FP2015 Applicants Handbook

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Introduction

Applying for your first job as a doctor can seem like a daunting task. The UK FoundationProgramme Office (UKFPO) has designed this handbook to answer all your questions aboutthe national application process for both the Foundation Programme and the AcademicFoundation Programme commencing in August 2015. The handbook also explains how toaccess the online Foundation Programme Application System (FPAS) and what informationyou need to provide to support your application. Our medical student advisor has helped us putthis guide together to ensure all the important points are covered. Further information isavailable at www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk .

The sections of this handbook are set out to follow the stages of the national applicationprocess in chronological order as far as possible. However, the table of contents provides thepage numbers for specific sections if you wish to go straight to a particular subject.

The handbook often refers to a Unit of Application (UoA). A Unit of Application consists of oneor more foundation schools that are grouped together for the purposes of processingapplications. When considering Academic Foundation Programme applications, the foundationschool groupings may be different and these are referred to as Academic Units of Application(AUoA).

For the FP 2015 application process, the situational judgement test will be referred to as theSJT (selection assessment for FP 2015). The SJT is not a medical school exam. It is anassessment that forms part of the scoring system for selection to FP 2015 which tests theattributes needed to work as a foundation doctor, and which is used as part of the selectionprocess for entry to the Foundation Programme and Academic Foundation Programme.

Cover photo: Photographs taken by Yves Salmon Photography. With thanks to our m edical s tudent m odelswh o were all previous members of the UKFPOs Medical Students Board.
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/


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ContentsINTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................1

OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL APPLICATION PROCESS ................................................................2

LOCAL PROCESSES ..............................................................................................................................3 HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE ........................................................................................................................4

BEFORE YOU APPLY ..........................................................................................................................5

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE ? ..............................................................................................................................5 ACCESSING THE FOUNDATION P ROGRAMME APPLICATION S YSTEM (FPAS) ...............................................5 CONTACTING YOU ................................................................................................................................6 P RE - ALLOCATION TO A PARTICULAR UO A BASED ON SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ...........................................6

APPLYING TO FP AND AFP 2015 ........................................................................................................7

P ERSONAL ..........................................................................................................................................7 QUALIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................................................8 CLINICAL SKILLS ...................................................................................................................................9 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES ........................................................................................................................9 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 10 EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 12 UO A P REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 17

P ROGRAMMES ................................................................................................................................... 19 ACADEMIC SELECTION ........................................................................................................................ 19 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR AFP APPLICATIONS ............................................................................... 20 AFP PROGRAMME PREFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 21 DECLARATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 21 S UBMIT ............................................................................................................................................. 21

APPLICATION SCORES ..................................................................................................................... 22

NUMBER OF POINTS AVAILABLE ............................................................................................................ 22 EDUCATIONAL P ERFORMANCE MEASURE (EPM) ................................................................................... 22 S ITUATIONAL J UDGEMENT TEST (SELECTION ASSESSMENT FOR FP 2015) ............................................... 22

SITTING THE SJT (SELECTION ASSESSMENT FOR FP 2015)........... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ... 24

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU .................................................................................................................. 24

IDENTIFYING YOURSELF ...................................................................................................................... 25 AT THE END OF THE TEST .................................................................................................................... 25 REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS ............................................................................................................... 25 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES .......................................................................................................... 26

PROCESSING AFP APPLICATIONS .................................................................................................. 27

AFP INTERVIEWS ............................................................................................................................... 27 AFP OFFERS ..................................................................................................................................... 27 TIMETABLE FOR AFP OFFERS .............................................................................................................. 28

PROCESSING FP APPLICATIONS..................................................................................................... 30

P RIMARY LIST ALLOCATION .................................................................................................................. 30 RESERVE LIST BATCH ALLOCATIONS ..................................................................................................... 30 M ATCHING TO A FOUNDATION PROGRAMME ........................................................................................... 31

APPEALS ........................................................................................................................................... 32 BEFORE YOU START WORK AS A FOUNDATION DOCTOR ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ........ . 33

P RE -EMPLOYMENT CHECKS ................................................................................................................. 33 YOUR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT ........................................................................................................... 33 S TARTING YOUR JOB .......................................................................................................................... 33 TRANSFER OF INFORMATION ............................................................................................................... 33

APPENDIX 1 - LETTER TO CONFIRM ADDITIONAL DEGREE WITH NO DEGREE CERTIFICATE .. 34

APPENDIX 2 - REASONS FOR DISMISSAL FROM THE SJT ......... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... 35

APPENDIX 3: HOW ARE THE EPM AND THE SJT EQUALL Y WEIGHTED WHEN THE SCALES A REDIFFERENT? ...................................................................................................................................... 36


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High level timeline 14 Jul 14 Aug2014

Ensure you are eligible to apply. If your medical school is outside the UK, or ifyou qualified from a UK medical school prior to 4 August 2013, you must registeron the Eligibility system and submit documentation by post to the Eligibility Officeby midday on 14 August 2014. See Eligibility information for full guidance.

26 Aug 2014 View available Academic foundation programmes. AFPs in each AUoA areavailable to view on FPAS.

29 Sept 2014 View indicative programmes. Indicative programmes in each UoA and AUoA areavailable to view on FPAS. The final programmes will be available to view inFebruary 2015.

From 29 Sept2014

Register and confirm on FPAS at www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk . Youmust register on FPAS and confirm you are a nominated applicant before you canaccess the application form. Once confirmed, you will be able to see your EPMdecile score.

1 Oct 2014 Deadline for requests for reasonable adjustments to the SJT.6 - 17 Oct 2014 Complete the online application form for both the Foundation Programme

and Academic Foundation Programme. The application period closes at 12.00noon (BST) on 17 October 2014. Late applications will not be accepted under anycircumstances.

17 October 2014 Deadline for requests for pre-allocation to a particular UoA on the grounds ofspecial circumstances.

20 Oct 16 Jan2015

AFP local short-listing and interviews. Deadlines and processes for short-listingand interviews will vary by AUoA. Each AUoA will communicate with the applicantswho apply to it.

28 Oct 2014 View verified scores for EPM educational achievements. Your verified scorefor any educational achievements you listed in your application will be available toview on your FPAS account.

5 Dec 2014 1st SJT. If you are registered for the SJT on this date you must attend.9 Jan 2015 2n SJT. If you are registered for the SJT on this date you must attend.21 Jan 18 Feb2014

AFP offers. Successful AFP applicants will receive offers during this period. Alloffers must be accepted or declined on FPAS by the stated deadline.

20 February 2015 Final programmes available to view on FPAS.5 Mar 2015 FP primary list allocation. You will be notified via email when you can log into

your FPAS account to see your SJT and overall application score and, if you areon the primary list, you will be able to see which UoA you have been allocated to.

By 2 Apr 2015 Applicants on the FP primary list need to select their programmepreferences on FPAS . Deadlines and processes for matching you to your specificfoundation programme will vary by UoA. Check your allocated UoAs website forfurther information.

