton House Conference Centre, Bloomsbury, London. The exam will also be held on the same dates in Singapore and Cape Town, South Africa.

Part 1 (MCQ paper) will be held on Wednesday 18th September and Part 2 (SAQ and Critical Appraisal papers) will be held the following month on Monday 21st October.

** The pass list for the 2012 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine is now available. Please click HEREto view **

The Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine examination is open to doctors who have entered pharmaceutical medicine and received structured training in the discipline.

Eligibility

Candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Medical Registration: must possess a medical qualification recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK and be included on an appropriate medical register.

Structure of the exam

The Diploma is a two-part examination. Part 1 consists of a multiple choice question (MCQ) paper and Part 2 comprises a Short Answer Question paper and a Critical Appraisal paper. The two parts of the exam are set on two separate days approximately 4 weeks apart.

Part 1 consists of an MCQ paper of 375 questions (75 stems each with 5 completions) all to be completed in 2 hours 30 minutes;

Part 2 consists of:

-  a Short Answer Question paper of ten questions all to be completed in 2 hours 30 minutes; 

-  a Critical Appraisal paper in which candidates have 2 hours 30 minutes to study a published paper and answer questions on it.

The time allowed for the written examination is sufficient to complete the papers working at a reasonable pace. 

Candidates may apply to sit both Parts 1 and 2 at the same time but only candidates that achieve a Pass in the Part 1 exam will be allowed to sit the Part 2 exam.

A Pass in the Part 1 exam will be valid for a maximum of four attempts at the Part 2 examination. If a candidate does not pass the Part 2 exam after four attempts then the Part 1 pass will become invalid and the candidate will be required to re-sit Part 1.

*** The Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine - Adoption of PharmaTrain 2010 Syllabus by FPM. ***

Since 1976 the Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine has been developed by the Royal Colleges of Physicians in the UK for the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine examination, and as the basis for course curricula in postgraduate training in the discipline, and subsequently specialty, of pharmaceutical medicine. Over the years the Syllabus underwent a number of revisions and updates under the auspices of the Colleges, and since 1989 by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.  In 1985 the Faculty’s Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine was offered to IFAPP as the basis for the IFAPP Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine, utilised for course curricula and examinations in Europe and by IFAPP National Member Associations around the world. In similar vein, in 2009 the Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine was offered by the Faculty to IMI PharmaTrain, along with, we understand, the current IFAPP Syllabus, as the basis for PharmaTrain’s International Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine, recognising the requirement for update, review and revision for widespread harmonised, international use under the PharmaTrain banner (presented as PharmaTrain Syllabus 2010).  

Given the provenance of The Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine summarised above, the Faculty is pleased to receive the PharmaTrain Syllabus 2010 as the updated and revised Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine. As a public partner of IMI PharmaTrain, the Faculty recognises that PharmaTrain Syllabus 2010 carries the brand of ‘PharmaTrain’.  The Faculty also recognises, and welcomes, the opportunity afforded by PharmaTrain for, in future, systematic, collective and harmonised review & revision of this international Syllabus, and agrees to abide by the requirements and conditions established for this, and to which the Faculty will assuredly contribute.

The syllabus is divided into sections covering the following:

The entire syllabus is available to download here.

To download further details about the DPM, please click on the links below.

• Examination information pack
• Application form
• Diploma Guidance for Candidates and Regulations and Procedures
• Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine Exam Specification
• Examination Appeal Procedure
• Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine which should also be read in conjunction with the guidance and regulations document.
• Sample answers to two SAQs from the 2010 examination.
• Past exam papers from the 2010-2012 DPM exams