(MFPHM- Membership of Faculty of Public Health Medicine)
Applicants for training in public health medicine should have at least two years post- registration clinical experience, but many will have more than this. As well as recent graduates, applicants may be very experienced doctors coming from general practice or hospital appointments in another branch of medicine after recognizing their interest in these wider aspects of medical practice.
Training usually lasts five years full-time; part-time training is proportionately longer. Relevant experience prior to entering higher specialist training may enable the period to be reduced. Upon successful completion of training and the gaining of full membership in the Faculty, the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training is awarded, the holder of which may be employed as a Consultant. There are very few short-term training posts at Senior House Officer available. There are particular regulations concerning the eligibility of these programmes to meet General Professional Training or Higher Specialist Training requirements.
Faculty of Public Health Medicine
is responsible for delivering postgraduate medical education. The Faculty is mainly concerned with higher specialist training (HST) and continuing education or professional development (CPD). Successful completion of HST leads to the award of the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST). This certificate indicates that the holder has completed a programme of training approved by the Faculty of Public Health Medicine and the Specialist Training Authority for independent practice as a specialist and should be eligible for consideration for appointment to a Consultant in the UK National Health Service (or equivalent post).
General Professional Training (GPT)
The aim of general professional training for public health medicine, as for other medical specialties, is to provide Specialist Registrars with a broad basis of medical experience before they proceed to higher specialist training and it is normally spent in a range of medical posts which may be in hospital or general practice or other appropriate professional medical experience.
Twenty four months is the minimum period of post-registration training required. This must include at least 12 months in specialties involving direct clinical responsibility for patient care, and many selection panels prefer that all 24 months be in clinical practice. Entrants to the specialty of public health medicine have traditionally included many with a wide range of experience. General professional training acquired outside the UK may be accepted for this purpose but if more than twelve months experience has been undertaken outside the European Economic Area (including experience for HMT ) this will be recorded on the CCST.
Senior House Officer (SHO) Grade
Most regions offer 6-month SHO-grade posts in public health medicine. SHO posts require Registration with the GMC and offer training salaries. Time undertaken in an SHO post cannot be counted towards a CCST. Overseas doctors lacking 24 months GPT cannot make up the time now by enrolling in a UK SHO post, because the GMC will not grant Limited Registration to anyone without 24 months GPT. SHO posts are occasionally recommended for overseas-trained doctors who are otherwise eligible for Limited Registration if, for example, they need to gain experience in the National Health Service.
Higher Specialist Medical Training (HSMT or HST)
The aim of higher medical training is to equip the Specialist Registrar with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to practise responsibly and competently as a consultant in public health medicine. Entry is by competitive interview for approved training posts in the Specialist Registrar grade. In addition to a substantive appointment (NHS or honorary) as a Specialist Registrar, applicants for enrolment in Higher Medical Training must have completed the requisite GPT. A diploma qualification (such as MRCP) is not a prerequisite for entry to the specialty.
Higher medical training lasts a minimum of four years. It is carried out in posts approved by the Faculty usually in an NHS health authority or board or in a university department of public health. Some may be employed in other locations, such as a Government agency or Regional Office or Health Department, the Defence Medical Services or elsewhere.
Academic courses
In view of the fact that undergraduate teaching does not concentrate on the basic science on which public health medicine depends, it is usually necessary for Specialist Registrars to undertake special academic studies early in their training. In preparation for The Diploma & Part I Membership Examination of the examination for Membership of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine (MFPHM), SpRs normally undertake advanced studies in epidemiology, statistics, the relevant aspect of the social sciences and the principles of administration and management. Most do this by attending a full-time academic course of one year (e.g. MSc. or similar recognized course in public health medicine), or by attending a part-time course for an equivalent period but some do so by private study. Although this is usually done as the first part of the HST programme, periods spent on academic courses do not count towards the 48 months of higher medical training required for the CCST. Specialist Registrars are required to complete at least two years in HMT in the UK after obtaining the Diploma & Part I Membership Examination of FPHM. During that time they will carry out work suitable for submission for Part II of the MFPHM examination after completion of the Diploma & Part I Membership Examination. Successful completion of Part II and Membership in the Faculty are required before the CCST can be awarded.
DIPLOMA AND PART I MEMBERSHIP EXAMINATION (MFPHM)
The examination, which is intended to test candidates’ knowledge and understanding of the scientific bases of public health, consists of written papers taken over two consecutive days. Candidates will be expected to have acquired expert knowledge and skills in public health and a clear understanding of the principles and methods of related disciplines, notably applied statistics, behavioral sciences, health economics and management.
The syllabus and structure of the Examination are changing as of the June 2001 Examination. The examination is held in January and June each year, and may also be taken in Hong Kong.
It is not necessary to hold a medical qualification to sit this examination, nor is it necessary to be enrolled in a training course. Success in this examination leads to the election into the Faculty of Public Health Medicine as a Diplomat Member. Link to Membership for more information.
PART II MFPHM EXAMINATION (MFPHM)

Part II MFPHM Examination is designed to test the ability of the candidate to apply relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes to the practice of public health medicine. It requires candidates to show that they can integrate the theoretical and practical aspects of training. The examination is held three times a year in London, the Part II examination is also held from time to time in Hong Kong. The examination, which takes the form of a written submission and an oral, is usually taken within two years of passing Part I; the Regulations require that it must be taken within three years of passing Part I unless permission is obtained from the Education Committee to extend this period. Success in this examination leads to the election into Membership of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine.
It is not necessary to be enrolled in a Higher Specialist Training programme to sit the examination and to be elected to Membership. It is, however, necessary to be registered or registerable with the General Medical Council to take the exam. For those in the HST Programme, the award of a CCST requires the satisfactory completion of a training programme in approved posts and the admission to MFPHM (UK) by examination.
For information please contact:
Faculty of Public Health Medicine,
4 St. Andrews Place, London NW1 4LB
Tel 0207 935 0243
Fax 0207 224 6973
http://www.fphm.org.uk