6 Mar 7 Apr2015

Your referees will be asked to submit a reference for you as part of pre-employment checks.

8 Apr 2015 FP primary list applicants notified of programme matches. You will need to loginto your FPAS account to see which foundation programme you have beenmatched to by your allocated UoA.

May Jul 2015 FP reserve list batch allocations. The highest scoring applicants on the FPreserve list will be allocated to any vacancies that have arisen since the lastallocation.

Apr - Jul 2015 Pre-employment checks undertaken. Jul 2015 You must have provisional GMC registration with a licence to practise before

your employer will issue a contract of employment. Registering with the GMCis a different process from applying to the Foundation Programme and you mustapply to them directly. The GMC recommends you apply in May 2015 to ensureyou are registered before the start of your FP shadowing period.

From Jul 2015 Contracts of employment issued. Your employer will also confirm your salary,pay banding, location and starting rota.

Aug 2015 Foundation Programme starts. Newly appointed F1 doctors are required toattend a period of shadowing the F1 doctor they are taking over from before thestart of the Foundation Programme. Your foundation school or employer willcontact you with the details of local arrangements and your required start datewhich may be late July 2015.


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Before you apply

Are you e lig ib le?If you qualified or are expecting to qualify from a UK medical school between 4 August 2013and 4 August 2015, you meet the eligibility criteria for applying to FP/AFP 2015 and will be

nominated by your medical school.

If your medical school is outside the UK, or if you qualified from a UK medical school prior to 4 August 2013, you must complete an online Eligibility application form and submit the requireddocumentation by post to the UKFPO s Eligibility Office between 14 July 2014 and midday on14 August 2014. Using the information you provide, the Eligibility Office will assess youreligibility to apply for FP/AFP 2015. If the information you provide shows you are eligible toapply, the Eligibility Office will nominate you.

More information about the eligibility checking process is available on the UKFPO website:www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk .

Military students are required to sit the SJT (selection assessment for FP 2015) along with allother applicants but are not required to go through the national application process. For moreinformation on the process you must follow, please contact the Defence Postgraduate MedicalDeanery.

Acc ess ing the Founda t ion Programm e Appl ica t ion Sys t em (FPAS)From 29 September 2014, FPAS is available for registration and enrolment atwww.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk .

1. Register as soon as you can from 29 September 2014.2. Once you have followed the link to FPAS, click on Apply to Foundation Programme

on the left-hand menu and follow the instructions.3. You will be asked to provide an e-mail address as part of the registration process. Thiswill become your username for future logins and MUST be the same email addressprovided to FPAS in advance by your medical school or the Eligibility Office when theynominated you. Check with your UK medical school or the Eligibility Office if you areunsure what email address to use.

4. You will be emailed a password. To access FPAS you need to enter your username(email address) and the password sent to you. This password is a use once passwordand as soon as you use it, you will be prompted to enter a new password of your ownchoosing. If you do not receive your password please check your spam/junk mailbox. Ifyou have still not received it, or misplace it, you will need to contact the technicalhelpdesk to request a new password ([email protected] ). The UKFPO cannot

provide you with this.5. You will need to use your username (email address) and the password you have

chosen each time you log in to FPAS from now on. Make sure you keep yourpassword safe.

6. The next step is to confirm you are a nominated applicant, i.e. that you have beennominated by either a UK medical school or the Eligibility Office. Select theNomination Confirmation option from the right -hand menu.

7. The system will check the personal information you enter against its database ofnominated applicants, i.e. the applicants nominated by UK medical schools and theEligibility Office. If the details you enter match those provided by your UK medicalschool or the Eligibility Office, you will be able to access the application form from 6October 2014. The application form will not be available before this date.

8. Once you have confirmed you are a nominated applicant, you will be able to view yourEPM decile score. Select the Scores option from the right-hand menu.
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/


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When confirming you are a nominated applicant, enter your personal details (name, date ofbirth, medical school name and email address) EXACTLY as you supplied it to your UKmedical school or the Eligibility Office. When your medical school or the Eligibility Officenominates you, your data is pre-loaded onto FPAS and when you confirm you are a nominatedapplicant the system matches the data you enter with the data provided by your medicalschool or the Eligibility Office. If you do not enter your personal data exactly as it was pre-loaded, the system will not be able to match the information and you may face a delay in

accessing the system. If there are any problems setting up your account, dont panic. Justcontact the organisation that nominated you and they can help you access your account.

Con tac t i ng y ouRemember to check your email and your FPAS account regularly throughout the applicationprocess. We will use your email address to send you information throughout the entire period.Emails sent via FPAS are also stored in your FPAS account. If you are expecting importantinformation and do not receive an email, remember to also check My Messages on yourFPAS account. My Messages is available on the right-hand menu.

If you need to change your email address for any reason, use the Update Contact Details option on the right-hand menu of FPAS.

Please note: We strongly advise that you DO NOT USE HOTMAIL email accounts as theyregularly block emails from NHS servers. This means you may not get important messagesabout your application.

Pre-a lloca t ion to a par t i cu lar UoA based on spec ia l c i rcum stancesIf you need to be allocated to a particular UoA due to being the primary carer for a closerelative; a parent or legal guardian for a child or children for whom you have significant caringresponsibilities; or have a medical condition for which on-going follow-up in a specified locationis an absolute requirement, then you can apply to your medical school for pre-allocation to aparticular UoA on the grounds of special circumstances. You must rank this UoA first in yourlist of preferences during your application to the Foundation Programme. Failure to do so willresult in your special circumstances application not being consideredDetails of the special circumstances criteria and the process for requesting pre-allocation areavailable on the UKFPO website under Key Documents .

The criteria for being pre-allocated are very strict and you must supply all the requiredsupporting documentation to your UK medical school or the Eligibility Office by the deadline(17 October 2014). There is no opportunity to provide additional documentation at a later date.

Every effort will be made to honour approved pre-allocations. However, if you do not scorehighly enough to be on the primary list, you will not be included in the initial allocation. If thereare no places available in your requested UoA at the time you are allocated from the reservelist, you will be allocated elsewhere according to the places available, your score and yourstated preferences. For this reason, it is important that you rank all UoAs in order of preferenceon the application form even if you have been approved for pre-allocation on the grounds ofspecial circumstances.
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/keydocshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/keydocshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/keydocshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/keydocs


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Applying to FP and AFP 2015

The online application form will be available from 6 October 2014. The application periodcloses at 12 noon (BST) on 17 October 2014 .

Whether you are applying for the Foundation Programme (FP) or the Academic FoundationProgramme (AFP), you must complete the same application form during the same two-weekperiod. The application form is divided into nine sections: Personal, Qualifications, ClinicalSkills, Equal Opportunities, Referees, Educational Achievements, UoA Preferences, AcademicSelection and Declarations. Each section is accessed from a list displayed in the right-handmenu on FPAS. Each section is further explained below.

