IMPORTANT FAQS What are foundation schools?

Foundation schools bring together medical schools, the local deanery, trusts (acute, mental health and PCTs) and other organizations (e.g. hospices) to offer foundation doctors training in a range of different settings and clinical environments. The schools are administered by a central local group of staff members which is supported by the deanery.

In particular, foundation schools are responsible for:

a. information about and recruitment to the Foundation Programme

b. shadowing arrangements in some parts of the country and induction (together with the employing organisation)

c. ensuring that the local assessment procedures are in accordance with wider national prcedures

d. ensuring that appraisal is undertaken regularly and appropriately

e. training individuals that undertake assessments

f. through the foundation training programme director, identifying an educational supervisor for each foundation doctor

g. through the foundation training director, ensureing that the foundation doctors’ regular appraisals take place and that the Foundation Learning Portfolios are supported within the process

h. ensuring smooth progression of foundation doctors from year to year two, offering appropriate career management and development opportunities

i. ensuring that individual foundation doctors receive the training necessary to meet the competences required

j. providing career advice (along with the employing organisation and medical schools/foundation schools).

Where can I find more information about the national application form and process?

The 2011 Applicants Handbook is available now to download via the Key Documents section of this website. The Handbook  provides information on the application questions along with advice on how to complete them. It also includes the recruitment timeline for Foundation Programme 2011 and other useful information.

How do I apply for an F2 post?

Each foundation school recruits for F2 posts at a local level and the UK Foundation Programme Office is not involved in this. Each foundation school will have their own timetable and their own deadline for receiving applications.  Please visit the foundation school websites for details of any vacancies and further information about their F2 recruitment processes.  There are links to all of the foundation school websites via our website: www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk

How do I get into the Foundation Programme?

First you must ensure that you are eligible to apply. Information regarding the eligibility process is available now under the ”How to Apply” section of this website.

All applicants must complete an online application in the autumn for the foundation programme commencing the following August.

How is my application scored?

Applications will be scored against nationally agreed scoring criteria by a panel which will include a senior clinician. Your overall score will consist of an academic score provided by your medical school and the score you receive from the answers you provide on your application. More information about scoring is contained in the Foundation Applicant’s Handbook.

Below is the agreed process for academic ranking as agreed by UK medical schools through the Medical Schools Council.

In order to enable achievement to inform selection, medical schools have agreed that they will divide their applicants into four groups of equal size. The ranking will be derived from performance in assessments during the degree course prior to application. The top 25% will be awarded 40 marks out of a possible 40, the next group 38, the next 36 and the final 25 of students 34 marks out of 40.

Quality Assurance of Basic Medical Education by the GMC ensures that graduating students will have fulfilled the criteria laid down in Tomorrows Doctors. Students ranked in the top 25 any medical school will be regarded as equivalently ranked to those in the top 25 of all other medical schools, as it is impractical to differentiate between schools, as each curriculum is different. If there are tied rankings at the overlap then those tied would all be in the higher group.

How do preferences work when it comes to allocating applicants to places in foundation schools?

Each applicant’s preference will be considered in order of score, starting with the highest scoring applicant. Applicants will be allocated their first choice foundation school wherever possible (that is, while places remain available within that school).

Applicants not allocated to their first preference foundation school, will then each be considered, in score order, and placed in their highest ranking school at which places remain available.

Here’s how it works:

In last year’s recruitment round, Ruth’s application scored 70 (academic ranking + application question’s).  She ranked NW Thames as her first choice foundation school, followed by the other three London foundations schools as her second, third and fourth choices.

Because NW Thames only had 270 places and 352 applicants, all the available places were filled with higher scoring applicants and Ruth didn’t get into her first choice school.

Now, even though Ruth had a good score which would have meant she’d have achieved a place in South Thames Foundation School (her second choice) if she’s listed it as her first choice, she didn’t get in.  South Thames was already filled with applicants who did list it as their first choice.

The next school on Ruth’s list that had vacancies at this point was Wales, her fifth choice.  Therefore Ruth was allocated to the Wales Foundation School.

What is the reference process for Foundation Programme 2011?

Applicants are required to provide names and contact details of two referees as part of their online application. The applicant must ensure that the referees are happy to provide a reference before nominating them. The applicant is also required to ensure that the email address nominated for the referee is accessed regularly and the referee is aware of which email address has been used.

Referees will be sent an automated email on 17 December 2010 asking them to complete a structured online reference by 25 February 2011.

References are not used in the scoring or allocation process. They will have no bearing on your application and are used only by the employer.

