Membership of the Faculty of Public Health consists of the Diplomate (DFPH) and the Final Membership (MFPH) examinations.
DFPH and MFPH examination details
Please note that these were formerly the Part A (DFPH) and Part B (MFPH) exams and the new titles reflect a rebranding of the exams only. The syllabus for the exams remains the same and as such, successfully passing the Part A and Part B exams will be accepted as the same as passing the DFPH and MFPH exams.
It is important to familiarise yourself with the application deadlines process for sitting exams and the fees.
DFPH Preparation
The DFPH examination is intended to test candidates' knowledge and understanding of the scientific basis of public health, and their ability to apply their knowledge and skills to the practice of public health. It consists of two written papers (Paper I and Paper II). Both Papers I and II are split into two parts/components A and B (Paper IA, Paper IB, Paper IIA and Paper IIB) and taken over two consecutive days.
More information on the structure of the DFPH can be found here.
Candidates are expected to have acquired specialist knowledge and skills in public health and show a clear understanding of the principles and methods of related disciplines - notably applied statistics, behavioural sciences, health economics and management (see exam content).
New standard-setting arrangements were introduced to the DFPH examination in January 2017. More information about this can be found here.
Click here to download the DFPH syllabus.
The DFPH syllabus is divided into five sections. They are listed below with brief explanations as to their coverage.
Division of material into sections is only a guide; candidates should expect questions that draw together knowledge from different sections and should note particularly that inclusion of a subject area within one section of the syllabus does not preclude its use in a different section of the examination.
Although many public health practitioners will not need to be able to execute some of the more complex techniques described in the syllabus, they will need to understand and interpret results from them.
The syllabus was revised in 2013 to take into account an administrative change to Paper IIA and was reviewed again, with GMC approval, in 2016 to include reference to the new standard-setting approach.
Please use the drop down lists below to see more information on the different sections of the syllabus.
Support for South West Registrars sitting their DFPH examination
South West Public Health Registrars who join the Programme in August to begin their Public Health MSc should prepare to sit the DFPH exam in the following June. Exceptions to this should be agreed and discussed with the Head of School/TPD. Please see the Training Programme policy on the DFPH examination milestone here.
The South West Training Programme commission a DFPH revision course which is ran by the University of Bristol. This usually takes place in the Easter break prior to the June exam sitting and lasts for 5 full days. Registrars will be provided with information on the free to attend course at the earliest opportunity. Additional support may be provided on an ad-hoc basis for those who do not successfully pass on the first attempt.
Registrars will also be supported by the Programme to attend an additional revision course ran by the University of Birmingham. Study leave is required to attend this. Details on this course can be found here.
MFPH Preparation
The MFPH is an objective structured Public Health examination, also called the Faculty of Public Health Final Membership Examination.
It is designed as a 'show how' assessment of the ability of the candidate to apply relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes to the practice of public health.
It takes the form of 6 scenarios; for each scenario there is a briefing pack which candidates read for eight minutes, followed by role play which lasts for eight minutes.
The FPH site provides full details of exam content, the structure of the exam, how to apply, preparation (including sample questions), what to expect on the day and information on results and feedback.
Support for South West Registrars sitting their MFPH examination
Once the DFPH examination has been taken and passed, StRs should plan for sitting and passing the MFPH. The timeframe is dictated by the training pathway.
In order to be ready and confident for this examination, StRs should have familiarised themselves with the process, undertaken practice sessions with colleagues and attended a mock exam.
To achieve this:
- Read all the information on the Faculty of Public Health website
- Ask your supervisor and other Public Health consultants and senior StRs to go through scenarios with you
- Ensure you let the Programme Team know when you are planning to sit your MFPH exam and attend a mock exam.
The mock MFPH
All StRs on the South West Public Health Training Programme are invited to attend one mock exam. In exceptional circumstances an StR will be invited to attend a second mock exam following discussion with the Training Programme Director/Head of School. The mock exams are scheduled to take place in May and September each year so consideration should be taken into account when planning an exam sitting. The mock is organised with 4 scenario stations (there are 6 in the actual exam) and is led by local MFPH examiners and Public Health Supervisors in the South West. It follows the format as realistically as possible with group and individual feedback offered after the exam.
The scenarios used in the mocks are not ones the StRs will have seen before. In order to keep the scenarios fresh and relevant to current work, the Programme Team invites post MFPH StRs to write new scenarios based on their day to day work.
For queries regarding support for sitting the mock MFPH, contact PublicHealth.sw@hee.nhs.uk