Vacancies: Members of the Diploma in Geriatric Medicine Examination Board

The DGM is developed and delivered by the RCP Assessment Unit on behalf of the RCP and British Geriatrics Society (BGS). The DGM examination currently takes place as one knowledge-based assessment (KBA) and two clinical assessment periods annually. The KBA is a three-hour, 100 single best answer, assessment, whilst the clinical examination is a four station OSCE.

Remit and responsibilities

The DGM Examination Board has the responsibility to ensure that the DGM KBA and clinical examination are conducted appropriately and in line with the approved regulations for these examinations, wider regulatory frameworks (e.g. Equality Act, GDPR) and applicable RCP procedures throughout the lifecycle of the assessment process, including for example:

• Setting and delivery of the examinations
• Review of candidate performance and sign-off of results
• Recruitment and management of examiners.

Benefits

We offer the opportunity to network with colleagues, keep your knowledge up-to-date, take part in challenging discussions, be involved with the next generation of healthcare professionals working with older people, promote multidisciplinary working and continuing professional development.

By getting involved you can shape the future of the DGM KBA and clinical examination:

This is a non-salaried position, though all reasonable expenses and travel costs will be met by the Education Department in line with the RCP expenses policy.

Membership is ex officio for senior and lead examiners and named RCP roles. The tenure of the appointment for all other membership roles is three years, with the potential for extension as appropriate, particularly in cases of long-term absence (illness or maternity leave, for example), or to ensure orderly succession planning. Any extensions will be at the discretion of the RCP Assessment Unit.

Available roles

To ensure breadth of professional representation and clinical practice contexts across the DGM examination board, the RCP Assessment Unit are looking to recruit one of each of the following:

• a general practitioner
• an advanced clinical practitioner
• a consultant geriatrician from secondary care 
• a consultant geriatrician from community care.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply:

• Hold current statutory registration with the relevant regulator - normally the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health & Care Professions’ Council (HCPC), or the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR) in the case of physician associates 
• Be in good standing with their regulatory body (or the Faculty of Physician Associates in the case of physician associates)
• Be able to demonstrate the following level of clinical experience:
   
  • Clinicians should hold MRCP(UK)/MRCGP/MRCPsych (or equivalent) and have at least three years’ experience in working with older people in a significant proportion of their clinical workload. 
  • Advanced clinical practitioners should have completed a relevant qualification (a masters degree or equivalent) and have gained at least three years’ clinical experience in working with older people in a significant proportion of their clinical workload after obtaining advanced practitioner status.
  • Physician associates should have completed a relevant qualification (a masters degree or equivalent) and at least five years’ experience in working with older people in a significant proportion of their clinical workload.
     
• Be actively engaged in the training of junior practitioners to provide high quality person-centred care for older people
• Be up-to-date as appropriate with relevant national guidelines, CPD requirements, employer’s equality and diversity training and appraisal process
• Interested in, but not necessarily expert in, medical academic assessments.

How to apply

Applications, including a CV and one-page covering letter outlining your suitability for the post, should be submitted for the attention of Steven Ansty via assessment.unit@rcp.ac.uk by 23:59 UK time on Saturday 1 April 2023.

For an informal discussion regarding the role please contact Steven Ansty, Deputy Head of Assessment, on the above email address, or via: 0151 318 1888.

The RCP positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.