Exam Details - Diploma in Immediate Medical Care (DIMC)
Key Facts
- Where and when is this exam being held? To be confirmed
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The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Examinations Department
Phone: +44 (0)131 527 1600
Fax: +44 (0)131 557 6406
E-mail: fphc.exams@rcsed.ac.uk
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- Exam group: Faculties Exam | See more Faculties Exams
Diploma in Immediate Medical Care (DIMC)
The Diploma in Immediate Medical Care (DIMC) exam is designed to test the underpinning knowledge, technical skills, and non-technical skills of doctors, nurses, and paramedics who provide pre-hospital emergency care. The exam focuses on the timely recognition, diagnosis, and management of conditions and situations in the pre-hospital environment rather than on the use of facilities for investigation and treatment that may be available predominantly within a hospital. This examination includes pre-hospital emergency care for all patient age groups from neonates to the very elderly.
The level of performance expected is that commensurate with level 6 on in the Skills for Health Key Elements of the Career Framework (www.skillsforhealth.org.uk).
This examination is blueprinted against the phase 1 elements of the current edition of the UK Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) curriculum (available currently at www.ibtphem.org.uk ). Potential candidates are strongly advised to read and consider the content of the curriculum thoroughly before applying for the examination. As a multi-professional examination, it will test against these curriculum elements and will not be limited by national or local professional scopes of practice. Success in the examination, however, should not provide the sole evidence of competence to practice in every one of these elements.
Exam Benefits
- Utilised by the Intercollegiate Board for Training in Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine (IBTPHEM) as the phase 1 national summative assessment for clinicians working in pre-hospital emergency medicine training programmes
- Eligible to join the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care as an Advanced Practitioner Member
- Excellent addition to your CV to help support applications for PHEM training or higher roles within the Ambulance Services
- Opportunity to expand and benchmark your pre-hospital knowledge and practical skills
- Increasingly required as a minimum qualification for staff on many of the UK’s Enhanced and Critical Care teams
Exam Format
The Diploma in Immediate Medical Care (DIMC) exam takes place over two days and consists of two parts:
- Part A - Written Exam of Underpinning Knowledge
A written paper of 180 minutes duration consisting of 180 Single Best Answer (SBA) questions.
- Part B - An Objective Structured Practical Exam (OSPE)
The OSPE will normally consist of 14 OSPE testing stations. 12 of the stations will each be of eight minutes duration and two will be of 16 minutes duration. There may also be one or more rest stations or preparation stations.
To gain a pass overall, candidates must achieve a pass in both parts. Candidates who are unsuccessful at either Part A or Part B may re-sit the relevant component alone provided it is within 3 subsequent available diets of the first attempt.
Advice to Exam Candidates
This examination has a limited number of places available, which will be allocated in the order detailed below.
- Firstly, specific exam places are allocated to PHEM trainees currently in a PHEM training post and at the pre-determined point of their training as directed by the Intercollegiate Board for Training in Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine (IBTPHEM) (including resit candidates)
- Secondly, exam places are allocated to all other applicants (including current PHEM trainees applying outside of their IBTPHEM allotted exam slot) in strict chronological order of application
Once the exam is full, applicants will be placed on a waiting list in chronological order of application. Those on the waiting list will be offered places that become available on the next available exam diet.
Exam Eligibility
Candidates must fulfil one of the following requirements:
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Medical Practitioners must have been engaged in the practice of their profession for not less than four years after full registration with the UK General Medical Council or have completed 5 months whole–time equivalent training within a UK approved PHEM Training Programme by the date of the examination.
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Nurses must have been engaged in the practice of their profession for not less than four years after registration with the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council. Candidates must provide an authenticated copy of their certificate of registration.
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Paramedics must have been engaged in the practice of their profession for not less than four years after registration with the U K Health and Care Professions Council. Candidates must provide an authenticated copy of their certificate of registration.
Those who do not fulfil any of the above entry requirements may apply for special consideration. This applies to all candidates from outside the UK. Their curriculum vitae and the extent of their pre-hospital experience should be submitted in full to the Examination Section RCSEd for consideration by the Convener for Examinations in Immediate Medical Care RCSEd.
Candidates are permitted five attempts in which to pass the exam. A re-sit of an individual component part constitutes an attempt.
Additional Information
Before applying for this exam, please ensure you have read and understood the relevant documentation.
Our Exam Policies and Procedures page will provide you with more general information about sitting an exam at the College.
