Foundation Programme 2010: The recruitment process August 2009

 100% of UK grads were placed into programmes  90% got their first choice foundation school  7004 applicants were allocated to 7075 posts  23 out of 25 foundation schools filled their posts during the main recruitment round FP 2009 Successes

No major changes this year  As the Medical Schools Council and the four UK health departments are considering new recruitment options for FP 2011 recruitment, it was decided there would be no major changes for FP 2010 recruitment.  Pilots of the proposed recruitment process for 2011 will take place in selected schools in 2009/2010 (dates and schools TBD)  If your school is chosen as part of the pilot, the results you receive from participation in the pilot will not affect your allocation to school, or to programme for FP2010.

Applications points (max) Academic Ranking - 40 points (maximum) Academic ranking is calculated by each medical school: First quartile (the top 25% of the year) = 40 Second quartile = 38 points Third quartile = 36 Fourth quartile = 34 points UK medical schools inform students of their academic ranking before 12 October Application questions - 60 points (maximum) There are six questions to answer Each answer can score a maximum of 10 points Word limit = 200 words per answer Part 1 Part 2

Question 1: Educational Achievements PART 1 – Additional postgraduate degrees (max. 6 points)  Additional degrees include Bachelors, Masters and Doctorates, no matter the subject of study  You can only get credit for one additional degree.  If you have an MA and a PhD, you get credit for the PhD as it attracts the highest number of points  The better you did in a degree, the higher the number of points available  A 1 st class BSc degree will give you more points than a 3 rd class degree, for example

Question 1: Educational Achievements PART 2: Publications, prizes and presentations (max. 4 points)  Up to two points for publications:  One point for one publication in a peer-reviewed journal where you are listed as a named contributor  Two points for two or more peer-reviewed publications  Up to one point for oral or poster presentations at national or international conferences  Up to one point for prizes or bursaries at a national level PLEASE NOTE: The majority of medical students will score “0” for Question 1.

Questions  Questions 2 to 6 relate to one or more of the essential criteria described in the Person Specification for FP  You must demonstrate that you meet the Person Specification in order to be allocated to a foundation training place.  All questions have a maximum score of 10 points

The application process NATIONAL 1.Eligibility checking 2.Online registration and enrolment 3.Submission of online application form 4.Applications scored 5.Allocation to foundation school LOCAL 6.Applicants choose programme preferences 7.Matching to a programme within the school 8.Pre-employment checks

Getting started (from 28 Sept 09) Registration and enrolment  Applicants must register online before they can apply:  You must type your details in exactly as you supplied them to your deanery/medical school.  Once registered, an activation code link will be ed to you. After clicking on the link to activate your account, you can enrol in the FP 2010 recruitment round.

Application form (12 Oct – 23 Oct 09) The application form is divided into 8 sections:  Personal (name, contact details, etc)  Qualifications (educational qualifications)  Clinical skills (self assessment of your own practical and clinical skills)  Equal opps (equal opportunities monitoring information)  References (details of 2 referees)  Questions (6 questions which will be scored)  Preferences (ranking all foundation schools in order of preference)  Submit

Foundation Programme Application: FP 2010

Application form (12 Oct – 23 Oct 09) The application form is divided into 8 sections:  Personal (name, contact details, etc)  Qualifications (educational qualifications)  Clinical skills (self assessment of your own practical and clinical skills)  Equal opps (equal opportunities monitoring information)  References (details of 2 referees)  Questions (6 questions which will be scored)  Preferences (ranking all foundation schools in order of preference)  Submit This is the only section that will be seen by the scorers. Each panel only sees one answer.

Preferences: Ranking foundation schools Check the Foundation Applicant’s Handbook for competition ratios for 2007, 2008 and For the past three years, 90% or more of applicants each year got into their first choice foundation school. Linked applicants must rank their foundation school preferences in the same order or the link is broken. View the details of individual programmes within the foundation schools online from 28 September.

Scoring  Applications are scored by the applicant’s first choice foundation school.  Each question will be scored individually by a panel of two people, at least one of whom is a clinician.  Panels will not know the applicant’s identity, their academic ranking or scores they received for other questions.

