DOccMed: question practice and revision.

Choose a topic for focused revision and check your plan against the official specification.

• Occupational health structure and regulation — HSE, Equality Act, GDPR, MHRA
• Fitness-for-work assessment — sick certification, return-to-work, modified duties, Equality Act
• Occupational hazards — chemical, physical (noise, vibration, radiation), biological, ergonomic, psychosocial
• Occupational lung disease — asthma (occupational), pneumoconiosis, asbestos-related, HP, lung cancer
• Musculoskeletal occupational disorders — work-related upper limb, back pain, vibration WRULD
• Occupational mental health — work-related stress, burnout, return-to-work after mental illness
• Health surveillance and screening — HAVS, audiometry, lung function, skin surveillance
• Occupational skin disease — contact dermatitis (irritant vs allergic), occupational acne, latex allergy
• Pre-employment and pre-placement assessment — fitness standards, safety-critical roles, disability
• Occupational infection — needlestick, bloodborne viruses, TB at work, post-exposure
• Ethics, confidentiality, consent — duties to patient vs employer, GDPR in OH records
• Occupational toxicology — solvents, metals, pesticides, biomarkers
• Workplace health promotion, wellness, public health at work

Drawn from the FOM DOccMed syllabus, HSE guidance, current UK occupational health legal framework and item density in iatroX.

• Equality Act 2010 — disability definition, "reasonable adjustments" duty, "substantial and long-term", protected characteristics in employment. Recognising when an applicant's condition meets the disability threshold and what adjustments may be needed.
• Occupational asthma — recognising work-relatedness, RAST/IgE testing, serial PEFR monitoring (Oasys analysis), high-risk occupations (bakers, healthcare, automotive paint sprayers, latex), removal from exposure as primary intervention
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) — exposure assessment, Stockholm Workshop staging (vascular and sensorineural), HSE Vibration Regulations 2005, health surveillance tiers, when to remove from vibration exposure
• Workplace risk assessment framework — hazard identification, risk evaluation (severity × likelihood), hierarchy of controls (eliminate → substitute → engineering → administrative → PPE), residual risk recording, review intervals
• Sick certification and Fit Notes — GP fit note vs OH fit-for-work advice, "may be fit for work with adaptations", AHP fit note pilot, statement of fitness for work format. Distinguishing OH advice from prescribing.
• Pre-employment assessment — fitness standards for safety-critical roles (HGV drivers, train drivers, aviation, emergency services, healthcare), legal limits on pre-employment health questions per Equality Act
• Bloodborne virus exposure management — needlestick injuries, source patient testing consent, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV (start within 72 hours, ideally within 1 hour), HBV vaccination boosters, HCV management
• Stress at work and mental health — HSE Management Standards for stress (Demands, Control, Support, Relationships, Role, Change), recognising work-related vs personal mental illness, return-to-work planning after sickness absence

Observations from UK GPs and clinicians sitting the DOccMed. Verify against current FOM, HSE and UK Government guidance.

Candidate-reported observations — not official guidance.

1. OH duties to employee vs employer — the OH physician's primary duty is to the employee (patient), but they also provide advice to the employer. Knowing the confidentiality framework, when consent allows disclosure of medical detail vs functional advice only, is examined directly.
2. Equality Act application — many candidates lose marks on "is this person disabled under the Act?" assessments. Read the definition carefully: "substantial and long-term (≥12 months) adverse effect on ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities." Some conditions are deemed disability from diagnosis (cancer, HIV, MS) regardless of severity.
3. Sick note vs OH report — GPs issue fit notes for absence; OH provides functional advice on work capacity. Different framework, different content. Confusing them costs marks.
4. Workplace risk assessment terminology — hazard vs risk (hazard = potential to harm; risk = likelihood × severity). Hierarchy of controls in order. RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) — what is reportable.
5. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) — workplace exposure limits, biological monitoring (urinary biomarkers for some hazards), health surveillance triggers. HSE guidance is the primary reference.
6. Portfolio quality — examiners specifically assess depth of analysis in the workplace visit and clinical case. Superficial submissions fail even when MCQ pass is strong. Get peer review before submission.
7. Oral viva preparation — your written portfolio must be defendable in viva. Examiners probe decisions, hazard recognition and recommendations. Practise verbal articulation of your written reasoning.
8. MFOM Part 1 route — passing MFOM Part 1 substitutes for the Diploma MCQ component. Some candidates progressing toward OH specialty training combine this. Diploma Regulation D2 (mandatory training course) does not apply if intent is only MFOM Part 1.

