The Diploma in Geriatric Medicine (DGM) examination is designed to give recognition of competence in the provision of care of older people.
In offering doctors the opportunity to review and consider all aspects of care, the DGM is aimed at any medical practitioner in the UK whose clinical practice brings them into contact with older people. This may include:
The minimum eligibility requirement for the DGM written examination is 2 years’ post-qualifying experience prior to the date of the written examination, or candidates who have had 4 months’ experience in a geriatrics post in a hospital or in another post (eg as a GP) in which they see a lot of geriatric patients.
If you are an overseas doctor who fulfils our entry requirements you are welcome to sit the examination. However, you should bear in mind that the examination will be held only in the UK and there will be questions related to health and social systems for older people in the UK, and to UK legislation relating to older people.
Candidates must pass the written examination before they sit the clinical examination. They have 2 years to pass the clinical examination and if they fail to do so they should sit the written examination again.
Candidates will be permitted a maximum of six attempts at the DGM examination. After six failed attempts, a candidate will be required to undertake additional educational experience for each resit and submit evidence of this. This evidence will need to be supported by a candidate’s educational supervisor, and the training programme director or equivalent.
Please note that this evidence will need to be presented on headed paper and need to be sent from the work email address of either of the educational supervisors to have signed the form. In determining whether a candidate has sufficiently satisfied the requirements to enable them to undertake a further attempt, the decision of the Royal College of Physicians of London will be final.
For more information, you can download the DGM additional attempt FAQs and form, which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Please be aware there are limited spaces for the Part 2 clinical examination so you should get your application in as early as possible to ensure you get a place. You are advised to keep all dates of the clinical examinations free as no alterations can be made once you have been allocated a centre. Please also bear in mind that travel to provincial centres may also be necessary.
Diet: 2018/1
Application period: 18 December 2017 – 5 January 2018
Written examination fee: £231
Written examination date: 6 February 2018
Results release date: 6 March 2018
Diet: 2018/2
Application period: 25 June 2018 – 13 July 2018
Written examination fee: £231
Written examination date: 14 August 2018
Results release date: 11 September 2018
The DGM Part 1 written examinations will take place in central London.
Candidates for the DGM Part 2 clinical examination must have previously passed the DGM written examination at an applicable sitting (please see the examination regulations at the bottom of the page for guidance).
Diet: 2018/1
Application period: 12 March 2018 – 3 April 2018
Clinical examination fee: £339
Clinical examination date: 15–16 May 2018
Results release date: 13 June 2018
The DGM Part 2 clinical examinations for Diet 2018/1 will take place in Newcastle and at Royal Devon and Exeter.
Diet: 2018/2
Application period: 28 August 2018 – 17 September 2018
Clinical examination fee: £339
Clinical examination date: 6–7 November 2018
Results release date: 5 December 2018
The DGM Part 2 clinical examinations for Diet 2018/2 will take place in Cardiff and Bournemouth.
You can download the application form for 2017 at the bottom of the page along with the examination regulations and syllabus.
Candidates paying by credit or debit card can send their completed application forms to dgm@rcplondon.ac.uk. Candidates using alternative methods of payment should print their forms and send them to the address below:
DGM Examination
Exams Candidate Office
Royal College of Physicians
11 St Andrews Place
Regent's Park
London NW1 4LE
Examination results can be viewed via the DGM examination results page.
Please clearly mark any correspondence ‘DGM’.
The Royal College of Physicians introduced changes to the clinical component of the Diploma in Geriatric Medicine in November 2015. These are outlined in a guidance document for candidates which is available below.
To help you understand how the DGM clinical exam is marked, sample marksheets are available to download at the bottom of the page.
If you hold a Diploma in Geriatric Medicine (awarded since 2003) you automatically qualify for one-third of the course credits required for the MSc in gerontology at King’s College London (KCL) through our unique relationship with the Institute of Gerontology at KCL. The programme has been described as ‘the premier gerontology master's degree … the gold standard to which others aspire’ by Professor Ian Philp, national director for older people’s services and neurological conditions.
Please email sshm@kcl.ac.uk for further details of the MSc programme at King’s College London.