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Examinations, Appeals and Membership – General Regulations & Guidance
General FOM Examination Regulations and Guidance
Regulations & Guidance for FOM Membership
General FOM Examination Regulations and Guidance
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F1. |
Application to take a Faculty examination must be made by the advertised closing date, and accompanied by full payment of the fee. Exact times and locations of examinations will be provided to candidates by email, in good time before their examination date. |
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F2. |
No candidate will normally be allowed more than six attempts at any FOM examination. Any attempt that ends in a withdrawal from the examination as a whole which is accepted by the Faculty as arising from extenuating circumstances under Regulations F13, F14 and F15 will not count towards this number. |
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F3. |
However, following six failed attempts at a Part 1 MFOM examination, Part 2 MFOM examination, or dissertation, made for purposes of higher specialist training a candidate may apply to make a further attempt (or attempts) subject on each occasion to the approval of the Faculty’s Training (SAC) Committee . Before granting approval(s), the Training (SAC) Committee will require the candidate to submit evidence of additional education experience. The Training (SAC) Committee will be the final arbiter as to the form that evidence must take and as to whether a further attempt or attempts can be allowed. |
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F4. |
Candidates who would like to request reasonable adjustments should refer to the FOM Reasonable Adjustment Policy. All such candidates should inform the FOM of this by indicating in the relevant area of the application form and then submitting, via email, a reasonable adjustment request form along with any relevant supporting documentation. All documentation relating to a reasonable adjustment request must be received at least 8 weeks before the date of the examination. |
POLICY OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
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F5. |
The FOM’s policy is to make every effort not to discriminate on grounds of gender, age, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion or disability. Written papers are anonymised before marking. Multiple choice questions are marked by computer and in other types of paper, each question is normally marked by a different examiner or pair of examiners. After marking, monitors check the papers to confirm that there is no evidence of discrimination. The FOM relies on individuals – its staff, members and examination candidates – to point out where there is a potential for discrimination, so that it may be avoided. |
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F6. |
The language of the examinations is English and, except where otherwise indicated in the Regulations, the examinations will be based on practice in the United Kingdom. Candidates are expected to be able to communicate effectively with patients in the practical elements of assessment. The examiners try to draft the written papers in clear, unambiguous English, avoiding the use of acronyms. |
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F7. |
Examinations are scheduled when the FOM can obtain the requisite facilities and resource. The FOM is therefore unable to guarantee that examination dates will avoid all religious holidays on all occasions. However, it does try to avoid them whenever possible. |
CONDUCT OF THE CANDIDATE
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F8. |
The FOM may refuse to admit to the examination, or to proceed with the examination of, any candidate who infringes a regulation of the FOM Board or whose behaviour is considered by the Board to be prejudicial to the proper management and conduct of the examination. This includes online examinations, for which security measures will be clearly communicated to all candidates prior to the examination date. See the FOM’s Policy and Procedure on Misconduct in Examinations and Assessments. |
CANDIDATE RESPONSIBILITIES: I.T systems, internet connection, chosen location
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F9. |
When taking an online examination, it is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure their IT facilities are appropriate to meet with the requirements of the examination. Where relevant, candidates must test their IT systems via the website of the exam provider with sufficient time to ensure any problems encountered can be addressed before the examination.
