RCPI

MFPHMI (Membership of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine of Ireland)

MFPHMI is the membership examination of the RCPI Faculty of Public Health Medicine and is taken during, not before, Higher Specialist Training in Public Health Medicine. It has three parts: Part I (four written papers on the public health sciences), Part II (oral assessment of two submitted Public Health Reports) and Part III (Oral Examination of Professional Competence). Passing all three parts is required for the CSCST in Public Health Medicine.

3

Parts

12

Dates listed

Awarded by: RCPI

Cost: €1,720 for one attempt at each part with both reports submitted together (€845 + €485 + €390, 2026 fees). Refundable to HSE employees under the HSE Clinical Course and Examination Refund Scheme.

Pass rates: RCPI three year aggregate 2022 to 2024: Part I 85% of candidates (may include more than one attempt), Part II 86% of Public Health Reports submitted, Part III 80% of candidates. No later figures published as of 2026-08-18.

Who can sit it

Part I: medical qualification and at least 12 months since primary medical degree; DFPH holders exempt. Part II: Part I passed within seven years or DFPH. Part III: both Public Health Reports passed, within seven years of Part I. HST Public Health Medicine itself is entered on a BST completion certificate (general medicine, paediatrics, O&G, histopathology, psychiatry, surgery, anaesthesiology or GP training); MFPHMI is not an HST entry requirement but is required for the CSCST.

When NCHDs sit it

MFPHMI is sat during HST in Public Health Medicine (four years, or 4.5 without a prior MPH). RCPI's HST objectives are to pass Part I in years 1 to 2 while starting the reports for Part II, and to pass Part II in years 3 to 4, with Part III following once both reports are passed. There is no requirement to hold any part before HST interview or entry.

The parts

Part I€845 (from 1 January 2026, Irish and overseas candidates) · 1 (April)/yr

Written, four papers: Papers 1 and 2 knowledge-based (five questions each) and Papers 3 and 4 skills-based (critical appraisal and written communication), remote invigilation, spread over two days · 2 hours per paper (8 hours total)

Open to medical graduates at least 12 months after primary medical degree; no HST enrolment requirement is stated, and questions are generic enough to be answered from any health system. Covers epidemiology, statistics, research methods, health protection, health intelligence, social policy, health economics, medical sociology and health service organisation. Holders of the UK Faculty of Public Health DFPH (formerly Part A) are exempt. Maximum six attempts referenced in the Part III regulations. Pass mark not published.

Part II€255 for one report or €485 for two reports submitted at the same sitting (2026 fees; the schedule lists €245 to €485) · 2 (April and October)/yr

Oral assessment (viva) of two Public Health Reports (Part IIA and IIB), each up to 10,000 words with a testimonial form, screened through Turnitin; held in Dublin · Not published

Must have passed MFPHMI Part I within the last seven years, or hold the UK DFPH. Three attempts allowed at Part II regardless of how many reports are submitted; a passed report is banked. RCPI HST Public Health Medicine sets the goal of passing Part II in years 3 to 4 of the programme. Pass mark not published.

Part III€390 (from 1 January 2026) · 2 (June and December)/yr

Oral Examination of Professional Competence (OEPC), in person in Dublin, covering health protection, health service improvement and intelligence, health improvement, communication, leadership and advocacy · Not published

Must have passed Part IIA and IIB (two Public Health Reports). Must be passed within seven calendar years of passing Part I; a candidate can resit Part I to reset the clock only if they have fewer than six Part I attempts and fewer than five combined Part II/III attempts. Pass mark not published.

Dates

8 Oct 2026SittingPart II oral (Dublin) (Part II)
9 Oct 2026ResultsPart II results (Part II)
11 Nov 2026Apply byPart III OEPC (Dublin) applications close (Part III)
1 Dec 2026SittingPart III OEPC (Dublin) (Part III)
2 Dec 2026ResultsPart III results (Part III)
3 Mar 2027Apply byPart I (remote) applications close (Part I)
21 Apr 2027SittingPart I (remote) day 1 (Part I)
23 Apr 2027SittingPart I (remote) day 2 (Part I)

4 past dates

27 May 2026Apply byPart III OEPC (Dublin) applications close (Part III)
12 Jun 2026SittingPart III OEPC (Dublin) (Part III)
15 Jun 2026ResultsPart III results (Part III)
19 Aug 2026Apply byPart II oral (Dublin) applications close (Part II)

Needed for

Public Health Medicine

Preparation resources

Resources for each exam part, with access details, costs and suggested priorities.