If you indicate that you wish to apply for AFP 2015 you will be required to provide additionalinformation to support your AFP application(s) and to rank the academic programmes available

in your order of preference.

PersonalThis section of the form will only be used for employment purposes and will not be consideredwhen scoring your application. If your application is successful, the details in this section willbe passed to your employer.

You will be asked to provide the following: Your personal contact details (such as name, address, telephone numbers, etc). Details of any disabilities or health issues you would want your employer to know about

in order for them to make reasonable adjustments for your employment and training. Details of any unspent and spent convictions and investigations into fitness to practise.In this section, the GMC has provided guidance that states that you do not have todeclare any road traffic offences where you have accepted the option of paying a fixedpenalty notice. All other Fixed Penalty Notices must be declared.

Linked application request (if applicable).

Name changesIf you have changed your name by marriage or deed poll since qualifying from or duringmedical school, it is essential that you indicate this on the application form when asked toprovide details of your previous family name/surname. This is particularly important if you havean additional degree certificate or provide evidence for a publication that is in a different name

as you will not be awarded the points if this section has not been completed.

Disabilities and personal healthWe recommend that you disclose disabilities and personal health issues, such as blood bornevirus infections, in the disability declaration on the application form. This information will beheld in confidence and only authorised foundation school staff members and the HRdepartment of your employing healthcare organisation will be able to access this information.

If you do not wish to disclose this information on the application form, it is essential that youinform your allocated foundation school, in confidence, as soon as you are allocated, as it mayaffect which programmes you can be matched to. For example, you may need to avoidexposure prone procedures. Arrangements will be made for you to meet up with a foundationschool staff member to discuss your training.

! IMPORTANT: Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances.


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Linked applicationsYou can link your FP application to that of another applicant to ensure you will both beallocated to the same UoA, provided you are both on the primary list.

Please note that you can only link to one other person. That person can be a partner, friend,sibling, etc any two applicants who want to link can do so. Links will not be considered ifeither of you accepts an AFP offer. Please note that only two FP applications can be linked.

You cannot link with a military applicant, or someone applying for specialty or other medicaltraining.

Keep in mind that the link only allows for you to be in the same UoA and group (if used), notthe same programme, employing organisation or town. Some UoAs will try to place linkedapplicants within an hours commute of each other, others will not. Check the UoAs websitesfor their local policies on linked applications when matching to programmes.

If you and another applicant want to link your applications, you can do so in this section of theform by choosing yes when asked if you wish to link your application. More information willthen appear, along with a box for you to type in the email address of the applicant with whomyou are linking. The process of linking works in this way:

1. You must enter the email address of the person you want to link to, ensuring it isthe same one they are using for the application process.

2. For the link to be complete, the other person must enter the email address you areusing for the application process on their application form.

3. Both of you must rank all of the UoAs in the same order of preference. If you do notboth do this, the link will be broken.

4. You must both score highly enough to be on the primary list for the link to work. Ifeither or both of you are on the reserve list, the link will be broken.

5. WARNING : The score of the lower scoring applicant will be used to allocate bothlinked applicants to a UoA and programme group (if used). The result of your linkmay be that either:a. you will be allocated to a UoA which is lower in your order of preference than

would have been the case had you not linked your application;ORb. the other individual will be allocated to a foundation school lower in their order

of preference than would have been the case if they had not linked theirapplication to yours.

The link will only be honoured if: all the information required is provided on both of your forms; neither you nor the other individual has been pre-allocated to a particular UoA on

the grounds of special circumstances;

you both score highly enough to be on the primary list; you have both ranked the UoAs in the same order of preference; neither you nor the other individual has accepted an AFP offer; and there are two places available in a UoA when it is your turn to be allocated based

on the lower of both scores.

Qual i f ica t ions

In this section, you will indicate whether you are currently a final year medical student or, if not,indicate your GMC registration status. If you are not a final year medical student, you will alsobe required to give details of your postgraduate experience.

! IMPORTANT: You cannot un-link your application once you have submitted yourapplication form under any circumstances.


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This part of the form will only be used for employment purposes. If your application issuccessful, the details in this section will be passed to your employer.

GMC registration statusIf you already have provisional registration with a licence to practise, you must provide detailsof the name you are registered under with the GMC.

Primary medical degreeYou must enter details of your medical degree and medical school/university. If you have notyet graduated, you must enter your expected date of qualification; this is the date on which youexpect to graduate.

Post-qualification experienceThis section is for those applicants who have already completed medical school and may havehad some experience working as a doctor prior to applying for the Foundation Programme. Wewould expect to see up to your last five years of experience.

Other educational qualificationsThis section is for applicants who have completed additional higher qualifications. This sectionof the form is not scored and has no links to the Educational Achievements section.

Clin ical s k i l l sThe assessment of your clinical skills is made primarily throughout your time at medical school.By passing your final exams, it is expected that you will be clinically prepared to proceed withfoundation training and you are asked to confirm this in this section of the form. It lists theclinical and practical skills that the GMC requires you to have attained by the end of medicalschool. You are asked to select if you have attained, expect to attain or do not expect to attaineach skill listed by July 2015.

This section is not scored, so be honest in your answers. Selecting that you do not expectto attain a specific skill will not prevent you from securing a foundation training post .This section of the form will be sent to employers once they have successfully completed pre-employment checks in order to ensure that you receive the training and support you needduring your foundation programme. So, please say if you will not have one or more of the skills

listed.

Equal Oppor tun i t i esThis section includes the equal opportunities monitoring information required by the healthservice to monitor their recruitment practices. This section asks you to provide your age,gender, ethnic origin, religious beliefs and whether you consider yourself to have a disabilityunder the Equality Act 2010. You may choose to leave the date of birth fields blank. All otherfields are mandatory, but you may choose the option I do not wish to disclose.

The information you provide in this section will only be accessed by authorised individualsinvolved in the application process to ensure that the process adheres to equality and diversitylegislation. Anonymised reports will be produced to analyse recruitment practices.

! IMPORTANT: If you have a qualification that can gain points in the EducationalAchievements section, you must also list it in that sectio n of the form. If you do

not, you will not get any points for it.


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ReferencesYou are required to provide details of two referees: one clinical and one academic. Thereferees you select do not have to be the most senior people in an organisation, it is moreimportant that they are able to comment on your medical school and clinical performance.

! IMPORTANT: References and their content are not taken into account whenallocating you to a UoA or matching you to a particular foundation programme.

They are collected on behalf of your employer as part of pre-employmentchecks and have no bearing on your application.

Offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references.

You will need to provide names and contact details of two referees: One referee must be a practising hospital consultant, GP or associate specialist who is

able to give an opinion of your clinical skills. One referee must be from your medical school. This might be a professor, senior

lecturer, lecturer, reader, director of clinical studies or a person holding an honorarymedical school contract as advised by your medical school. The referee should besomeone who has ideally known you for one year, but for a minimum of six months,and should be aware of your performance during ALL years spent at the medicalschool.

