Your Guide to FPM Fellowship: Dos, Don’ts and Tips
Posted on: Wednesday 25 February 2026
Author: Dr Emma Harvey FFPM, Vice-President
So, you want to apply for Fellowship of FPM?
Becoming a Fellow of FPM is a significant professional milestone. Fellowship recognises sustained achievement, leadership and impact within pharmaceutical medicine.
If you’re thinking about applying, here are some hints and tips on what we’re looking for – and how to make your application stand out.
First things first:
- Think of your application like a cover letter – it needs to set the scene for why you are interested in becoming a Fellow, what you offer to FPM and provide an overview of your career achievements.
- Your application will be reviewed by the Fellowship and Awards Committee:
- If you have any questions our friendly membership team is here to support you
- Think about what makes your application stand out from the crowd
- Think about why we should be proud to add you to the list of Fellows
DO: What makes a strong application?
✓ Provide an overview of:
- How long you have worked in the industry
- How long you were in clinical medicine/clinical research before joining the industry
Remember: you may have extensive experience of clinical development/device development etc. through your time as a clinician, and this is all relevant experience
✓ Highlight your qualifications. Include:
- Postgraduate qualifications
- When you achieved them
✓ Focus on career achievements (not just roles)
Summarise any career achievements with specific relevance to drug/device/tech development, licensing, launch, post-marketing support etc.
- Did you represent your company at a NICE HST appraisal?
- Did you represent your company at an FDA Advisory Committee?
- Have you been an author on any major papers that have changed clinical practice?
- Have you spoken at any major congresses to present your research or other experience?
✓ Provide a summary of your current role and level of seniority within your organisation.
- Do you manage or lead a team?
- How many people do you oversee and how long have you been doing that role?
✓ If you’re a member of FPM, summarise your current relationship with FPM?
- Have you done the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine (DPM) exam – even if in the mists of history?
- Have you completed Pharmaceutical Medicine Specialty Training (PMST)? If so, when?
- Do you revalidate through FPM?
- Have you ever volunteered for FPM activities?
- Do you regularly attend FPM meetings and events?
- If the answer to all of these is ‘no’, you may want to consider joining FPM as an Affiliate Member before you apply to become a Fellow
✓ Make sure you have a current Fellow who can support your application.
- Finding a Fellow to support you
- Please take some time to introduce yourself to that Fellow and let them know why you think you are ready for Fellowship; they can help and advise you
DON’T: Pitfalls to avoid
✖ Don’t just provide a rehash of your CV
✖ Don’t just provide a long list of unstructured bullet points and expect your assessors to be able to make sense of them
✖ Don’t tell the panel that by becoming a Fellow you will be able to become successful in your chosen field. The point of Fellowship is that you should already be successful in your chosen field; this is a way of recognising that!
✖ Don’t assume that because you are a Fellow of another college or faculty or you did 15 years as a GP that you will automatically be considered for Fellowship. Highlight what it was in your 15 years as a GP that gave you transferrable skills that you brought to Pharma and how you have used those skills subsequently.
✖ Applicants must be well established at senior level within pharmaceutical medicine. You will typically have several years of experience in pharmaceutical medicine roles, with a certain number of those years being in a substantive senior role that demonstrates Fellowship-level responsibility, influence, and impact
✖ Don’t rush to become a Fellow; yes, it’s very nice to be a Fellow, but Fellowship is granted to those who can demonstrate they have learned their craft. Take time to develop your expertise and Fellowship will follow in due course.
Election to Fellowship of FPM
Find out more about and read our eligibility and criteria documents
Achieving Fellowship of FPM signals excellence, credibility and authority across the industry. It distinguishes you among peers as someone who drives progress in pharmaceutical medicine.
Our Fellowship applications are open until 12:00 (UK time) on Tuesday 10 March.
Nominations can be made by current Fellows of FPM, or you can nominate yourself with the support of a current Fellow of FPM in good standing.