A pragmatic phased approach for GPs and other doctors entering occupational medicine, balancing the MCQ knowledge with portfolio production.

1. Months 1–2

   Enrol on a FOM-approved Diploma training course (Diploma Regulation D2 — mandatory). Foundation pass across all 13 blueprint topics with iatroX. Read HSE guidance and the FOM syllabus. Begin identifying a workplace for risk assessment portfolio.

2. Months 3–4

   Targeted weak-area drilling. Workplace visit and risk assessment portfolio drafting. Clinical case identification and write-up. Daily occupational disease pattern recognition practice (asthma, dermatitis, HAVS, NIHL, stress).

3. Month 5

   MCQ mock papers under exam conditions via the iatroX bank. Portfolio peer review with course tutors. Practise viva-style verbal articulation of your portfolio.

4. Month 6

   Final portfolio submission. Last-minute MCQ revision on weakest topics (ethics, Equality Act, hazard regulations). Confirm FOM bookings and TestReach + MS Teams setup. Sleep, hydrate, do not learn new material in the final week.

Dedicated DOccMed question practice with answer explanations, guided Tutor review and study planning.

• Focused question practice — Choose the relevant bank and use your answers to identify what to study next.
• Guided reasoning — Explore a difficult answer with Tutor, then apply the distinction independently.
• Review and timed practice — Return to important mistakes and choose a timed practice set where available.

Choose the relevant bank and use the official exam guidance to plan your preparation.

The Diploma in Occupational Medicine is designed for medical practitioners working part-time in occupational medicine or with an interest in occupational health. It is most frequently taken by GPs adding occupational health services to their portfolio. It is also relevant for doctors entering OH as a sub-specialty, or those in training posts (OH specialty trainees often need to complete the Diploma by end of Year One).

Two diets per year. May 2026 exam: registration opens 9am Monday 12 January, closes 5pm Monday 9 March. November 2026 exam: registration opens 9am Monday 28 July, closes 5pm Monday 21 September. Limited spaces are allocated first-come first-served.

Three components: (1) MCQ paper — online via TestReach; (2) Written Portfolio — workplace risk assessment + clinical case; (3) Oral Viva — held online via MS Teams, based on your portfolio. All three components must be completed within a 5-year window.

Yes. Diploma Regulation D2 makes completion of a FOM-approved DOccMed training course mandatory before applying for the full Diploma. FOM-approved courses include Manchester CPD, TOPHS, EOPH, RSPH and others. The course covers all 13 syllabus areas and prepares you for the portfolio and viva.

MFOM (Membership of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine) is the higher specialty qualification for OH specialty trainees. MFOM Part 1 examination is the same MCQ paper as the Diploma MCQ — so candidates passing MFOM Part 1 are deemed to have passed the Diploma MCQ (provided other Diploma components are completed within 5 years). MFOM has further Parts 2 and 3 not required for the Diploma.

DipOHPrac (Diploma in Occupational Health Practice) was introduced by FOM in 2022 — initially for registered nurses, now also available to physiotherapists and occupational therapists. It enables non-medical health professionals to demonstrate occupational health competence. The same MCQ paper is used as for DOccMed (different cohort).

Full DOccMed bank access is included in all-access. Up to 10 new sample questions per day are shared across exams, with no account required. A verified free account includes one guided Tutor session; continued Tutor use is included in all-access.