You may use referees from outside the UK as long as the referee is able to commenton your performance.

If you are currently employed as a doctor, or have been employed as a doctor any time during

the last six months, one of your referees must come from that employer.

Make sure that you ask your referees if they are happy to provide a reference before youcomplete this section, and ask that they provide you with an email address that they accessregularly. It is best if this is NOT a Hotmail account.

You will be able to see your references once they are submitted by selecting ReturnedReferences from th e right-hand menu of your FPAS account. You can change your refereedetails online (even after you submit your application form) until the reference period is closed,or until the referee has submitted a reference, whichever comes first.

Your referees will be sent an email on 6 March 2015 asking them to register and complete astructured online reference for you by 7 April 2015. Each reference form will take refereesapproximately five minutes to complete.

Please note it is important that your referees use the exact email addresses that you enter onFPAS or they will not be able to register and complete your reference.

The reason that your references must be submitted by 7 April 2015 is that the foundationschools send all of your data (including the full application form and references) to youremploying organisation during April. References received after that date will not be included inthe information sent.

If either of your referees fails to submit the online reference by the deadline, then youremploying healthcare organisation will contact you before you start work and arrange with youfor the missing reference(s) to be provided. Please keep in mind that you are responsible forensuring that two referees provide references for you before you start work as a foundation


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doctor. A contract of employment will not be issued until satisfactory references have beenreceived.

Helping your refereesIf your referee has forgotten or lost their password, they should go towww.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk and click on the Referee Login link in the middle of the screen. They should then c lick on Retrieve password. From here, they will need to enter theirFPAS username (their email address) and a new password will be emailed to them.

If they are still having trouble, they must send an email to the e FPAS technical helpdesk toresolve the issue ([email protected] ). There is no contact telephone number for theFPAS helpdesk.

The reference form

Your referees will be asked to give their assessment of your present knowledge and skillsunder the headings provided below. Referees will choose either satisfactory , cause forconcern or unable to comment in answer to each question. If they choose cause forconcern, they will be required to provide an explanation. If they choose satisfactory orunable to comment, no further explanation is required.

Clinical knowledge and skills Can show evidence of having achieved the outcomes for qualification set out in

Tomorrows Doctors (2009) .

Clinical communication skills Has demonstrable skills in written and spoken English that are adequate to enable

effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues.

Personal skills Demonstrates an understanding of the importance of the patient as the central focusof care

Demonstrates an ability to prioritise tasks and information appropriately Demonstrates an understanding of the importance of working effectively with others Demonstrates initiative and the ability to deal effectively with pressure and/or

challenge.

Probity Demonstrates appropriate professional behaviour, i.e. integrity, honesty,

confidentiality.

Other Is attendance/timekeeping satisfactory? Have they been subject to any disciplinary procedure, formal or otherwise, during

the time that you have known them?

Additional commentsThe referee is invited to provide other comments.

Referee detailsName, position held, name of employing organisation, contact telephone number, GMCreference number (if applicable) and whether they are providing a clinical or medical school

reference.

! IMPORTANT: The UKFPO cannot accept references by fax post or email. Theymust be submitted via FPAS during the reference period .
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/tomorrows_doctors_2009.asphttp://www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/tomorrows_doctors_2009.asphttp://www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/tomorrows_doctors_2009.aspmailto:[email protected]://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/


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Educa t iona l Ac hievem ents

This section provides all the information you require to complete the educational achievementssection of the application form. It is up to you to decide if your achievements meet the criteria.You may also find it useful to read the Frequently Asked Questions on our website.

Please note that if you include something on your form that the verification panel later decides

does not meet the stated criteria, the provisional score calculated by FPAS will be revised butwill not incur further penalties.

In this section of the application form, there are two categories from which you can gain amaximum of seven points:

Additional degrees (maximum 5 points)

Publications (maximum 2 points)

You must complete all of the required information and upload evidence to support yourachievement(s) in each of the categories, or a score of zero will be allocated.

FPAS will use this information to calculate a provisional score for your educational

achievements. The provisional score for degrees will be verified by UKFPO staff. Theprovisional score calculated by FPAS for publications will be verified by a national panelconsisting of administrative staff from medical schools and foundation schools. The verifierswill not have access to any other part of your application form. If there is no evidenceuploaded, or the evidence that is submitted does not meet the following requirements, then theprovisional score awarded by FPAS will be revised.

Rules for supporting evidence

These rules apply to the evidence you provide for any of your educational achievements.Specific criteria for each category can be found in the relevant sections. Please note theUKFPO cannot review evidence on an individual basis before you submit it with yourapplication. It is your responsibility to read the guidance and ensure your evidence meets therequirements. There is no opportunity to provide additional or updated evidence once yourapplication form has been submitted.

Documents in languagesother than English

All evidence provided must be in English. If the originaldocument is not in English, you must provide a copy ofthe original document together with the officialtranslation. If a translation is not provided you will beawarded zero points.

Format of document Evidence can be in any of the following formats:

.doc .docx .pdf .rtf .jpg.

The maximum size is 2Mb.

Evidence must be uploaded as one file per achievement

! IMPORTANT: The educational achievements section is the only sectionof your application form that the verification panel will see.
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/medical-students/faqshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/medical-students/faqshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/medical-students/faqshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/medical-students/faqs


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(which can contain more than one document). If youneed to provide two pieces of evidence, e.g. an originaldegree certificate and an official translation, you willneed to scan them into one file before uploading.

Please note that documents produced on an Apple Macare not compatible.

Documents in a differentname

If any of your supporting evidence is in a different nameto the name on your application, the other names youare known by question on your application will beverified so you must ensure you complete this section onyour application form.

Date of achievement All educational achievements must have taken place, orin the case of degrees must have been ratified by theexamination board, by the close of the applicationprocess (12 noon BST 17 October 2014).

Additional degree (up to a maximum of five points)

Points awarded in this section are for a degree in addition to your primary medical degree thatyou either have, or for which you are currently studying. Postgraduate certificates (such as aPGCE) or diplomas do not count.

If you indicate that you have an additional degree, the form will display additional sectionswhere you will be required to enter the subject of qualification, educational institution and yearof qualification.

You must choose one of the options listed in the table below. If you have more than oneadditional degree (e.g. BSc and PhD), you should choose the one that will give you the mostpoints (see the table on page 15).

! IMPORTANT: You can only be awarded points for a degree if the degree and,if appropriate, the degree classification, has been ratified by the Examination

Board before you submit your application (i.e. by 17 October 2014 at thelatest) and you can submit the required evidence. Please see the table below

for the evidence required to support this.