It is also the candidate’s responsibility to ensure their internet connection is sufficiently reliable to enable them to take the examination. Candidates must take all reasonable measures to ensure they can be seen and heard by the invigilator / examiner(s) present. Failure by the candidate to ensure this will result in a voided exam attempt for which no refund of the application fee will be given. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure the location in which they choose to sit their examination is quiet and undisturbed. The FOM accepts no liability in relation to a disrupted or curtailed assessment due to a candidate’s inadequate IT equipment/internet connection. |
FEES
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F10. |
The fees for admission to the examination will be determined annually by the FOM. Details will be published in any advertisement for the examination and on the fees and subscriptions page. |
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F11. |
There will be a separate fee to be paid for the certificate on successful completion of the requirements for the qualification. |
WITHDRAWAL BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRY
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F12. |
Candidates who submit their application and payment of fees, and subsequently withdraw before the closing date for entry, will receive a refund of their fee (less 10% administration fee). |
WITHDRAWAL AFTER THE CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRY AND BEFORE TAKING THE EXAMINATION
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F13. |
Candidates who withdraw after the closing date for entry will not normally be entitled to a refund of fees. |
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND ILLNESS
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F14. |
Candidates who fall ill or suffer extenuating circumstances after the closing date for entry may apply to have these factors taken into account, as mitigating circumstances, and to have part of the exam fee refunded. Extenuating circumstances are defined as a situation outside of the control of the candidate and which is accepted by the FOM as liable to have a material impact on the candidate’s capacity to undertake his/her examination. Significant personal illness, bereavement, major domestic events, maternity complications and the illness of a close family member are examples of extenuating circumstances that may be accepted with suitable supporting evidence. To qualify, the FOM must be made aware of the circumstance before the exam as a whole is taken, wherever possible. |
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F15. |
Candidates will be required to submit evidence in support of their request to have a potentially extenuating circumstance considered under F13. The evidence supplied must be:
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F16. |
Candidates must submit an application in writing to the Chief Examiner (via the FOM office) including supporting evidence for consideration (under regulation F14). This must be provided within four weeks of the examination as a whole taking place. If approved, candidates will receive a refund of 80% of their fee. No consideration will be given, irrespective of the circumstances, thereafter. |
WITHDRAWAL AFTER THE EXAMINATION
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F17. |
Requests for a withdrawal from an examination on the basis of extenuating circumstances cannot be submitted retrospectively i.e. after the examination as a whole has been taken. The FOM cannot lower the pass standard to allow a candidate to pass if they have felt unwell or suffered extenuating circumstances. Similarly, these will not constitute one of the acceptable grounds for an appeal against an examination result. |
FORMAT OF THE EXAMINATION
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F18. |
The examinations will comprise the general components shown in Table 1. Some examinations require passes in the written components of the examination before moving forward to oral or clinical components. For certain examinations, passes in some components may be carried forward in the event of overall failure. Details are given in the regulations for specific examinations. |
| Exam | Component 1 | Component 2 (if applicable) |
| Part 1 MFOM | MCQ | |
| Part 2 MFOM/AFOM | SBA | OSCE |
| DOccMed | MCQ | Portfolio/Viva |
| DAvMed | MCQ | MEQ |
| HAVS | MCQ |
Table 1 Examination components
- MCQ – Multiple Choice Question paper
- MEQ – Modified Essay Question paper
- SBA – Single Best Answer paper
- OSCE – Objective Structured Clinical Examination
N.B. The DAvMed examination is in two parts. Each part consists of an MCQ and MEQ.
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F19. |
The weight given to each component of each examination will be given in individual examination regulations. The weight given to individual questions in essay or MEQ papers will normally be displayed on the examination paper. |
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F20. |
A candidate’s examination performance will be assessed relative to an external standard set by the examiners. Raw marks may be adjusted to preserve a common standard between examinations. |
RESULTS
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F21. |
As soon after the examination as possible, candidates will be provided with details of their marks. Candidates who fail an examination will receive the relevant Chief Examiner’s feedback on problem areas of performance. Results will not be provided by telephone under any circumstances. |
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F22. |
In accord with the Data Protection Act 2018, candidates will have access on request to any information held on them by the FOM. Please note that this does not include exam answer sheets. Papers will be retained until the commencement of the next diet of that examination. |
APPEALS
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F23. |
If a candidate is dissatisfied with the conduct of his or her examination or assessment, he or she should write to the appropriate Chief Examiner. This initial inquiry must be received by the FOM within 21 days of the date on which the decision to which the inquiry relates was issued. Applications made after this time cannot be considered under the Appeal Rules. The grounds for dissatisfaction should be clearly and fully stated, and it may help the candidate to read the criteria for appeal, which are set out in the FOM Board’s Appeal Rules and Procedures below. |
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F24. |
The Chief Examiner, or an appointed deputy, will write a letter of response; and will, as a matter of course, enclose with this letter details of the FOM’s Appeal Rules and Procedures. |
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F25. |
If after receiving the Chief Examiner’s response (under regulation F24) the candidate remains dissatisfied, he or she may make a formal appeal to the FOM’s Academic Dean. He or she must ensure that the FOM receives the appeal within 21 days of the Chief Examiner’s response being issued under regulation F24. No extension to this time limit will be considered. |
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F26. |
