The Diploma in Immediate Medical Care (RCSEd) tests competence in pre-hospital and immediate medical care across trauma, medical emergencies, environmental emergencies, obstetric and paediatric emergencies, and major incident management. It is one of the few UK exams where doctors, paramedics, and nurses sit the same assessment at the same standard.
Exam Format
Part A — Written. 180 SBAs in 3 hours. Fee: approximately £725-760. Sat at RCSEd Edinburgh (limited numbers in Birmingham). Part B — OSPE. 14 stations (12 × 8 minutes + 2 × 16 minutes) at RCSEd Edinburgh. Both parts must be passed. Maximum 4 attempts. Twice yearly (January and June/July).
Key Topic Areas
Trauma: cABCDE assessment, damage control resuscitation, haemorrhage control (tourniquets, wound packing, pelvic binders), spinal immobilisation decisions, head injury management, blast and penetrating trauma. Medical emergencies: Pre-hospital STEMI pathway, stroke recognition (FAST), anaphylaxis, status epilepticus, DKA — all managed with limited pre-hospital resources. Paediatric emergencies: Age-specific drug dosing, paediatric anatomy differences, febrile seizures, paediatric trauma. Environmental: Hypothermia, drowning, burns (Parkland formula), heat illness. Major incidents: METHANE reporting, CSCATTT, triage sieve/sort, JESIP principles. Pharmacology: Pre-hospital drug protocols (ketamine, morphine, fentanyl, TXA, adrenaline, midazolam), controlled drug prescribing in the field.
Resources
iatroX DipIMC Q-Bank — 700+ adaptive questions mapped to the syllabus. The only dedicated adaptive DipIMC resource. ABC of Prehospital Emergency Medicine (Nutbeam/Boylan) — the essential textbook. JRCALC guidelines — pre-hospital drug protocols. MIMMS — major incident management. FPHC Faculty Statements — directly tested in OSPE stations. BASICS courses — practical simulation for OSPE preparation.
12-Week Study Plan
Weeks 1-2: Baseline diagnostic on iatroX. Read FPHC Faculty Statements. Weeks 3-4: Trauma and haemorrhage control. Weeks 5-6: Medical emergencies and airway management. Week 7: Major incidents, triage, scene management. Week 8: Environmental, obstetric, paediatric emergencies. Week 9: Pharmacology and drug calculations. Week 10: Mixed adaptive sessions. Weeks 11-12: OSPE preparation with peers + final mock.
Why GPs Should Consider DipIMC
The DipIMC opens doors to BASICS schemes, expedition medicine, event medicine, air ambulance roles, and military medical positions. For portfolio GPs seeking clinical variety beyond standard consultations, the DipIMC provides a recognised credential in a growing field. Pre-hospital emergency medicine is one of the fastest-growing career paths in UK medicine, and the DipIMC is the entry-level qualification.
Start at iatrox.com/boards — the only adaptive DipIMC Q-bank.