! IMPORTANT: If you do not upload evidence that meets the criteria aboveyou will not receive any points. If you need evidence from an awarding

body or your Dean, organise this now. Do not leave it until the applicationperiod opens as you cannot submit evidence after the application deadline.


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Evidence required for an additional degree

To support your degree, you must upload a copy of your degree certificate with the class ofdegree (where applicable) and your name clearly displayed.

Degreecertificate doesnot showclassification

If your degree certificate does not display the class of the degree, you

must provide the original certificate together with an official letter fromthe Registrars office that confirms the classification.

No degreecertificateavailable

If no degree certificate is available, e.g. if you have lost it or have notyet graduated, you must provide a degree confirmation letter. Thismust be printed on university headed paper and include the officialstamp of the university and the signature of the Dean (or authorisedofficial in the Registrars office) that confirms the award of the degreeby the University and the date. See Appendix 2 for a pro-forma of theletter. If you do not provide all the required information as shown in

Appendix 2, you will not be awarded the points.

Cambridgedegrees

The additional guidance below has been provided from CambridgeUniversity Clinical School to recognise the award of undergraduatedegrees from Cambridge University, which are not given an overalldegree classification on the degree certificate.

For the purpose of FPAS application, the degree classification will berecognised as that obtained in the Part II Tripos. The points fordegree class in the educational achievement section will be awardedon this basis. All evidence will be verified and Cambridge degrees willbe recognised in accordance with this guidance.

For those students who have not done a Part II Tripos, and insteadundertaken an additional Part Ia or Part Ib, the degree classificationthat will be recognised for the FPAS application will be theclassification of the MVST Part 1b year, and n o t the classification ofthe second Part 1a or Part 1b year.

To evidence this, students should upload their degree certificate andofficial University transcript. Students should ensure that the evidence

provided states the classification of the part II Tripos, or the MVSTPart Ib year, which can be highlighted on the transcript before theevidence is uploaded.

! IMPORTANT: Your score for additional degrees will be determined fromthe information supplied in this section of the application form, not from the

"Qualifications" section. Therefore, if you have put information relating toadditional degrees in the "Qualifications" section, you must repeat it in this

section or you will not be awarded the points.


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Points awarded(maximum = 5)

Degree category

0 Primary Medical Qualification only 3rd class BMedSci awarded at University of Nottingham

1 3rd class honours degree Unclassified honours degree 2.2 class BMedSci awarded at University of Nottingham

2 2.2 class honours degree 2.1 class BMedSci awarded at University of Nottingham

3 2.1 honours degree 1st class BMedSci awarded at University of Nottingham

4

Postgraduate Masters degree 1st class honours degree Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Bachelor Veterinary Medicine (B Vet Med)

5 Doctoral degree (PhD, DPhil, etc)

Notes

The BMedSci honours degree awarded by the University of Nottingham is integratedduring the five-year BMBS and is therefore awarded fewer points.

Honours degrees are any type of undergraduate honours degrees with a classificatione.g. BSc, BEng.

Honours MA degrees, including those from some Scottish Universities, are

undergraduate degrees and therefore classed as honours degrees, not Mastersdegrees.

Some undergraduate degrees are called Masters degrees, e.g. MPharm, MEng, butthese are undergraduate honours degrees, not Masters degrees.

Honours degrees from Oxford and Cambridge can be converted to a Masters degreeafter a period of time, but these do not require a further year of study and are thereforeclassed as honours degrees and not Masters degrees.

Some international medical schools (e.g. the USA) award an MD or similar as part oftheir basic medical qualifications. This qualification does not attract any additionalpoints in this section.

Points for a postgraduate Masters degree can only be awarded where the degreerepresents a further year of study taken in addition to an undergraduate degree (whetheras an intercalation or other), and there is an entry requirement of a previous degree orequivalent. If you have undertaken an exchange programme of study as part of a degree course or

are a graduate from an overseas university where they provide Grade Point Average(GPA) points the following procedure must be used:

You must take the cumulative (i.e. all years) grade point average (GPA) and calculatethe equivalent degree level and select the most appropriate. The evidence you provideMUST show the cumulative GPA and specify on what scale your degree was scored,otherwise you will be awarded zero points.


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For a 4-point scale: a GPA of 3.6 4 should be scored as equivalent to a 1st class degree; a GPA of 3 or more but less than 3.6 is a 2.1; a GPA of 2 or more but less than 3 is a 2.2; and a GPA of 1 or more but less than 2 is a 3rd class degree.

For a 5-point scale:

a GPA of 4.4 5 should be scored as equivalent to a 1st class degree; a GPA of less than 4.4 but 3.8 or more is a 2.1; a GPA of less than 3.8 but 3 or more is a 2.2; and a GPA of 2.9 or lower is a 3rd class degree.

If the scale is not a 4- or 5-point scale, then you must get your score officially calculated. TheUKFPO is unable to provide a list of companies/websites that can do this for you. It is yourresponsibility to locate a suitable company/website. As evidence, you will need to upload yourdegree certificate and transcript, plus the official document showing its UK classificationequivalent.

Publications (up to a maximum of 2 points)

All the information provided in this section must relate to activities you have undertaken since

you began your university education. Please do not enter any publications from your time inschool or college or any non-academic publications.. There is space on the application form foryou to enter details of up to two publications, for which a maximum of two points are available.

In order to gain a point for a publication, your work must have been published and must have aPubMed ID number (PMID). If there is no PMID, you will not be awarded the point . DOI,ISBN or PCMID numbers are not sufficient.

If you select that you have a publication, the form will display further sections which must becompleted:

Authors Please list all authors in the order they appear in the publication. Yourname must be in CAPITALS

Publication title State the title as it has been published

PubMed ID/ (PMID) Please insert the PMID. If the PMID number does not link DIRECTLY tothe paper where it can be confirmed that you are an author, it will notgain any points. Therefore, if your abstract is published as part ofconference proceedings that have a PMID number, but the PMID doesnot link directly to a paper listing the title and author which you haverecorded in the previous boxes, you will not gain a point for thepublication.

Year Year of publication

Journal/book title State the full title of the journal or book

! IMPORTANT: Ensure you choose the correct classification for your degree. If youchoose a lower classification from the drop-down list than you actually achieved,

your score will NOT be increased by the verification panel i.e. if your evidenceshows you were awarded a 2.1 but you choose a 2.2 from the drop-down list, you

will still only be awarded 2 points for a 2.2.


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Map of UoA g eographica l a reasThe map below shows you the geographical areas for each UoA (the reference number in thetable shows you the relevant region on the map). Click on the UoA name in the table to takeyou to the UoAs website for more information.

