UK Foundation Programme Office e-update 13 February 2008
Published: 13/02/2008
Welcome to the latest issue of the UKFPO e-update.
In this issue:
- Foundation Programme recruitment
- GMC recruiting Foundation Programme trainees
- F2 doctors – Have you considered specialty training in Wales ?
- Upcoming events
Foundation Programme recruitment
References
Nearly 11,000 online references have been submitted for applicants to Foundation Programme 2008. This equates to approximately 75% of the total required. The system continues to be open for referees who haven’t submitted references yet so they may continue to do so. However, after 20 February it is likely that the foundation schools will start sending applications (incl references) to trusts so will not see late reference submissions after that point.
If you are an applicant and you do not have both references submitted by this time, the trusts will work with you to obtain a reference prior to issuing you with a contract of employment. Foundation schools have been supplied with an offline version of the reference form to pass onto trusts so they can use the same structured reference form if they wish to do so.
Clinical assessments
Applicants who graduated prior to 31 July 2006 are undertaking clinical assessments this week in Bristol . Applicants will be notified of the results by 19 February.
Matching applicants to programmes
On the morning of 20 February, all applicants will receive an email which will let them know that the programme matching is complete (with the exception of applicants to Northern Foundation School, who aim to be finished matching by the end of the day on 20 February and NYEC Foundation School who plan to finish their matching by
3 March). All other applicants can log into their account to check their allocation at that time.
GMC recruiting Foundation Programme Trainees
The GMC are currently recruiting two Foundation Programme Trainees to become QAFP Visitors.
QAFP is a system which has been developed by the GMC and PMETB to quality assure the Foundation Programme (QAFP).
The trainees will assess deaneries to ensure that the Foundation Programme is delivered to the Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme set by the GMC and PMETB and enables F1 doctors to meet the GMC outcomes for full registration.
This year the London Deanery and the Kent Surrey and Sussex Deanery are being assessed, so trainees who have trained, worked or applied to train or work in these two deaneries would not be eligible to apply.
For more details, visit the GMC website at
http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/postgraduate/quality_assurance.asp
F2 doctors - Have you considered specialty training in Wales ?
Training the best, to become the best. This is the theme of a short film, produced jointly by BMA Cymru Wales and the Wales Deanery for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education, primarily to attract more junior doctors to apply to complete their postgraduate training in Wales .
Filmed at various hospitals and general practices across Wales, it gives a range of doctors an opportunity, in their own words, to highlight some of the key attractions that training and careers in Wales offer.
To see the video, go to www.doctorstrainingwales.tv
Upcoming Events
26 March – Medical Student Board meeting, London
Representatives from each medical school in the UK have been invited to attend a meeting in London to discuss how the recruitment process for 2008 has gone; and how it can improve next year. The feedback from the session will be compiled and reported at the UKFPO Recruitment Review meeting on 9 April.
9 April – Recruitment Review, London
Representatives from all stakeholder organisations have been invited to take part in a review of recruitment for 2008, with a view to making improvements in the process for 2009. These include: medical students, clinical tutors, undergraduate and postgraduate deans, foundation school directors and managers, the BMA and the four UK departments of health, to name a few.
If you are interested in giving us your views to feed into the review, keep an eye on our website. In the next couple weeks we will be publishing an online questionnaire asking you to comment on your experience with the process. This information will be analysed and presented at the review meeting.
1 May – QAFP Workshop, London
This workshop is to be held jointly by the UKFPO, PMETB and GMC and is aimed at deanery, foundation school, SHA and trust staff who are involved in the QAFP visits to discuss best practice. Invitations will be issued to stakeholders within the next few weeks.
