Update (September 2021)

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, we had to cancel the diet of the Diploma that was originally planned for September 2020, and then delayed the diet originally  planned  for February 2021 until July 2021. The diet for November 2021 will go ahead as planned - this will be with a socially-distanced OSCE exam, with a reduced number of examiners, actors and candidates in the examination hall at any one time.

The next diet of the exam after November 2021 would normally be in the following February, but this would now leave us too short a time to prepare a new examination; this diet will thus be delayed and the BO5 is now scheduled to take place on Monday 23 May 2022 with the OSCE taking place on Tuesday 28 June 2022.

We hope that we will be able to return to regular twice yearly examinations after that.

Established 2002

In response to a perceived need from clinicians, and in consultation with BHIVA and BASHH, the Society instituted a Diploma in HIV Medicine. It is also recognised that a significant number of HIV Medicine practitioners come from a non-genitourinary medicine background, and care has been taken to design both the syllabus and examination to reflect only core knowledge in specialist areas that all HIV physicians should be able to demonstrate. This may include practitioners working in gastroenterology, genitourinary medicine, infectious diseases, thoracic medicine etc.

The examination is designed for registered medical practitioners who have had substantial, regular and continued clinical experience with HIV medicine over at least a 2-year period (or part-time equivalent) at Specialty Trainee level or equivalent.  This should include practice within the last 5 years to ensure currency of knowledge, incorporating experience of both inpatient and outpatient care.

The examination is based on the Specialty Training Curriculum for Genitourinary Medicine which was implemented on 1 December 2016.