Visit this section regularly to see the new frequently asked questions posted.
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ELIGIBILITY
- Do I need to submit an eligibility application to be able to apply for the Academic Foundation Programme?
- Do I have to re-submit an Eligibility application form for the national Foundation Programme even if I have already submitted all of my eligibility documentation for an AFP?
- Do I need to pass PLAB examinations in order to apply for the Academic Foundation Programme 2012?
- How should I provide proof that I have passed PLAB 1 and/or PLAB 2?
- How can I provide proof that I passed PLAB 1 if I have not yet qualified?
- What are the specified timescales for booking PLAB 1 in order to apply to the Academic Foundation Programme 2012?
- What are the English language requirements for entry into the Academic Foundation Programme?
- What should I provide as proof that I have the right to work in the UK?
- I do not have the right to work in the UK. Can I still apply for an AFP?
RECRUITMENT
- Do I need a BSc or other degree to apply for an academic foundation programme?
- Do I need to rank my UoAs in order of preference?
- Do I still have to go through the national Foundation Programme recruitment process if I accept an AFP?
- If I accept an AFP offer, does that guarantee me a job?
- If I am not offered or do not accept an AFP, can I go through the national recruitment process?
- Where will I find details of the AFP 2012 Person Specification?
- Is an Academic Foundation Programme the only route into academic medicine?
ELIGIBILITY
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Do I need to submit an eligibility application to be able to apply for the Academic Foundation Programme?
If you are currently in a UK medical school you are not required to submit an eligibility application. Your medical school will confirm your eligibility on your behalf.
If you are a student/graduate from a medical school outisde the UK, you must submit an eligibility application in order to establish whether you are eligible to apply for the Academic Foundation Programme.
If you are a graduate from a UK medical school with a qualification date of prior to 1 August 2010, you must submit an eligibility application.
Please note that the eligibility application period is 4 April – 15 April 2011, for more information please click here
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Do I have to re-submit an Eligibility application form for the national Foundation Programme even if I have already submitted all of my eligibility documentation for an AFP?
A completely new application must be submitted if you wish to apply during the main recruitment round for FP2012. This includes submission of a new Dean's Statement, Eligibility Application Form and supporting documents.
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Do I need to pass PLAB examinations in order to apply for the Academic Foundation Programme 2012?
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) or Switzerland who graduated from a medical school outside the UK OR are a UK national who graduated from a medical school outside the UK, EEA or Switzerland AND do not have EC rights
Go to http://www.gmc-uk.org/ for more information.
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How should I provide proof that I have passed PLAB 1 and/or PLAB 2?
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 Academic Foundation Programme 2011 (i.e. August 2012), you are required to provide one of the following:
a) A photocopy of the letter from the GMC confirming that you have provisional registration with a licence to practice; or
b) A photocopy of the email/letter from the GMC showing that you have successfully completed either PLAB 1 or PLAB 2; or
c) Evidence that you are not required to sit the PLAB exam. -
How can I provide proof that I passed PLAB 1 if I have not yet qualified?
If you have not yet qualified, you must provide a valid Dean's Statement showing that you will qualify from medical school by 28 February 2012, or you must provide evidence that you are not required to take the PLAB exam.
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What are the specified timescales for booking PLAB 1 in order to apply to the Academic Foundation Programme 2012?
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 6 March 2012.
The GMC has confirmed that unless an applicant has booked a place on, or before, the PLAB 1 examination being held on 6 March 2012, 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 2012.
Therefore, if you need to undertake PLAB 1and PLAB 2, then your date of qualification must be no later than 28 February 2012. The closing date for booking PLAB 1 is 28 February 2012 (subject to availability). The applicant should not assume that there will be places available for the exam.
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 the closing date for bookings may be significantly in advance of the actual examination date. PLAB undertaken outside of the UK may have dufferent timings from those stated above.
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What are the English language requirements for entry into the Academic Foundation Programme?
You must provide either:
- A signed and stamped Medical School Dean’s Statement 2012 confirming that your entire primary medical qualification was taught solely in English; all of your examinations during your primary medical qualification were solely in English; and that the your primary medical qualification included a significant amount of contact with patients in English. OR
- A valid academic IELTS* certificate showing a minimum score of 7.5 in each of the four domains: reading, writing, listening and speaking. An overall score of 7.5 is not sufficient if 7.5 has not been achieved in each domain. Please note that IELTS certificates are only valid for two years, so any academic IELTS certificate submitted should be dated no earlier than 20 August 2009.
*Please note that no other form of English language proficiency will be accepted.
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What should I provide as proof that I have the right to work in the UK?
Please see the Eligibility Notes and Form which provide a detailed list of acceptable documents.
For general queries regarding visa and right to work issues, we recommend that you contact the UK Border Agency.
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I do not have the right to work in the UK. Can I still apply for an AFP?
Yes. If you do not currently have the right to work in the UK, but expect to have a work visa in place starting between 15 April and 8 September 2011 which will remain valid until 1 August 2012, please submit details of your right to work to the Unit(s) of Application to whom you apply.
If you do not currently have the right to work in the UK and do not expect to have a work visa by 8 September 2011, you will not be considered for an Acaedmic Foundation Programme until all fully eligible applicants who do have the right to work in the UK have been allocated.
RECRUITMENT
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Do I need a BSc or other degree to apply for an academic foundation programme?
The majority of AFPs will consider applicants who do not have a BSc or other degree. However, some of the more competitive programmes may restrict applications to medical students who have a BSc or other degree. For more information you should look at the person specification for the academic programmes that interest you.
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Do I need to rank my UoAs in order of preference?
No, you simply select a maximum of three UOAs you wish to apply to. They are not ranked.
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Do I still have to go through the national Foundation Programme recruitment process if I accept an AFP?
No. If you accept an Academic Foundation Programme, you cannot go through the national process.
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If I accept an AFP offer, does that guarantee me a job?
Only the employing healthcare organisation (i.e. the hospital, trust or board) can make a formal offer of employment. They will send you a formal offer once they have completed your pre-employment checks and you have qualified from medical school.
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If I am not offered or do not accept an AFP, can I go through the national recruitment process?
Yes. You can apply in the normal way through the national Foundation Programme 2012 recruitment process which begins in October 2011 for programmes starting August 2012. If you applied via the UKFPO eligibility office, you are required to submit a new set of eligibility documents if you wish to apply for through the national process. Please refer to the eligibility section of the website for more information.
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Where will I find details of the AFP 2012 Person Specification?
The minimum criteria are as listed in the national Person Specification for FP2012. Any additional essential or desirable criteria will be added by the individual UoA and details can be found on their websites and will be available to view when selecting programmes on the national application system.
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Is an Academic Foundation Programme the only route into academic medicine?
Absolutely not. It is only one possible route in which allows doctors to sample academic medicine. A regular foundation programme can equally lead into an academic clinical fellowship (ACF) at ST1 level in some areas (e.g. paediatrics, neurology, imaging), and many people will enter academic medicine through an ACF post at ST3 level. Entry criteria in ACF posts will include evidence of academic ability and therefore any trainee will have to demonstrate they have achieved some academic output during their earlier training (e.g. a paper, national presentation etc.). It is also perfectly possible to compete for funding for a PhD at a later stage without having had an Academic Foundation Programme or being in an ACF post from the Wellcome Trust, MRC, Cancer UK etc.
