An approved DOccMed course and a question bank are not equivalent purchases. The course may meet a formal training requirement and provide teaching and portfolio guidance; a bank supports supplementary revision. A lower question-bank price cannot be presented as the cost of obtaining the same qualification pathway.
This comparison is published by iatroX and includes its DOccMed bank. Course descriptions and quoted prices were checked on 19 September 2026. Check current Faculty requirements and individual eligibility separately.
What the RSPH offer actually includes
RSPH's Diploma in Occupational Medicine course page describes a Faculty-approved course delivered live through Zoom. It states that sessions are not recorded and describes examination and portfolio support.
The advertised course fee was £3,395 when checked on 19 September 2026. The £900 deposit is part of that fee, not an additional £900 charge; the page describes it as non-refundable. Read the current payment and cancellation terms before booking.
Do not assume that an examination fee or every other qualification-related expense is included unless the selected offer explicitly says so. A clear budget distinguishes teaching, assessment and optional supplementary purchases.
Attendance is a resource constraint
Live teaching requires protected time. A clinician cannot treat an unrecorded course as material that can necessarily be watched after a shift. Inspect the actual dates, attendance expectations and any required preparatory work.
This does not make live teaching inferior to self-paced learning. It changes the commitment involved. Questions can be fitted around work more flexibly, but they do not reproduce the same interaction or fulfil a course attendance requirement by implication.
Before buying, ask whether the timetable is genuinely compatible with clinical duties. An attractive package that cannot be attended is not good value for that individual.
Portfolio evidence and revision notes are different
A portfolio requirement should be addressed using the Faculty's current instructions and suitable guidance. An AI-generated learning note is not automatically an acceptable portfolio submission, an assessment or proof that the underlying work occurred.
Keep identifiable workplace or patient information out of unauthorised tools. A fictional educational case can be used to explore a concept, but it must not be presented as a real activity completed for a qualification.
The existence of iatroX CPD tools does not change those boundaries. Professional learning records remain distinct from formal diploma evidence and accredited CME claims.
An original resource-selection example
Alex, a fictional clinician, understands the medical concepts in a practice question but finds it difficult to explain how the information relates to a workplace task. The useful teaching may involve occupational context, uncertainty and the purpose of the assessment rather than another general medical summary.
A question bank could expose that difficulty. A guided explanation could help clarify the concept. Neither should be claimed to produce a valid workplace report or satisfy a portfolio requirement without the appropriate real activity and assessment process.
Another learner may already have suitable teaching and feedback but want additional written practice. For that person, a supplementary bank has a more focused and proportionate role.
Read the budget in the right order
First identify the course or training requirement. Then identify the assessment and portfolio obligations. Finally consider optional resources that fill a genuine learning gap.
Do not compare the entire course fee with a monthly question subscription as though the services were interchangeable. Equally, do not assume that every candidate needs several additional banks once enrolled on a course with its own teaching and practice.
The economical decision may be to use the included resources thoroughly before making another purchase. A supplementary subscription is justified by what it adds, not by a general preference for more material.
Inspect the written-learning experience
A permitted sample should help you judge whether the explanation connects the question to the relevant occupational decision. It should distinguish the information given from assumptions that the learner has supplied.
If uncertainty remains, identify an appropriate clarification route. Use original conceptual notes rather than copying protected course questions into another product. No sample should be treated as evidence that a bank covers every current examination requirement.
Do not infer clinical competence, qualification eligibility or an examination pass from a commercial dashboard. The platform is a learning resource, not the awarding body.
Which purchase fits which candidate?
RSPH is a relevant option when its approved live course and stated support meet the candidate's formal and practical needs. A question bank is relevant when supplementary written practice is missing. The right decision may be to combine them, but there is no automatic requirement to do so.
iatroX's DOccMed route belongs in that supplementary category. Its wider learning functions can support the same professional goal without replacing the course, observed activity, portfolio work or formal assessment that the qualification requires.
What iatroX adds to this decision
For DOccMed, iatroX's September 2026 product brief describes adaptive questions, spaced review and a Socratic Tutor that works from an attempted answer. The Tutor asks targeted follow-ups to explore the learner's misconception; it is a learning design, not proof that every generated response is correct.
The free-question sample offers up to twenty questions for the selected examination, subject to availability, without an account or card. Full DOccMed access and ongoing Tutor use are paid; the separate introductory Tutor session requires a free account.
The UK price published on 19 September 2026 is £99 paid upfront annually, equivalent to £8.25 a month billed annually, or £29 monthly. Paid question banks, Socratic Tutor, the study planner, simulations and CPD tools are included together, not sold as separate simulation or CPD add-ons.
Frequently asked questions
Is the RSPH deposit additional to the advertised course fee?
No. As checked on 19 September 2026, the £900 deposit formed part of the £3,395 fee; review the current non-refundable deposit terms before booking.
Can the live RSPH sessions be assumed available as recordings?
No. The reviewed course page states that the sessions are not recorded.
Can an iatroX CPD record replace a DOccMed portfolio requirement?
No. Formal portfolio requirements and assessment must be met through the appropriate qualification process.