1. Foundation Programme Recruitment 2010-2011 General Advice. Prof Kate ThomasJenny Mullins-White Vice Dean, Student DevelopmentCareers Consultant and Support c.p.thomas@bham.ac.uk careers-centre@bham.ac.uk

2. What’s the message?

3. Last year…  95.6% Birmingham Medical Graduates allocated to first choice Foundation School –Only 17 people weren’t  Median Birmingham score 79.1 (national 78.3)  Birmingham range 48-98 But...  In 2007-08 42% applicants allocated to first choice programme

4. This year…  The UKFPO predicts that there will be more eligible applicants than posts  Prof Derek Gallen: “It is likely that a number of medical students will not be allocated to foundation schools until very late in the process, as vacancies arise. However, we expect the vast majority of eligible Foundation Programme applicants to be placed in a Foundation Programme.”

5. Plan ahead and prepare  Allow plenty of time  Enrol from 4 th October  Click on activation link as soon as possible  Avoid hotmail accounts  Put 3 dates in diary to complete form  Read everything before you write anything  Followfollow @UKFPO

6. The form - Top Tips  Read the questions several times and identify what they are looking for.  Focus on the person specification and the criteria  Identify examples to illustrate how match person spec  Where possible, type content in Word first so that you can spell and grammar check prior to pasting into the online form and check word count  Paste into the correct box  Use normal professional language (no text speak)  No bullet points and answer in full sentences

7. Person Specification  Answers need to reflect that you meet the person specification: –Put the patient at the centre of care –Are organised and able to prioritise –Can work effectively with others –Have good communication skills –Are capable of dealing with pressure and/or challenge and show initiative –An understanding of the principles of equality and diversity

8. Top Tips in answering questions  Tip 1 1 Each question is in several parts Break it down into component parts 2 Answer each part in order 3 Put answer back together for single response

9. The questions: what’s the strategy? Tip 2Use CARE  Circumstances  Action  Results  Evaluation

10. C = Circumstances or context, Action, Result, Evaluation  Sets the CONTEXT for the ACTION –When, what capacity e.g. student rep etc  Make it CONCISE and INFORMATIVE –One sentence to set the scene  Concentrate on RELEVANCE to the story and message you are trying to communicate in your answer – avoid too much description

11. Example on Circumstances or context  Example from past application you are asked to describe a case that you have observed in the first 24 hours from hospital admission  Do not waste too many words on this part – it is scene setting, the more important parts follow

12. C Action RE This is where you demonstrate and highlight the skills and personal attributes that the question is testing.  Explain what, how and why you did it  Demonstrate what you did i.e. talk about YOU not everyone else  Give some detail, but beware of giving clinical information unless it is necessary to your example  Actions you describe should highlight relevant skills

13. CA ResultEvaluation  Explain the outcome (results) –Be specific: won a prize, submitted a paper, achieved 80% etc.  Describe what YOU accomplished  Evaluation- show reflective learning –state what you’ve learnt – this adds the personal element and will show that you can think laterally and fully about a particular issue

14. Use active/positive words  CONFIDENT  INDEPENDENT  INNOVATIVE  ACTIVE  ORGANISED  REALISTIC  FLEXIBLE  TOLERANT  TACTFUL  RESPONSIBLE  COLLABORATED  NEGOTIATED  ACHIEVED  SUCCEEDED  MANAGED  LED  OVERCAME  PERSUADED  DELEGATED  RECOMMENDED  IMPLEMENTED  MOTIVATED

15. Proof reading  Spell check it  You read it  Colleague reads it  Your personal mentor reads it  Your family read it  Can your dog read?  You read it again

16. Action points  Contact your referees, they have to give a reference between 17 th December 2010 and 25 th February 2011. Not used in scoring or allocation.  Write a list of all ideas you have and start collecting evidence in case you’re in the 10% called on to produce it  Look at GMC website for Good Medical Practice and Tomorrow’s Doctors  Think and talk about the questions

17. More things to think about now  Listen to the Podcast from an F1 Doctor on how to fill in the form  Download the Foundation Application Handbook  Enrol onto the Foundation Application website  Set 3 times in your diary to fill in the form  Draft the answers in Word, do word count and spell- check (watch word count can change!)  Paste into form- save as you go  Do not leave until the last minute  GOOD LUCK!