Competition Ratios for FP 2014

Reference Unit of application Vacancies

No.choosing

UoA as firstpreference Competition ratio

1 Coventry and Warwick * 85 88 103.5%2 East Anglia 275 180 65.5%3 LNR 150 116 77.3%4 Mersey 306 302 98.7%5 North Central Thames 315 448 142.2%6 North East Thames 324 331 102.2%

7 North West Thames 261 912 349.4%8 North Western 511 450 88.1%9 Northern 389 310 79.7%

10 Northern Ireland 239 252 105.4%11 Oxford 217 325 149.8%12 Peninsula 194 140 72.2%13 Scotland 790 715 90.5%14 Severn 265 440 166.0%15 South Thames 798 849 106.4%16 Staffordshire * 101 43 42.6%17 Trent 296 196 66.2%18

Wales 318 232 73.0%19 Wessex 295 242 82.0%20 West Midlands Central * 417 297 71.2%21 Yorkshire and Humber 568 481 84.7%
http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/FoundationProgramme/FoundationSchools/CoventryWarwickshire.aspxhttp://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/FoundationProgramme/FoundationSchools/CoventryWarwickshire.aspxhttp://www.eoedeanery.nhs.uk/https://www.eastmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/page.php?area_id=15http://www.merseydeanery.nhs.uk/http://www.merseydeanery.nhs.uk/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/nctfs/http://www.netfs.org.uk/http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/teaching/prho/https://www.nwpgmd.nhs.uk/foundation-traininghttp://www.northerndeanery.nhs.uk/NorthernDeanery/foundationhttp://www.nimdta.gov.uk/hospital-medicine/foundation-training/http://www.oxford-pgmde.co.uk/mmc/Foundation/Fnd_progs.htmlhttp://www.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/foundation/index.phphttp://www.scotmt.scot.nhs.uk/foundation.aspxhttp://foundation.severndeanery.org/http://www.stfs.org.uk/http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/FoundationProgramme/FoundationSchools/Staffordshire.aspxhttp://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/FoundationProgramme/FoundationSchools/Staffordshire.aspxhttps://www.eastmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/page.php?area_id=15http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/pgmde/sections/foundationtraining/index.htmlhttp://www.wessexdeanery.nhs.uk/foundation_school.aspxhttp://www.wessexdeanery.nhs.uk/foundation_school.aspxhttp://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/&sa=U&ei=-x5nTruYFsiz8QPBj5TgCw&ved=0CBMQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNG1LBR_NYK4q1lcUWeoVqFIsEzpUghttp://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/&sa=U&ei=-x5nTruYFsiz8QPBj5TgCw&ved=0CBMQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNG1LBR_NYK4q1lcUWeoVqFIsEzpUghttp://www.yorksandhumberdeanery.nhs.uk/foundation_training/http://www.yorksandhumberdeanery.nhs.uk/foundation_training/http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/&sa=U&ei=-x5nTruYFsiz8QPBj5TgCw&ved=0CBMQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNG1LBR_NYK4q1lcUWeoVqFIsEzpUghttp://www.wessexdeanery.nhs.uk/foundation_school.aspxhttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/pgmde/sections/foundationtraining/index.htmlhttps://www.eastmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/page.php?area_id=15http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/FoundationProgramme/FoundationSchools/Staffordshire.aspxhttp://www.stfs.org.uk/http://foundation.severndeanery.org/http://www.scotmt.scot.nhs.uk/foundation.aspxhttp://www.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/foundation/index.phphttp://www.oxford-pgmde.co.uk/mmc/Foundation/Fnd_progs.htmlhttp://www.nimdta.gov.uk/hospital-medicine/foundation-training/http://www.northerndeanery.nhs.uk/NorthernDeanery/foundationhttps://www.nwpgmd.nhs.uk/foundation-traininghttp://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/teaching/prho/http://www.netfs.org.uk/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/nctfs/http://www.merseydeanery.nhs.uk/https://www.eastmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/page.php?area_id=15http://www.eoedeanery.nhs.uk/http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/FoundationProgramme/FoundationSchools/CoventryWarwickshire.aspx


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*Please note that the these schools have changed for the FP 2015 recruitment process.The schools are now structured as follows:

West Midlands North this will incorporate the previous Black Country/Shropshire andStaffordshire Schools

West Midlands South this will amalgamate the previous Coventry & Warwickshire and

Hereford & Worcester Foundation Schools

West Midlands Central was previously known as West Midlands Central UoA and this willbe the former Birmingham Foundation School.

Programmes Applications to the Foundation Programme are to a generic programme and rotations aredesigned to ensure all foundation doctors undergo a balanced programme which enables themto meet the competences and outcomes set by the GMC as described in the Curriculum.

Important! Information on programmes : To meet evolving healthcare and patient needs, themedical education framework and UK-wide NHS services are subject to constant review. InEngland, the health and social care landscape is being radically reshaped in response to manychallenges. One of the most recent reviews by Health Education England has producedBroadening the Foundation Programme. This report mandates that at least 80% of foundationdoctors will undertake a community/integrated placement as part of their FoundationProgramme by August 2015 (England only). Over the next year, LETBs will be workingtowards achieving this requirement. Consequently, there will be a delay in some UoAsuploading their finalised FP 2015 programmes to FPAS.

To provide FP 2015 applicants with as much information as possible, alist of programmes willbe available for applicants to view on 29 September 2014 when FPAS opens for registrationand enrolment. Some UoAs will only upload programmes that are representative of the typewhich are typically available at a particular UoA (based on previous years) and will be subjectto change. Some UoAs may be able to provide a finalised list at this stage. Whereprogrammes are indicative this will be clearly indicated on FPAS. All UoAs will provide a finallist of all FP 2015 programmes viewable on FPAS by 20 February 2015, before the primary listallocations take place, and before applicants are required to rank their programmes

It is important to note the NHS is a constantly changing world and even after being matched toan individual programme, on rare occasions placements within that programme may changeas a result of service redesign, working time directive regulations or national directives (UK-

wide).

Academic se lec t ionIn this section of the form you will asked to indicate whether or not you wish to apply for the

Academic Foundation Programme commencing in August 2015 (AFP 2015). The vast majorityof applicants will indicate they do not wish to apply for AFP 2015.

I

Do you wish to apply for an Academic Foundation Programme?

If you see yourself as a researcher, a healthcare leader or a medical educator, anAcademic Foundation Programme (AFP) may be for you.


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Academic foundation doctors are required to follow the same curriculum and tomeet the same foundation outcomes as other foundation doctors, but must alsocomplete additional academic work within the same two-year period. Therefore,

AFP applicants should have excellent clinical skills and a strong record ofacademic achievement.

There are approximately 450 AFPs offered across the UK each year.

MPORTANT: If you do not upload the required evidence you will not receive any

If you indicate that you do wish to apply for an AFP, you will be asked to select which AUoA(s)you wish to apply to. You are able to choose a maximum of two AUoAs. If you apply to two

AUoAs, they do not need to be listed in preference order and neither of them will know whichother AUoA you applied to. To help you choose which AUoAs you wish to apply to, the UKFPOpublishes a document which contains lots of helpful information such as how many academicprogrammes are available in each AUoA, interview dates, whether the AUoA accepts Skype ortelephone interviews and a weblink for more information. This document will be available onthe UKFPO website at the end of August.

