Core Revision
DOccMed approved courses: the seven FOM-approved providers and how to choose
David4 min read
Written October 2026
You cannot sit the DOccMed without first completing a Faculty-approved Diploma Training Course, and as of 11 October 2026 the Faculty of Occupational Medicine lists seven providers. The content is fixed by the Faculty’s syllabus; what varies is format, timing, portfolio support and cost. Here is the list as published on fom.ac.uk, the rules that apply to every course, and the questions worth asking a provider before you pay.
Why the course is not optional
Regulation D2 of the DOccMed regulations requires a Faculty-approved course to be completed by the exam application closing date, with a copy of the certificate uploaded with the application. The Faculty’s guidance adds that candidates should attend at least 90% of the course, or provide other confirmation the Faculty has approved. The requirement applies even to doctors who already hold a Part 1 MFOM pass, which the regulations treat as a pass in the Diploma MCQ: the course is still compulsory. And the five-year window for passing both parts of the exam runs from the date you complete the course, so finishing it starts a clock as well as opening a door.
The seven providers the Faculty lists
The Faculty’s DOccMed page names these providers and asks candidates to contact them directly. Locations are given where the Faculty gives them.
| Provider | Where the Faculty places it |
|---|---|
| University of Manchester | Manchester |
| University of Glasgow, Healthy Working Lives Group | Glasgow |
| Royal Society for Public Health | London |
| TOPHS Ltd | Nottingham |
| Optima Health | Not stated |
| EOPH | Not stated |
| Health Partners Academy | Not stated |
Providers come and go from the list, and a course is approved by the Faculty rather than by its reputation, so check the current list on the Faculty’s DOccMed page before you book and keep a copy of the page. If a course you are offered is not on it, ask the provider for the Faculty’s confirmation of approval in writing.
Sitting the DOccMed? Try ten questions free.
The DOccMed Question Bank has 1,000 questions across twelve modules, with module drills, a timed mock and the portfolio and viva guide. It is £49.99 for 12 months. Try ten questions first, free and with no sign-up.
What is the same everywhere
Every approved course teaches the Faculty’s syllabus, so you should not choose on content. The syllabus runs from the scope, ethics and law of occupational health through the effects of work on health (musculoskeletal, skin, respiratory and mental health, hygiene, toxicology, ergonomics and the physical environment), fitness for work, sickness absence, rehabilitation and health surveillance, to the practical skills of risk assessment, workplace visits and writing the portfolio. Every course leads to the same written paper, the same portfolio template and the same oral.
What to choose on
Timing against the registration window. The course has to be complete by the closing date, which on the 2026 pattern fell about eight weeks before the paper (for the November 2026 sitting, 5pm on 21 September). A course that ends in early autumn feeds the November paper; one that ends in late autumn feeds the following May. Work backwards from the sitting you want, not forwards from the next available start.
Format. Providers differ in whether teaching is in person, online or blended, in blocks or spread over months, and in how the 90% attendance rule is met for each. A GP with a fixed clinic pattern should ask how absences are handled before enrolling rather than after.
Portfolio support. The portfolio is a workplace assessment and a clinical case written to the Faculty’s template, and it is the part most candidates underestimate. Ask whether the course includes guidance on choosing and arranging a workplace visit, whether a tutor reads a draft, and whether past candidates had their portfolios ready in time for the sitting after the course. The portfolio template, section by section shows what good support should be helping you towards.
Exam preparation. Some courses include practice questions or a mock; some do not. Neither is a reason to choose a course, but it is worth knowing what you will need to add yourself.
Cost and funding. Course fees vary by provider and are not published by the Faculty. Get the full price including any exam-preparation or portfolio modules, ask your practice or employer about study budget before you commit, and remember the Faculty’s own fees come on top: £530 for the MCQ, £530 for the portfolio examination and £286 for the certificate in the 2026/27 schedule.
Travel and cohort. A face-to-face course in Manchester, Glasgow, London or Nottingham means travel; an online course means none, but also less of the peer group that can carry a candidate through the portfolio months. The Society of Occupational Medicine runs DOccMed support for candidates, which partly fills that gap whichever format you choose.
Questions to ask a provider
- When does the course end, and which exam sitting’s registration window does that allow for?
- How is attendance recorded, and what happens if I miss a day?
- Is the workplace visit for the portfolio arranged, supported or left to me?
- Does a tutor read a draft portfolio, and how many times?
- What is the total fee, and what does it include?
- When will I receive the course certificate I need to upload with my exam application?
How this fits the platform
Whichever course you choose, the written paper is the same, and the DOccMed question bank is built for it: 1,000 best-fit questions across twelve modules mapped to the Faculty’s syllabus, three fixed 80-question papers and a random timed mock. Our twelve-week plan starts where the course ends, and the timeline from course to certificate shows how the pieces fit. You can try ten questions free.
Core Revision is independent and not affiliated with the Faculty of Occupational Medicine or any course provider.
