Working towards a CESR via the Portfolio Pathway: the most direct route, with support from FOM
While the Portfolio Pathway can be undertaken at any stage in an Occupational Physician’s career and over almost any timescale, the FOM is able to provide a degree of structure and support to applicants who wish to pursue this route from the commencement of their career in Occupational Medicine and apply for a CESR at the earliest opportunity (after four years Whole Time Equivalent).
While many of those of who apply for a CESR in Occupational Medicine succeed at the first attempt, a number do not. This is often due to insufficient support, supervision and advice which can have adverse effects of the quality and completeness of the evidence submitted in a Portfolio Pathway/CESR application. The process outlined below, which we recommend that you follow, will increase your chances of a successful outcome.
The purposes are to give a stronger sense of support from FOM to applicants wishing to follow the Portfolio Pathway as an alternative to specialty training and to raise the standards and quality of their route towards a Portfolio Pathway/CESR application.
The processes, which is organised at FOM, includes and records:
- Approval for you to begin to follow the Portfolio Pathway after scrutiny of your portfolio/CV by the FOM Portfolio Pathway group to see if you have done satisfactory core training and demonstrated common professional capabilities without necessarily having obtained postgraduate diplomas. For more information on whether you meet these competencies, please click here
- Informal approval of your post (if employed) or the breadth of your work by an RSA or deputy or another experienced Occupational Physician, to assess its suitability to provide the necessary experience and learning
- The name and training status of your supervisor
- Receipt of written evidence of your employer’s support (as appropriate to your employment status) for your work towards obtaining a CESR
- Attendance at an FOM Portfolio Pathway coaching day
- Registration (affiliation) with FOM
- Agreement and recording of the date of the commencement of work towards a Portfolio Pathway/CESR application
- Taking the DOccMed exam
- Passing the AFOM exam
The e-portfolio is also available to those who wish to use it. Please contact the FOM training department for further information on how to gain access.