Verification  Some applicants will be asked to verify the answers they provide on their application form.  If you are selected for verification, you will receive either an or a letter asking you to supply proof to verify your answers.  Some schools will list exactly the information they require, others will ask to you to submit evidence of all your answers in whatever way you see fit.

Verification (17 Nov – 5 Dec 08) Please note that you would not have to provide all evidence listed, but just a selection. Please note that foundation schools will have their own local process for verification. Example verification request

Verification  If you are unable to verify your answers, the foundation school director may require you to attend an interview to discuss your answers.  Applicants unable to verify the veracity of their answers to the satisfaction of their foundation school will be removed from the recruitment round and referred to the GMC.

Plagiarism checks  Applicants must confirm that the answers to the application questions are their own  Plagiarism software will check answers to ensure that they are not duplicated  If evidence of plagiarism is found, applicants will receive a letter asking them to verify their answer. If they cannot, they will be withdrawn from the recruitment system  Using examples heard in lectures will constitute plagiarism. The situations you use in your answers must have been experienced by you personally

Allocation algorithm & matching process Allocation to foundation school (9 Dec 09)  Applicants are allocated based on their preferences first, then application score Matching to programme (16 Feb 10)  Foundation schools each have their own process for matching to programme. Check the foundation school websites for more information. (Most match to programme based on their score first, then preferences (highest scoring applicants get first pick)

Pre-employment checks  Pre-employment checks include Criminal Records Bureau checks, occupational health clearance and satisfactory references, and may also include a local interview to assess clinical skills.  These checks are undertaken on behalf of the employing healthcare organisation. Contracts of employment will not be issued until the checks are successfully completed. These checks begin as soon as the applicant is matched to a programme

Employment contracts The employing healthcare organisation is responsible for all contractual issues including:  Pay  Banding  Rotas  Accommodation (if applicable) In England, check the NHS Employers website for more information:

Planning and preparation You should:  Read the person specification and timeline available online now.  Collect dates and titles of relevant qualifications, publications, presentations, posters and prizes.  Ask one GP, consultant or associate specialist who can provide a reference about your clinical skills; and one lecturer, senior lecturer, professor or reader at your medical school to act as your referees. Request that they supply an address they access regularly.

Planning and preparation  Print a copy of the Foundation Applicants’ Handbook from the website and use it to help complete the form (from 28 Sept)  Download the Podcast on how to complete your form from the UKFPO website (from 28 Sept)  Book at least three sessions in your diary. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time and don’t leave it until the last minute.  Write your answers first in MS Word, spell check, then copy and paste into the application form.

Data security  The application website is secure and has undergone rigorous checks.  Applicant data is protected under Data Protection legislation and will only be used by those involved in foundation training in the way specified on the application form.  Scoring panels will only be provided with an applicants’ answers to the questions and their applicant number. All other information is held on a secure database and passed to employers for pre- employment checks once an offer of a training place has been made.

Important dates 28 Sep 09* Application form published * Foundation Applicant’s Handbook available * Applicants can register and enrol online * Programme information is available to view Oct 09Online system open for applications** 9 Dec 09Foundation school allocations are made By 25 Jan 10Preferences for training programmes are submitted (deadlines and methods will vary by foundation school) 16 Feb 10Matching to specific programmes is completed and applicants notified of results **Late applications will not be accepted.

What happens if more people apply than there are vacancies available? Contingency Plan A: Oversubscription  The top scoring applicants (using academic quartile and application form score) will be allocated to foundation schools using the current algorithm  Any applicants who do not score highly enough to get allocated initially would be placed automatically on a “reserve list”  As further vacancies arise (due to finals failures and withdrawals), applicants will be allocated to foundation schools based on their scores/preferences in batches at set intervals

What happens if there are not enough applicants for all the vacancies? Contingency Plan B: Undersubscription  Posts will be suspended on a pro-rata basis in each foundation school based on a pre-determined formula  The number of suspended posts will be dependent on the number of vacancies  Posts will be suspended in multiples of 3 per foundation school (3, 6, 9, 12, etc.)  This plan will only apply in England. (Posts will not be suspended in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland.) A decision about contingency plans will be made on 20 November 2009 and an announcement posted on the website.

Where to go for more info  for further details on the application process  for answers to frequently asked questions  for a list of foundation schools with weblinks  to sign up for regular e-updates Go to