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Education Committee
Chairman, Dr Frank Vince
Lettsom House, 11 Chandos Street, W1G 9EB
The Education Committee is a sub-committee of the AMS council. Its
members are doctors, underwriters and claims assessors. The most
particular concern of the committee is in close co-operation with the CII, to set and mark examinations in life and disability underwriting
(C.I.I. no. 555) and life and disability claims (CII no. 556). Course
books for the examinations are available through the CII.
The AMS issues its own diplomas in life and disability underwriting
and in life and disability claims. Criteria of eligibility and
application forms are available from the society.
The Assurance Medical Society’s Diploma in Life and Disability
Underwriting
provides official recognition for people who have attained a reasonable
standard of proficiency in this subject and is becoming an important
asset for those applying for senior posts in this branch of insurance
medicine.
The award of the diploma is based upon the following criteria:
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to have passed certain prescribed Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)
examinations.
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to provide evidence of reasonable
experience in various aspects of life and disability underwriting.
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to satisfy the AMS that a satisfactory degree of expertise in this
subject has been achieved.
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The exact details of these requirements varies with the standing of the
applicant in the Chartered Insurance Institute. Three categories,
details of which are set out below, are recognised.
STUDENTS
1. Examination requirements
A pass in the following three papers must have been achieved within 5
years prior to application for the diploma:
520 Company and contract law and their application to insurance
555 Life and disability underwriting
735 Life assurance practice and administration ( previously 560 or 561 –
with reference to Irish law and practice)
2. Experience
Applicants must have a minimum of two years’ experience in life and
disability underwriting
(or equivalent expertise) within the previous five years. Six months of
this time must have been spent specifically underwriting impaired lives
on their own authority. While it is quite in order for limits to have
been set both on the size of the sum underwritten and the degree of
extra mortality that an applicant may accept on his or her own
authority, the necessity for decisions to have to be countersigned by a
senior underwriter would invalidate such experience counting towards the
six months.
The following types of employment count towards the two year period:
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direct underwriting of impaired lives.
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the administration, assessment and
admittance of life, PHI, critical illness and disability claims.
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involvement in the initial underwriting
of applications and in decisions on obtaining further medical evidence.
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Time spent in the following three categories may also count towards the
two year period but only for a maximum of one year in total:
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work in an actuarial department directly
concerned with the assessment of overall mortality or morbidity
experience and the structuring of premiums for products.
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a position attached to a product
development team where the applicant has an input into the structure of
new products which carry a mortality and/or morbidity risk, and to the
drafting of literature and product documentation which specifically
covers the risk aspects of the contract. |
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a sales support position which involves
screening applications at a branch or regional centre and/or training
administrative or sales staff in the principles and practices of risk
selection, proposal form completion and the administration involved with
the underwriting process. |
3. Expertise
Before granting the diploma, the AMS must be satisfied that the
applicant’s ability to underwrite life and disability risks is of a
satisfactory standard. To assist in this decision the AMS will ask the
relevant company’s underwriting manager and chief medical officer to
report on the applicant’s experience and expertise. If, for any reason,
an applicant wishes any additional person who has experience of his or
her underwriting experience to be contacted the AMS will do so.
ASSOCIATES AND FELLOWS OF THE CII UNDER THE CURRENT REGULATIONS (1992
ONWARDS)
The criteria for these applicants to obtain the diploma are similar to
those quoted above for students except that a pass in paper 555 – Life
and Disability Underwriting - is the only examination result required.
THE MACLEAN AWARD
A special award. The MacLean Award, will be presented by the AMS
annually to the applicant who submitted the best paper with a
Distinction in subject 555 – Life and disability underwriting – during
that year. The successful candidate must, however, have been awarded the
diploma during the year under review.
PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING FOR THE DIPLOMA
If you wish to apply for the Assurance Medical Society’s Diploma in Life
and Disability Underwriting, and consider that you have the necessary
qualifications you should complete an application form and send it to:
The Chairman
AMS Education Committee
Lettsom House
11 Chandos Street
London
W1G 9EB
Please enclose the original copies of your CII examination results
notification as proof that you have passed the necessary examinations;
these will be returned to you once your application has been assessed.
Your application will be acknowledged on receipt. You will be informed
by letter whether or not you have been successful. Successful
applications will be required to pay a fee (at present £25) to the
Assurance Medical Society before receiving the diploma.
  
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