What is the difference between date of qualification and date of graduation?

The date of qualification is the date on which a University Board agrees the results and issues a pass list, then notifies the trainees of the result. The date of graduation is the date of the award ceremony.

Some medical schools have a period of many months between the date of qualification and the date of graduation, so the date of graduation is not a reliable indicator of when the applicant passed their degree and how up to date their clinical knowledge and skills may be.

The relevant date for our application process is when an applicant passed their qualification, not when they graduated. If you are still unsure, we recommend that you speak with your medical school for further guidance.

Will the way students are matched to foundation schools change if the contingency plan is invoked?

The best way to explain how this will work is through an example. Please note that the numbers in this example are purely for illustrative purposes and are not the actual numbers, which will not be known until 30 November.

If there are 7,500 applicants for 7,000 places, the applicants would be first ranked in score order, and the top 7,000 applicants would be placed on the primary list.

Once you’ve made it onto the primary list, you will be allocated based on your preferences first, then score. This is the same way the allocation algorithm has always worked in the past.

If you are on the reserve list, you will be allocated as vacancies arise, in batches on pre-set dates.

If one of the pre-set allocation dates is 31 March, for example, and there are 150 applicants who were allocated on the primary list who have withdrawn, the top 150 people on the reserve list will be put into that batch to be allocated. The normal algorithm will then run for within that batch (preference first, then score). This process will be repeated for each batch.

Do I need to submit an eligibility application in order to apply for the Foundation Programme 2011?

If you are a student/graduate from a non-UK medical school you must first submit an eligibility application in order to confirm whether you are eligible to apply for the Foundation Programme.

If you are a graduate from a UK medical school with a qualification date of prior to 1 August 2009, you must submit an eligibility application.

Please note that the eligibility application period is 19 July 2010 to 20 August 2010.

You can find the eligibility criteria, process, person specification and all relevant forms in the ”How to Apply” section of this website.

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What type of GMC registration do I need in order to apply for the Foundation Programme?

All applicants must ensure that they are eligible to obtain (or already hold) provisional GMC registration and a licence to practise before submitting an eligibility application.

* Please refer to the UK General Medical Council website for details: http://www.gmc-uk.org/

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What happens if I have full GMC registration?

If you hold, or are eligible to obtain, full GMC registration then you are not allowed to to apply for the Foundation Programme during the national recruitment round.

However for details of other opportunities that may be available to you please visit: How to apply for an F2 post

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Do I need to sit PLAB examinations in order to apply for the Foundation Programme 2011?

PLAB examinations are a pre-registration requirement of the UK General Medical Council (“GMC”) for many foreign nationals training outside of the EEA.  We recommend that you refer to the GMC for further information regarding your individual situation: General Medical Council  It is our understanding that you have to undertake PLAB examinations if you:

• are a national of any country outside the UK, European Economic Area (EEA) orSwitzerland who graduated from a medical school outside the UKOR
• are a UK national who graduated from a medical school outside the UK, EEA orSwitzerlandAND
• do not have EC rights

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Do I need to provide proof that I have passed PLAB 1?

As part of the eligibility application, and in order to demonstrate that you are able to gain provisional GMC registration by the start of the Foundation Programme 2011 (i.e. August 2011), you are required to provide one of the following:

a) proof that you have gained provisional GMC registration; or

b) proof that you have passed PLAB 1 exam; or

c) proof that you have booked your PLAB 1 exam within certain specified timescales; or

d) proof that you are not required to sit the PLAB examinations.

You can find the eligibility criteria, process, person specification and all relevant forms in the “How to Apply” section of this website:

The Foundation Programme – How to apply

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What are the specified timescales for booking PLAB 1 in order to apply to the Foundation Programme 2011?

We recommend that you first read the previous FAQ: “Do I need to provide proof that I have passed PLAB 1?”

If you are required to provide proof of your PLAB 1 booking as part of your eligibility application then you will need to provide proof that your PLAB examination has been booked to take place on, or before, the deadline of 15 March 2011*.

It is our understanding from the GMC that unless an applicant has booked a place on, or before, the PLAB 1 examination being held on 15 March 2011, then it is very unlikely that there will be sufficient time for any applicant to gain provisional registration by the start of the Foundation Programme in August 2011.

You should submit proof of the PLAB 1 examination booking as part of your eligibility application. However, if you cannot comply with this then you may submit your eligibility application, by the deadline of 20 August 2010and then submit proof of the PLAB 1 examination booking separately, to be received at the eligibility office by the latest deadline date of 19 November 2010. If you do not provide this by the deadline of 19 November 2010 then you will not be eligible to apply for the Foundation Programme 2011.

