What are foundation schools?
Foundation schools are not bricks and mortar institutions, but rather a conceptual group of institutions bringing together medical schools, the local deanery, trusts (acute, mental health and PCTs) and other organisations such as hospices. They aim to offer training to foundation doctors in a range of different settings and clinical environments. The schools are administered by a central local staff which is supported by the deanery.
Foundation schools deliver training according to national guidance developed by the UKFPO but there are local variations in some areas. The document below aims to answer such questions as:
- Will the school use interviews to allocate me to programmes?
- Will I know what specialties the whole 2-year programme will include from the beginning of F1?
- Will I be with the same trust for the full two years of my training?
- Will I have the opportunity to undertake my F2 abroad?
This information is already available on individual foundation school websites and the UKFPO has put together this document at the request of medical students. If you have any further queries regarding this information, please contact the relevant foundation school direct.
List of Foundation Schools
- Coventry & Warwick
- East Anglian
- LNR
- Mersey
- North Central Thames
- North East Thames
- North West Thames
- North Western
- Northern
- Northern Ireland
- Oxford
- Peninsula
- Scotland
- Severn
- South Thames
- Staffordshire
- Trent
- Wales
- Wessex
- West Midlands Central
- Yorkshire & Humber
For the purposes of recruitment to Foundation Programme 2012, two sets of foundation schools have grouped together to each constitute one Unit of Application. These are:
Yorkshire & Humber
Comprising North Yorkshire & East Coast (NYEC), West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire foundation schools.
West Midlands
Comprising Birmingham, Hereford & Worcester and Black Country foundation schools.