Any formal appeal made following the process and timescale of regulation F25, and of the Appeal Procedures, will be considered by the Academic Dean under the Board’s Appeal Procedures, details of which will have been sent to the candidate with the Chief Examiner’s response. |
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F27. |
The Appeal Procedures will specify the items that must be included in a notice of formal appeal under regulation F26. The appellant must also submit an appeal fee, the scale of which is defined in an annex to the Appeal Procedures. A portion of this appeal fee (as specified below) will be non-refundable, unless the appeal is upheld. |
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F28. |
If the documentation submitted under regulation F25 does not conform to that stipulated in the Appeal Procedures, then the appeal will be deemed to have failed. No allowance of extra time will be made if mandatory items are missing. |
Appeal Regulations
1. INTRODUCTION
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1.1. |
Faculty of Occupational Medicine examinations exist to confirm that practitioners have demonstrated capability in the field of occupational medicine. |
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1.2. |
The Faculty of Occupational Medicine (the FOM) is committed to ensuring that all examination candidates are treated fairly and consistently during FOM Examinations. These Regulations allow candidates to request a review of the conduct of their examination where they believe they may have been treated unfairly, and allege impropriety or bias of some kind and can produce appropriate supporting evidence. The procedures that should be followed regarding re-calculation, reviews and appeals are set out in these Regulations. |
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1.3. |
These Regulations are to be used to investigate all examination concerns. |
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1.4. |
Candidates should note that by virtue of entering to sit an examination they are deemed to have understood, and agreed to respect and abide by all relevant regulations, including the Appeal Regulations. |
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1.5. |
Any dispute as to the interpretation of the Regulations shall be referred to the Academic Dean whose decision in the matter will be final. |
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1.6. |
All examination marks are awarded in accordance with strict guidelines and the marks awarded by the Examiners are final. |
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1.7. |
Every attempt will be made to arrange suitable premises for all examinations. There may however be extraneous circumstances (external noise, low indoor temperature) which are outside of the direct control of the FOM. As any such extraneous circumstances will affect all candidates they will not provide grounds to challenge the outcome of any examination. |
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1.8. |
There are four routes whereby a candidate can raise questions about their performance.
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Candidates will be charged a fee for each individual stage of the review and appeals process.
Please see the subscriptions and fees page for information on current fees.
2. DEFINITIONS
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2.1. |
A ‘Re-calculation’ is defined as a candidate’s request for an additional calculation of their marks. Such a request should not be based on any alleged irregularity or bias. |
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2.2. |
A ‘Review’ is defined as an assessment of the process of the examination where impropriety or bias in the examination is alleged by the candidate. |
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2.3. |
An ‘Appeal’ is a process when the candidate is dissatisfied with the outcome of a ‘Review’. |
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2.4. |
It is a requirement to meet the required standard for Research Methods before MFOM can be awarded. |
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2.5. |
A candidate who has attempted any part or component of an examination may, in the circumstances set out below, have the right of appeal against the result. The only eligible grounds to seek a ‘Review’ are:
Evidence of a procedural irregularity or bias in the conduct of the examination (including administrative error), which may have adversely affected a candidate’s performance. |
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2.6. |
A request for a ‘Review’ will not be accepted on any other grounds, for example that a candidate:
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2.7. |
A ‘Panel’ is the group of professionals who conduct the ‘Review’ or hear an ‘Appeal’. |
3. RE-CALCULATION
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3.1. |
Marks are awarded by Examiners in accordance with strict guidelines. |
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3.2. |
Prior to the confirmation of results, all examination papers undergo thorough checking procedures. All marks are verified by the appropriate Chief Examiner. A candidate who is dissatisfied with the determination of his/her result, but is not alleging an impropriety or bias, may after receipt of his/her results letter, request an additional calculation of his/her result. The Re-calculation will be undertaken by an appropriate member of FOM staff. There will be a fee for this, which will be refunded if an error is identified. Applicants should be fully aware that errors found during re-calculation are very rare, and marks may be deducted if in the course of re-calculation, it is discovered that the candidate was awarded too many marks when their paper(s) were initially marked. |
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3.3. |
A request for re-calculation must be made;
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4. LETTER TO CHIEF EXAMINER (STAGE 1)
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4.1. |
If a candidate is dissatisfied with the conduct of his or her examination or assessment, he or she should write to the appropriate Chief Examiner. This initial inquiry should be submitted via an Initial Inquiry form (available from the examinations department) and be received by the FOM within 21 days of the date on which the inquiry relates. Applications made after this time cannot be considered under these rules. The grounds of dissatisfaction should be clearly and fully stated. It may help the candidate to read the criteria for appeal which are set out in paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6. |
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4.2. |
The Chief Examiner or appointed deputy, will write a single letter of response and will enclose with this letter a copy of these Appeals Regulations. |
5. REVIEW (STAGE 2)
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5.1. |
An applicant can only ask for a Review if he or she remains dissatisfied with the Chief Examiner’s response and if there is clear evidence of procedural irregularity in the conduct of the examination (including administrative error) which has adversely affected a candidate’s performance. He or she must do so by completing the Review Request form, such that the Faculty receives the Review Request within 21 days of the date of the Chief Examiner’s response being issued. No extension to this time limit will be allowed.