RCPI MFPHMI Part I exam page and MFPHMI Regulations (syllabus)College resourceFreePart I
The four-paper Part I format and the syllabus inside the Regulations document; the college states past papers are available on request from exams@rcpi.ie, and these are the closest thing to a question bank.
RCPI MFPHMI Information and Resources (Part II Public Health Report guidance and forms, Part III OEPC)College resourceFreePart II, Part III
Part II is an oral defence of two 10,000-word Public Health Reports and Part III is the Oral Examination of Professional Competence; the guidance document, checklist and assessment form are the marking scheme in effect.
HealthKnowledge Public Health TextbookNotesFreePart I
Free online textbook organised to the UK DFPH syllabus, which overlaps almost entirely with MFPHMI Part I papers 1 and 2; the most used single resource among Irish and UK trainees.

UK Faculty of Public Health DFPH past papers and preparation guidanceCollege resourceFreePart I
Downloadable past papers for Paper I and IIA plus critical appraisal specimens; the DFPH is accepted by RCPI in lieu of Part I and its questions are the best practice material for MFPHMI Papers 1 to 3.
Mastering Public Health: A Postgraduate Guide to Examinations and Revalidation (Lewis, Sheringham et al.)BookPart I
Written to the MFPH Part A syllabus with essay frameworks and exam technique; the standard revision text for Part I.
Oxford Handbook of Public Health PracticeBookPart I, Part III
Competency-structured practice handbook that supports the applied papers and Part III oral on health protection, improvement, leadership and communication.
Essential Medical Statistics (Kirkwood and Sterne)BookPart I
Statistics and study design depth needed for Paper 1 calculations and Paper 3 critical appraisal.

Essential Public Health: Theory and Practice (Gillam, Yates, Badrinath)BookPart I
Readable overview for candidates coming from clinical posts without a public health master's.
Gordis EpidemiologyBookPart I
Clear epidemiology text for measures of effect, bias and screening questions.
RCPI Higher Specialist Training in Public Health Medicine handbook and curriculumCollege resourceFreePart II, Part III
The competencies the Public Health Reports and Part III oral are assessed against; RCPI recommends reading it when planning Part I study.

Sláintecare and HSE public health policy documentsNotesFreePart I, Part III
Irish health system context expected in Paper 4 correspondence and the Part III oral; read selectively.

Tiers are editorial: S = essential and closely mapped to the exam, A = strong, B = useful supplement, C = optional. No affiliate links; prices are indicative and change.

Preparing

Part I is essay and short structured answer based rather than SBA, so preparation is closer to an MPH exam than to MRCPI: work through the RCPI Faculty of Public Health Medicine syllabus for epidemiology, biostatistics, research methods, health protection, health economics, sociology and policy, and practise critical appraisal and plain language writing under time for Papers 3 and 4. Trainees who have completed an MPH before or during HST year 1 usually sit Part I on that foundation.

Part II is judged on two written Public Health Reports (10,000 words each) defended at a viva, so the real preparation is choosing and writing up substantial pieces of service work with your trainer early in HST. Part III is an oral of professional competence across the five domains listed by RCPI; mock vivas with senior colleagues in the department are the standard approach. Check the Faculty's Information and Resources page for the current regulations and report guidance before applying.

Last verified 2026-08-18. Sources: https://www.rcpi.ie/Learn-and-Develop/Examinations/RCPI-Examinations/Membership-of-the-Faculty-of-Public-Health-Medicine/Overview https://www.rcpi.ie/Learn-and-Develop/Examinations/RCPI-Examinations/Membership-of-the-Faculty-of-Public-Health-Medicine/Exam-Format/MFPHMI-Part-I https://www.rcpi.ie/Learn-and-Develop/Examinations/RCPI-Examinations/Membership-of-the-Faculty-of-Public-Health-Medicine/Exam-Format/MFPHMI-Part-II https://www.rcpi.ie/Learn-and-Develop/Examinations/RCPI-Examinations/Membership-of-the-Faculty-of-Public-Health-Medicine/Exam-Format/MFPHMI-Part-III https://www.rcpi.ie/Learn-and-Develop/Examinations/Examinations-Schedule https://www.rcpi.ie/Learn-and-Develop/Training-Programmes/Higher-Specialist-Training/Public-Health-Medicine-Higher-Specialist-Training/Overview https://www.rcpi.ie/Learn-and-Develop/Training-Programmes/Higher-Specialist-Training/Entry-Guidance-and-Advice https://www.rcpi.ie/Portals/0/Document%20Repository/Exams/Policies%20and%20Procedures/MRCPI%20Examination%20Pass%20Rates%202024%20(website).pdf