The Royal Society of Medicine

What The Royal Society of Medicine does

The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a UK Royal Charter body and registered charity (no. 206219) founded in 1805, headquartered at 1 Wimpole Street in London's Marylebone medical quarter. It operates as a global membership organisation for healthcare professionals, offering Fellow, Associate, and Student memberships and serving members through more than 50 specialty Sections covering the major disciplines of medicine.

Its core product set centres on continuing professional development: an education and events programme of over 200 expert-led sessions per year across 50+ specialties; a digital and physical library providing full-text access to thousands of e-journals and e-books alongside document delivery and literature search services; and the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM), a peer-reviewed journal published continuously since 1809 and distributed globally via a partnership with SAGE Publishing. Supporting services include a 47-room members' hotel (Domus Medica), a club restaurant and bar, a commercial venue hire operation, prizes and awards, video and podcast resources, and — added in 2023 — an AI-enhanced VR Communication Training module developed in partnership with Bodyswaps.

RSM generates revenue through annual membership subscriptions (across three tiers), transactional event and webinar fees, commercial venue hire, hotel and club hospitality, sponsorship and exhibiting at events, and specialist library services, with commercial activities housed in a wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Society of Medicine Commercial Services Limited. Patrons include King Charles III and the organisation is governed by a Council and President (currently Professor Roger Kirby, inaugurated 2021); Rachel Lambert-Forsyth is announced as the incoming Chief Executive from November 2025, with a mandate to lead a new strategy.

Name

The Royal Society of Medicine

Legal name

The Royal Society of Medicine

Website

https://rsm.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1805

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Royal Society of Medicine is a UK Royal Charter body and registered charity founded in 1805, serving as a global membership organisation for healthcare professionals through postgraduate education across 50+ specialties, a digital medical library, the JRSM journal, and members' club facilities in London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Postgraduate Medical Education

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)

Keywords

• Postgraduate medical education
• Medical membership organisation
• Continuing professional development
• Medical library services
• Medical conferences events

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership subscriptions for healthcare professionals at various tiers including Fellow, Associate, and Student categories. Members receive access to events, library resources, club facilities, and member pricing on services.
2. Event Fees: Revenue from educational events, conferences, webinars, and training programmes across 50+ medical specialties. Some events are free for members while others have fees.
3. Venue Hire: Commercial venue hire operation at 1 Wimpole Street, generating revenue from hosting external events and meetings.
4. Domus Medica Hotel: 47-room hotel providing accommodation for RSM members and their guests, with revenue from room bookings and related services.
5. Sponsorship and Exhibiting: Revenue from sponsors and exhibitors at RSM events and conferences.
6. Specialist Library Services: Charges for specialist library services including document delivery, literature searches, inter-library loans, and electronic monthly updates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Royal Society of Medicine is a UK-based membership organisation for healthcare professionals that provides postgraduate medical education through 200+ expert-led events annually across 50+ specialties, an extensive physical and digital medical library, the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, and members' club facilities including a hotel and restaurant at 1 Wimpole Street, London.

