Working towards a CESR: the most direct route, with support from FOM
While working to obtain a CESR can be undertaken at any stage in an Occupational Physician’s career and over almost any timescale, the FOM is able to provide a degree of structure and support to applicants who wish to pursue this route from the commencement of their career in Occupational Medicine and apply for a CESR at the earliest opportunity (after four years Whole Time Equivalent).
While the majority of those of who apply for a CESR in Occupational Medicine succeed at the first attempt, a number do not. This is often due to insufficient support, supervision and advice which can have adverse effects of the quality and completeness of the evidence submitted in a CESR application. The process outlined below, which we recommend that you follow, will increase your chances of a successful outcome.
The purposes are to give a stronger sense of support from FOM to applicants wishing to follow the CESR route as an alternative to specialty training and to raise the standards and quality of their route towards CESR application.
The processes, which is organised at FOM, includes and records:
- Approval for you to begin work towards a CESR after scrutiny of your portfolio by the FOM CESR group to see if you have done satisfactory core training and met competencies without necessarily having obtained postgraduate diplomas. For more information on whether you meet these competencies, please click here
- Informal approval of your post (if employed) or the breadth of your work by an RSA or deputy or another experienced Occupational Physician, to assess its suitability to provide the necessary experience and learning
- The name and training status of your supervisor
- Receipt of written evidence of your employer’s support (as appropriate to your employment status) for your work towards obtaining a CESR
- Attendance at an FOM CESR coaching day
- Registration (affiliation) with FOM
- Agreement and recording of the date of the commencement of work towards a CESR application
- Taking the DOccMed exam
- The outcomes of annual appraisals including an educational discussion based on details provided by your supervisor
- Passing the AFOM exam
- Approval of your dissertation/other research
There is also a requirement to undertake WBAs/SLEs – in the same numbers as required for trainees working towards a CCT.
The e-portfolio is also available to those who wish to use it. Please contact the FOM training department for further information on how to gain access.