Once you have selected which AUoA(s) you wish to apply to you will be required to enterdetails of any further educational achievements you wish to record. These are achievementsabove and beyond the ones you have recorded in the Educational Achievements section.

You will be able to enter details of multiple degrees, publications, presentations and prizes.The criteria from the Educational Achievements section do not apply to these furtherachievements in your academic application (e.g. publications do not require a PMID etc.).

If you are invited to an interview, you will be expected to provide evidence to support anyfurther achievements you have included on your AFP application.

Having selected the AUoA(s) you wish to apply to and entered details of any additionaleducational achievements you wish to record, you will need to complete additional sections ofthe application form specific to the AUoAs you have selected. These additional sections referto your AFP application(s) only and the content will depend on which AUoA(s) you haveselected.

Add i t iona l in format ion for AFP appl icat ionsDepending on which AUoA(s) you selected, you may be required to upload a copy of your CVand provide up to six items of information to support your AFP application.

If the AUoA(s) you select require a copy of your CV, it may specify what information it requiresyou to include in your CV. The section where you upload your CV will include any instructionsfrom your selected AUoA(s). Make sure you check these instructions before uploading your CVto ensure it contains the information required. If you have selected to apply to two AUoAs andthey both require a copy of your CV, you will need to upload it twice. You may also need tochange the content of your CV for each AUoA depending on what they require you to include.

You will be asked for up to six items of information to support your AFP application. In someinstances, the two AUoAs you are applying to may use common items.

If this is the case, you may wish to use the same answer for both. However, it is important tonote that even if you provide exactly the same answer for two AUoAs, the scores awarded byeach AUoA may differ. This is because the answers are scored according to individual AUoAcriteria, therefore you could be short-listed for one AUoA, but not the other.


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The information requested in this section may refer to your academic clinical experience todate or may simply ask you to describe why you wish to apply for an AFP. FPAS will displaythe items of information that are required for each AUoA you selected. You will have space towrite a maximum of 200 words for each item.

AFP programm e prefe rencesIf applying for an AFP, you will be required to rank the academic programmes available in eachof the AUoAs you have selected in order of preference before you can submit your application.You do not have to rank all of the available programmes if you are not prepared to acceptoffers for some of them. However, you should consider this carefully since not ranking them allmay affect your chances of being offered an academic programme.

For example, if you only rank certain programmes and these programme are all offered to andaccepted by applicants who scored higher than you, you will not receive an offer. You will onlyget a chance to receive an offer for one of your preferenced programmes if the higher scoringapplicants decline the offer.

Declarat ionsThis section includes several declarations that you are required to confirm you have read andunderstood.

Submi tFPAS will prevent you from submitting your application if you have not clicked the CompleteSection option in each individual section. When you click the Complete Section option, FPASchecks the information you have entered to ensure that it is complete and valid; if everything isOK, it displays a green tick next to the section on the right-hand menu. You will not be able tosubmit your application if there is not a green tick next to each section.

IMPORTANT: Once your application form has been submitted, it cannot be changed. Makesure you double check everything. We advise you print out a copy of your completedapplication.

Once your application is accepted, you will receive an email confirming it has been submittedsuccessfully.

IMPORTANT: You should submit your application a few days before thedeadline to avoid any last minute problems with your internet connection or

your local PC.

Technical assistance is available via e-mail only from Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 6.30 pm (BST). This is of particular relevance if you are submitting

your application from overseas where there may be a significant differencebetween British Summer Time (BST) and local time.


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Application scores

Numb er of po in t s avai lab le Applications will have a maximum score of 100 points and this will consist of two components:

1. Educational Performance Measure (EPM) - 50 points maximum 2. SJT (selection assessment for FP 2015) - 50 points maximum

Educ at ional Perform ance Measure (EPM)The EPM is a measure of clinical and non-clinical skills, knowledge and performance up to thepoint of application. The EPM comprises two elements: medical school performance in decilesfor which 34-43 points are available, and educational achievements, which are worth up to 7points. A maximum of 50 points is available.

Medical school performance (34 to 43 points)

Your medical school performance score will be calculated by your medical school, which willdivide your year group into 10 equal groups (deciles) based on performance in a number ofassessments. Each UK medical school has agreed with its students which assessments will beincluded in this measure. This element of the EPM is known as the EPM decile score. If youare in the first decile (the top 10% of your year), you will receive a score of 43; if you are in thesecond decile your score will be 42; the third decile 41 and so on. Students in the tenth decilewill be awarded 34 points.

If you are graduating from a UK medical school, these scores will be supplied by your medicalschool and uploaded into the system.

If you are applying through the Eligibility Office, your EPM decile score will be calculated fromthe medical school ranking information provided on your Deans Statement. The EligibilityOffice will upload your EPM decile score.

Your EPM decile score will be available on FPAS once you have registered and confirmed youare a nominated applicant. If the score is not as you expect, contact your UK medical school orthe Eligibility Office as soon as possible and they will correct any discrepancies.

Educational achievements (up to seven points)There are two parts to educational achievements: additional degrees worth up to five pointsand publications worth up to two points.

Educational achievements will be machine-marked initially. FPAS will allocate a provisionalscore based on the information you provide in the relevant boxes.

A national verification day will then be held to confirm educational achievements scores asdescribed in the Educational Achievements section on page 12.

Situat ional Jud gement Test (select io n assess m ent for FP 2015)The SJT is a measure of meeting the attributes required to be a foundation doctor, as definedin the FP 2015 national person specification. The SJT is taken under invigilated conditions,and consists of 70 questions in 2 hours 20 minutes, including 10 pilot questions. The pilot

questions will be distributed randomly throughout the test and will only be used for futuredevelopment of the test; they will not count towards your score. A maximum of 50 pointsis available.
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdf


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There are two question formats: Rank in order five possible responses Choose three from eight possible responses.

The paper will consist of approximately two-thirds ranking questions and one-third multiplechoice questions. There is no negative marking, and you should therefore attempt all

questions. Below you can see how each type of question is scored.

Ranking questions A maximum of 20 marks is available for each question For each of the five response options up to four marks are available Marks are awarded for near misses Tied responses are not allowed; if you tie two response options, you will receive zero

marks for each of the response options you tied There is no negative marking (i.e. marks will not be deducted from your overall score

for any incorrect answers).

Idealrank

Your rank choice 1 2 3 4 5

1 4 3 2 1 0 2 3 4 3 2 1 3 2 3 4 3 2 4 1 2 3 4 3 5 0 1 2 3 4

The ideal rank shows how the options would be ranked in the ideal answer. Your rank choices show the points youwill be awarded for the rank you select compared to the ideal rank for that response option. For example, if the idealrank for an option is 1 and you rank it 1, you will receive 4 points. If you rank it 2, you will receive 3 points and so

on (as shown in the first row of the table).