Product overview

The Royal Society of Medicine operates as a global membership organization offering a portfolio of interconnected educational and professional services. The core offerings include a comprehensive events and education programme across 50+ medical specialties, access to the RSM Library with extensive e-resources and journals (including the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine), and membership options spanning Fellow, Associate, and Student categories. Supporting services include the Domus Medica 47-room hotel, RSM Club dining facilities, prizes and awards programmes, specialty sections and networks, venue hire at 1 Wimpole Street, and video/podcast content. A notable technology-enabled addition is the Virtual Reality Communication Training module developed with Bodyswaps, offering AI-enhanced simulation training for healthcare professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RSM Membership Global membership organization offering Fellow, Associate, and Student membership options for healthcare professionals at all career stages, providing access to events, library, club facilities, and professional networks across 50+ specialty sections.
• RSM Events and Education Programme Multidisciplinary educational events across 50+ medical specialties, offering continuing professional development (CPD) for healthcare professionals. Membership includes free access to over 200 expert-led events annually.
• RSM Library and E-Resources Extensive digital and physical library providing access to e-journals, e-books, medical databases, document delivery, literature search services, and archive collections for members.
• Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) Peer-reviewed medical journal published continuously since 1809, featuring scholarly comment and clinical research across all medical specialties, published by SAGE Publishing.
• Domus Medica Hotel On-site 47-room hotel exclusively for RSM members and guests, offering climate-controlled en-suite accommodation with work areas, free Wi-Fi, restaurant and lounge bar access, and complimentary continental breakfast.
• RSM Club (Bar and Restaurant) Exclusive dining and social facilities for members and guests at 1 Wimpole Street, featuring a relaxed bar with an all-day menu and a refined restaurant for lunch, dinner, and special occasions.
• Venue Hire (1 Wimpole Street) Commercial venue hire service offering meeting and event spaces at the RSM's headquarters for external organizations, including conferences, seminars, and corporate events.
• Prizes and Awards Recognition programmes including prizes for students, trainee doctors, and various awards to acknowledge outstanding contributions to healthcare and medical advancement.
• RSM Sections and Networks Over 50 specialty sections covering major medical specialties and topics, enabling members to connect with peers in their specific field and participate in focused educational activities.
• Virtual Reality Communication Training Module VR-based training module developed with Bodyswaps to help healthcare professionals practice difficult conversations, anger de-escalation, and empathetic communication through AI-enhanced simulations with virtual patients. Available for all RSM members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free access to over 200 expert-led events annually included with membership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BodyswapsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2023Virtual reality company partnered with RSM to develop AI-enhanced VR training module for doctors to practice navigating difficult conversations with patients. The simulation helps doctors identify anger signals, recognize different response impacts, remain calm, and demonstrate empathy. Available for all RSM members.
• Professor Dame Lesley Fallowfield (Brighton and Sussex Medical School)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief academic consultant on the VR training project, bringing rigour and specialized knowledge to course content development.
• SAGE PublishingcoreOthersPublisher of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM). SAGE Publishing is a major academic publisher with global reach.
• Q-ParksminorOthersPartnership providing reduced-rate parking at Harley Street and Cavendish Square car parks for RSM members staying at Domus Medica hotel.
• Veolia UKminorOthersProvides anaerobic digestion gas-to-grid service for food waste from RSM operations.
• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSM publishes research funded by NIHR in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Multiple studies referenced in RSM media releases were NIHR-funded.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mayo Clinic: US-based healthcare provider with a large medical education and conference programme, including Mayo Clinic Proceedings and CME events. Bigger and clinical-care-led, but a relevant incumbent in the postgraduate medical education and meetings space.
• American Medical Association: Large US medical professional association offering CME, publishing (JAMA) and member services at a global scale. Broader and larger than RSM, but with directly overlapping membership education, journal publishing and event portfolio.

Emerging players

• BMJ (British Medical Journal): Major medical publisher and event organiser with BMJ Learning providing on-demand CME. Competes with RSM on journal reach (BMJ vs JRSM) and on online CME/event delivery, particularly for UK and international clinicians.

Others

• King's Fund: UK healthcare policy and leadership organisation providing events, conferences and publications for health leaders. Not a direct competitor, but operates in the same London-based, paid-events-informing-healthcare-professionals adjacency as RSM.
• UEMS (European Union of Medical Specialists): European body representing national medical specialists, providing CME accreditation and specialist section events. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but overlapping audience and European postgraduate medical education remit.

Direct peers

• Royal College of Nursing: UK Royal College providing continuing education, events and library services to nursing professionals, with a comparable subscription membership model and London-based venue operations. Competes for allied health professional education budgets.
• Royal College of Surgeons of England: UK Royal College delivering postgraduate medical education, exams and events for surgeons, with a membership, education, library and venue model that closely mirrors RSM. They compete directly for surgical specialty CME spend.
• Royal College of General Practitioners: UK Royal College providing continuing professional development, events and library services to general practitioners using the same combination of membership subscriptions, paid events and a flagship journal (BJGP). Direct competitor for primary care member CME budgets.
• Royal College of Physicians: UK Royal College providing postgraduate medical education, training, exams and events for physicians, with a comparable CPD/CME offering, London headquarters and membership-driven model. Both compete for UK medical professionals' continuing education spend and event mindshare.
• British Medical Association: UK trade union and professional association for doctors offering CPD events, a medical library, publishing (BMJ) and member benefits. Strong overlap with RSM on events, library, publishing and member services for the same UK doctor audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rsm_dean
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RoyalSocietyMedicine
• Facebookfacebook.com/royalsocietyofmedicine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/royal-society-of-medicine
• Instagraminstagram.com/roysocmed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Royal Society of Medicine