18. Reminders  Keep your password confidential  Check your email regularly throughout the process  Be honest in answering the clinical skills list  Press save on each section (times out after just 20 minutes)  Can edit and re-save as often as you like BUT SUBMIT is FINAL  Watch word count on computer v online system  Put your application in before the deadline

19. Referees  Essentially a pre-employment screen –1 practising hospital Consultant, GP, associate specialist who can comment on your clinical skills in last 2 years, i.e. Years 3, 4, 5 (GEC 2, 3, 4) –1 Prof, Reader, Senior Lecturer, Lecturer, Personal Mentor, Honorary member of staff who has supervised an academic piece of work (SSA, SSM, PHP, elective). Whole University, not just Medical School. Can be recently retired. –Still time to get to know your PM!

20. Some things are out of your control!  The “quality” of your fellow applicants  Their order of preference  The number of vacancies

21. How can we help? Appropriate level of guidance:  National guidance including the presentation  The “Foundation Applicant’s Handbook” published on the UKFPO website.  Any other national guidance, such as podcasts and information on the application website. Local guidance:  Generic workshops held by medical school staff / careers advisors on how to complete application forms in general.  Medical school staff may meet with students to provide general advice and guidance.  General hints and tips about answering the application questions, without specific advice. (For example, advice to read the questions carefully and answer all parts, but not advice about a particular answer.)

22. How we can’t help you Inappropriate level of guidance:  “Factsheets” published by local medical schools on how to write answers.  Members of scoring panels have signed a confidentiality agreement and should therefore not run any workshops giving advice on the scoring criteria or on what scorers look for.  Direct individual coaching about the content of the written answers.  Suggestions by staff on how applicants could “re- write” their answers to improve them.

23. Transfer of Information  All this is supportive  You will need to complete a form  SWADAG generates a small list of students we have concerns about –Attendance –Attitude –Welfare  We will tell you if we pass on information  A duty of the Medical School

24. Fitness to Practise  Need to liaise with GMC early  Discuss with Sue Grant (s.e.grant@bham.ac.uk)s.e.grant@bham.ac.uk  All disciplinary matters, not just hearings

25. Matching to a programme  You will know your score when you apply for programmes  UKFPO does not tell you deadlines etc – you need to look on your allocated FS website to see what their process is and when deadlines are, some are very short  Interviews may be OSCE  Trust (not FS) does pay, banding, rotas…

26. Make sure  Your details are correct  You read the applicant’s handbook –E.g. under educational achievements  prizes should be national  presentations should be national/international  You comply with deadlines  You ask your referees  You do press save but don’t press submit until you’re ready!  You print out your form

27. TIPS From Class of 2010  Ranking Foundation Schools –Rank ALL of them in order of Preference  Ranking Foundation Jobs –As above list ALL of them exactly in the order of preference you want  General Comments –There is no point worrying about the quartile you are in or how many degrees you have to your name these things make very little difference to your points –Getting the right answers to the questions is the priority!

28. TIPS From previous applicants General Comments  Don’t undersell yourself  Draft in Word first then cut/paste  Read the question –Answer all parts of the question  Read the Person Specification  No walking on water examples!

29. TIPS From Foundation Office 2010  Linked Applications –362 (5%) in 2010 –Make sure you rank FS in same order –Places in FS linked to Lower scored applicant –Same FS, not necessarily same hospital  Appeals process –14 people see your application before final appeal to Prof Gallen –Cheats will be found out – 2010 2 UK plagiarisers

30. Tips from Kate  Use simple English – don’t use a thesaurus  Don’t try to be clever and give an “interesting answer”  Remember that some FS that weren’t as popular last year will be this year, but some are always popular  Think twice about London!  ~70% Birmingham students stayed local last year  Remember there is less than full time working

31. Useful Contacts  www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk  Jenny Mullins-White: Careers and Employability Service careers- centre@bham.ac.ukcareers- centre@bham.ac.uk  Dr Helen Goodyear – flexible training  (helen.goodyear@westmidlands.nhs.uk)helen.goodyear@westmidlands.nhs.uk