For further information about PLAB exams, and the dates available, please visit the GMC website:http://www.gmc-uk.org/

* Please take into consideration that there is likely to be a closing date for bookings significantly in advance of the actual examination date. In addition, PLAB may be undertaken outside of the UK in which case timings may differ from that stated above.

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What can I provide as acceptable proof that I have the right to work in the UK as part of my eligibility application?

Details of your right to work in the UK must be provided. If you do not supply us with proof if your right to work in the UK by 19 November 2010, then you will only be considered if there are insufficent suitable applicants who have the right work in the UK. Please check the documentation requirements below.

UK, EEA and Swiss nationals

You must provide the following photocopies

a.  Front cover of passport and any pages containing your personal details; including nationality, photograph, date of birth, signature, date of expiry and biometric detail and any page that indicates the holder has an entitlement to be in the UK, and is valid until the start of the Foundation Programme in August 2011 OR

b. National identity card (copy of the front and back of the card) OR

c. Home Office issued application registration card (copy of the front and back of the card) OR

d. Birth certificate issued in the UK which specifies the names of the holder’s parents plus a copy of a formal document from a previous employer or authority showing your name and National Insurance number

OR

e. Certificate of Registration or Naturalisation as a British Citizen.

Non-EEA Citizens (excluding Swiss nationals)

You must provide the following photocopies:

f. Front cover of passport and any pages containing your personal details; including nationality, photograph, date of birth, signature, date of expiry and biometric detail

AND

• Copies of any page that indicates your visa status

OR

g. Front cover of passport and any pages containing your personal details; including nationality, photograph, date of birth, signature, date of expiry and biometric detail

AND

• Copies of Biometric card issued by UKBA (copy of the front and the back of the card)

OR

• Copies (if applicable) of Home Office documents / letters indicating the holder has an entitlement to be in the UK.

For general queries regarding visa and right to work issues, we recommend that you refer to the UK Border Agency

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I do not hold the right to work in the UK. Can I still apply for the Foundation Programme?

If you are a student or graduate of a non-UK medical school you must first submit an eligibility application, which will determine whether you are eligible to apply for the foundation programme. Refer to the “How to Apply” section of our website for details of the eligibility process: The Foundation Programme – How to apply

If you are considered to meet the eligibility criteria but do not hold valid right to work in the UK, you will still be able to complete an application form, and have it scored, along with those applicants who are fully eligible. After fully eligible applicants with valid right to work in the UK are matched to foundation schools, applicants who do not hold the right to work in the UK, but who meet the rest of the eligibility criteria will be allocated to any remaining vacancies.  However, this would not be a guarantee of employment and you would still be required to obtain the right to work in the UK, this may involve your employing Trust agreeing to sponsor you.

For general queries regarding visa and right to work issues, we recommend that you refer to the UK Border Agency: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/

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What are the English language requirements for entry into the Foundation Programme?

The English language requirements for Foundation Programme 2011 are set out as follows:

§   A signed and stamped Medical School Dean’s Statement 2011* confirming all of the following:

o that the entire primary medical qualification undertaken by the

applicant is being taught/was taught in English

o that all examinations undertaken by the applicant during his/her

primary medical qualification will be/were in English

o that the applicant’s primary medical qualification will include/included

a significant amount of contact with patients in English.

OR

§ a  valid academic IELTS** certificate confirming a minimum score of 7.5 in each of the four domains: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Please note that no other form of English language proficiency will be accepted.

* The Medical School Dean’s Statement for Foundation Programme 2011 can be found under the “How to Apply” section of our website.

** IELTS certificates are only valid for 2 years.

I qualified prior to 1 August 2009 and therefore must undertake a clinical assessment. What does this involve?

Clinical assessments are designed to ensure that a doctor has maintained their clinical and professional skills since qualification. This year, clinical assessments will be undertaken by the University of Manchester and will take place in November 2010.

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If I passed my clinical assessment last year , do I need to be reassessed this year?

A pass result obtained by undertaking the UKFPO clinical assessment is valid for two recruitment years i.e. FP-2010 and FP-2011.

Therefore, if you passed the clinical assessment last year for Foundation Programme 2010, then you would not need to be re-assessed this year.

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What happens if I fail the clinical assessment?

If you fail the clinical assessment you will no longer be considered eligible to apply for the Foundation Programme 2011 and you will be withdrawn from the process.

No refund requests will be considered as the fee is payable on a non-refundable basis.

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