Illustrative Examples are:
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5.1. |
This is an indicative list only and is therefore not exhaustive. It is designed to guide an applicant towards the kind of situations under which a Review is likely to be considered. |
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5.2. |
No Review will be undertaken of matters which relate solely to the examiner’s judgement. |
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5.3. |
Any request for a Review must be made, using the ‘Review Request Form’ (available from the Examinations Department) and returned to the FOM. The candidate must include:
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5.4. |
FOM staff will acknowledge receipt of the form and forward it to the Academic Dean for consideration. |
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5.5. |
The request must be submitted within 21 days of the date of the Chief Examiner’s response being issued. The administration fee must be received with the request. |
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5.6. |
The Academic Dean will consider the admissibility of the request. |
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5.7. |
If the request is not deemed admissible, the candidate will be informed in writing within 20 working days of the request being received. |
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5.8. |
If the Academic Dean,
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5.9. |
The Review Panel will assess the evidence submitted by the candidate, and seek such detailed information from the Faculty about the relevant examination as it considers necessary. |
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5.10. |
The Review Panel will be composed as follows;
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5.11. |
The Review Panel will meet, or discuss the case by teleconference, as soon as practicable. |
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5.12. |
The Review Panel may;
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5.13. |
The Review Panel will produce a written record of their decision which will detail their responses to the points raised by the candidate. A copy of the ‘Review Decision Document’ will be signed by the Chair of the panel and sent to the candidate. |
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5.14. |
The Review Panel has the power to decide whether all, part of or none of the Review fee will be returned. |
6. APPEAL (STAGE 3)
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6.1. |
If a candidate who has received the ‘Review Decision Document’, remains dissatisfied with the findings of the Panel and wishes to challenge the points set out in the letter, he/she may submit an Appeal using the Appeal Form (available from the FOM). This should set out the grounds of his/her Appeal. No Appeal may be made in matters which relate solely to the examiner’s judgement. The Appeal application form must be accompanied by the fee. The Appeal must be received within 21 days of the date of the Review Panel’s Decision Document. |
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6.2. |
Receipt of the Appeal application will be confirmed in writing by a member of FOM staff. |
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6.3. |
An Appeal Panel will be composed as follows;
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6.4. |
Wherever possible, the date of the hearing will be agreed and the candidate notified of this date within 20 working days of the receipt of the Appeal Request application. An Appeal Panel will be convened as part of the following process:
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6.5. |
An Appeal Hearing will take the following format;
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6.6. |
At the conclusion of the Appeal Hearing, the Appeal Panel will reach its findings.
The findings the Appeal Panel can make are:
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6.7. |
The Appeal Panel has the power to decide whether, all, part of or none of the Appeal fee be returned. |
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6.8. |
On announcement of the Appeal Panel’s decision, the Appeal Panel will give reasons for its decisions, which will be confirmed in writing, in the Appeal Decision Document. The document will confirm the Appeal Panel’s decision and answer each substantive point raised by the appellant. The Appeal Decision document will be signed by the Chair of the Appeal Panel as being an accurate record of the Appeal Panel’s findings. |
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6.9. |
After the decision of the Appeal Panel there can be no further appeal related to the matter. |
7. EXAMINATION FEEDBACK IN GENERAL
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7.1. |
The FOM is committed to improving the process of examinations and welcomes feedback. As part of its internal Quality Assurance processes, the Faculty seeks feedback from candidates both formally at set times, such as, immediately after the OSPE examination, and informally at other times. The candidates should feel confident that any such comments will be handled in a fair and consistent way. There is no time limit on feedback comments, but it is helpful if they are submitted as soon after the relevant examination as possible. |
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7.2. |
Feedback comments will be not be construed as alleging any irregularities or bias in the examination and will therefore not trigger a Review or Appeal. |
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7.3. |
Comments should be sent to the FOM whose staff will forward information to the relevant Chief Examiner and deputy or Chief Examiners, and ensure that the points made are considered at the next examination committee meeting. |
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7.4. |
The comments must refer to;
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- The MFOM Part 1 examination
- Evidence of meeting the standards for Research Methods
- The MFOM Part 2 examination
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M1. |
Regulations M2 to M39 will apply to:
a) Trainees who have entered an approved higher specialist training post or programme in occupational medicine in the United Kingdom (UK) b) Doctors outwith approved UK training posts or programmes who are seeking a higher qualification in occupational medicine in the UK. This applies to doctors who are in a training position which is not based within the UK or to doctors who wish to practice within the UK and who have entered the GMC Specialist Register by successful application for Certificate of Eligibility of Specialist Registration (CESR). It also applies to doctors who have trained in an EEA country, or Switzerland, and have entered GMC Specialist Register via Automatic Mutual Recognition. |
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M2. |
Every candidate for the award of Membership must hold a medical qualification recognised by the Faculty. |
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M2. |
Candidates who are not registered with the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom will need to produce their original medical registration certificates or diplomas of medical qualification, and official translations of their diplomas, if not in English. |
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M3. |
Formal assessment for the MFOM will consist of three centrally administered assessments:
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M4. |
Award of Membership (MFOM)will require all three of the elements of assessment in M3 to have been passed and such other conditions of relevant experience or training as specified in these regulations to have been met. |
View regulations & guidance M5 – M9.
APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP
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M38. |
Applications for Membership are made on form M4 and sent via email to membership@fom.ac.uk. A Membership (MFOM) admission fee is payable to the Faculty at the time of the application for Membership (MFOM) |
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M38. |
Where the application is linked with an approved UK programme of higher specialist training in occupational medicine, Form M4 should be countersigned by the candidate’s supervisor and Regional Specialty Advisor. If the candidate’s application for Membership (MFOM) is approved, the Faculty will make a recommendation for inclusion on the Specialist Register to the GMC, with details of the candidate’s training and qualifications. Candidates may then apply to the GMC for a CCT. On receipt of the recommendation from the Faculty, the candidate’s application form and the required fee, the GMC will process the CCT application. |
OTHER MATTERS
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M39. |
The Faculty may refuse to admit to assessment any candidate who infringes a regulation of the Faculty Board or whose behaviour is considered to be prejudicial to the proper management and conduct of the assessment. |
MFOM CORE SYLLABUS
LEARNING TO PREPARE FOR MFOM EXAMINATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE:
- Definition of occupational medicine and its scope
- Occupational Health Services: the OH team, functions and management
- Ethics, communication and relationships with professional colleagues
- Law in occupational health: system, statutes and civil law Employment organisations, industrial relations and trades unions
- Health & Safety Executive and Appointed Doctor System: sources of advice and information
- Effects of work on:
– Musculoskeletal systems
– Skin Respiratory system
– Mental health
– Other systems - Principles of:
– Occupational hygiene
– Occupational toxicology, including carcinogenesis
– Ergonomics Epidemiology and application of these principles - Physical working environment:
– Noise and vibration
– Temperature
– Visual environment
– Use of personal protective equipment
Clinical Occupational Health
- Assessment of fitness to work – before/during employment
- Absence attributed to sickness
- Rehabilitation, redeployment, resettlement and ill health retirement
- Health surveillance and biological monitoring Health screening and medical examination
Practical
- Principles of health and safety risk management
- Types of hazards and their identification
- The walk-through survey and basic hygiene screening techniques
- Assessing risk Application of control measures
- Monitoring outcome and feedback Written reports and production of portfolio
MFOM General Professional Training
This information applies to those outwith UK specialist training posts or programmes.*
It is a requirement, before attempting the MFOM Part 1 examination, that candidates who are not enrolled in UK specialist training shall provide evidence of adequate and acceptable General Professional Training. Candidates must have two years full time experience in other specialties, after completion of Foundation Training.
The aim of General Professional Training is to enable a doctor to obtain a broad medical experience before embarking upon specialist training.
Vocational Training in the UK (GPVT) will also meet this requirement.
It is important that the experience gained should be wide and varied. Multi-disciplinary rotations in specialty registrar posts (not necessarily restricted to hospital practice) can offer such experience.
Date last modified: 22/01/2021