Multiple choice questions A maximum of 12 points is available for each question Four points are available for each of the three correct response options You must only choose three response options; if you choose more than three, you will

score zero for that question There is no negative marking (i.e. marks will not be deducted from your overall score

for any incorrect answers).

Once all answer sheets have been marked, the SJT scores are translated to a 0-50 pointscale. There are three stages to calculating your SJT points:

1. Calculating the raw marks achieved on the question paper (the sum total of all themarks i.e. maximum of 20 marks for ranking items and maximum of 12 marks formultiple choice items).

2. Test-equating (this is the process of placing the marks from the different papers on thesame scale i.e. taking account of small differences in difficulty of items between papersacross all SJT dates).

3. Scaling to a 0 50 point scale which has the similar properties to the EPM scale.

The SJT scores are scaled to match the EPM scale in terms of the mean and standard

deviation (spread) of scores. This means that the two scores can be combined into an equallyweighted sum. For further information please see Appendix 3.


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As in previous years, applicants with exceptionally low SJT scores will have their applicationsreviewed, with the possibility that they may be withdrawn from the national application process.Details o f the process for reviewing low scoring applications and withdrawing affectedapplicants will be published as soon as possible, and no later than 1 December 2014 (i.e. priorto the date of the first SJT).

For more information, read the SJT Frequently Asked Questions on the UKFPO website.

Sitting the SJT (selection assessment for FP 2015)The SJT is an invigilated test designed to assess the aptitudes expected of you as afoundation doctor, as set out in the FP 2015 person specification . All applicants to theFoundation Programme and the Academic Foundation Programme 2015 (including applicantsto the Defence Deanery) are required to take the SJT in the UK on either:

Friday 5 December 2014, 2pm Friday 9 January 2015, 10am

Your UK medical school or the Eligibility Office will provide details on which date/s is/areavailable to you and how to book a place once you have been deemed eligible to apply.

You will be presented with scenarios typical of those that doctors in the first year of theFoundation Programme (F1 doctors) may encounter. For each question, you need to considerhow an F1 doctor should respond to the given scenario and answer accordingly. There aretwo question formats: rank five possible responses in order and choose the three mostappropriate responses (see the previous page for more information about each questionformat and how they are scored).

Note : The SJT is an assessment of the professional attributes expected of a foundation doctorand not your clinical knowledge/skills. You can prepare for the SJT by reading the SJT

monograph, which includes the research evidence for what the SJT is testing and tips aroundhow to approach the SJT; the job analysis of a Foundation Doctor , and Good Medical Practice2013. There is a practice paper and answer sheet available on the UKFPO website to help youfamiliarise yourself with the format of the test and the type of questions you will encounter. Thepractice paper is available both as an online test, and a PDF which you can print off andcomplete manually. Although the practice paper mimics the SJT in terms of style and timings,the difficulty of these items may differ from those in the actual test. There are manycommercial courses and books available which offer to prepare you for the SJT; however theUKFPO does not endorse any of these resources. The UKFPO practice paper is the onlyofficial resource that will prepare you to take the test.

The test will be sat under invigilated conditions. If you fail to comply with standard assessment

procedures and invigilators' instructions then your application will be withdrawn from theprocess. Please see Appendix 2 for more details.

What to b r ing w i th youYou need to bring the following items with you on the day of the SJT:

Two HB or 2B pencils (other pencil types, including mechanical pencils, do not scan sodo not use them)

An eraser A pencil sharpener

Current photographic ID Your SJT booking confirmation email (if you applied through the Eligibility Office).
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=SJT_monograph.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=SJT_monograph.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=SJT_monograph.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=SJT_monograph.pdfhttp://www.isfp.org.uk/AboutISFP/Documents/Appendix_D_-_FY1_Job_Analysis.pdfhttp://www.isfp.org.uk/AboutISFP/Documents/Appendix_D_-_FY1_Job_Analysis.pdfhttp://www.isfp.org.uk/AboutISFP/Documents/Appendix_D_-_FY1_Job_Analysis.pdfhttp://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asphttp://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asphttp://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asphttp://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asphttp://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Answer_sheet_practice_paper.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Answer_sheet_practice_paper.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Answer_sheet_practice_paper.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Answer_sheet_practice_paper.pdfhttp://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asphttp://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asphttp://www.isfp.org.uk/AboutISFP/Documents/Appendix_D_-_FY1_Job_Analysis.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=SJT_monograph.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=SJT_monograph.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Person_Specification_FP2015_Final.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQs


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You must apply for reasonable adjustments to your UK medical school or the Eligibility Officeby 1 st October 2014. For full details refer to the SJT Reasonable Adjustments Guidance document and form available on the UKFPO website.

Extenuat ing c i rcum stancesExtenuating circumstances are considered to be events which are:

severe and exceptional; unforeseen; unavoidable; occur close to the date of the SJT; and which seriously affect your ability to undertake the SJT on the date for which you are

registered.

Such events include bereavement, serious short-term illness or accidents.

If you believe that extenuating circumstances have seriously affected your ability to take theSJT on the date you are registered for, you must submit an Extenuating Circumstances claimform along with supporting medical evidence at the earliest opportunity, and usually in advanceof the SJT. Applicants with approved extenuating circumstances will be able to take the SJT onthe next SJT date as a first-attempt. Your SJT score will not be changed in any circumstanceas the result of a claim of extenuating circumstances. You may only claim extenuatingcircumstances once.

By starting the SJT, you are declaring yourself fit to sit. If you are taken severely andsuddenly unwell during the SJT, you must alert an invigilator at the time and subject to theirdecision, you will be asked to leave the test hall and submit an Extenuating Circumstancesclaim form with supporting medical evidence. If you are well enough to continue the SJT, yoursheet will be marked and no extra time will be permitted Claims of extenuating circumstancecannot be made retrospectively after taking the SJT. For more information, refer to the SJTExtenuating Circumstances Guidance document and form available on the UKFPO website.

Fur the r in fo rmat ionIf you would like to read more about the SJT, visit the UKFPO website where furtherinformation is available, including frequently asked questions , a practice SJT paper and amonograph .

More information about the design and development of the EPM and SJT for selection to theFoundation Programme, including pilot results, is available on the Improving Selection to theFoundation Programme (ISFP) project website (archived).

! IMPORTANT: It is your responsibility to know the time, location and venueof your SJT and ensure you arrive at the venue on time, regardless of the

form of transport you use. If you arrive more than 30 minutes late or fail toturn up, and do not have extenuating circumstances, you will not be allowed

to sit the SJT and will be withdrawn from the application process.
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_2015_Reasonable_Adjustments_Guidance_FINAL_protected.dochttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_2015_Reasonable_Adjustments_Guidance_FINAL_protected.dochttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_2015_Reasonable_Adjustments_Guidance_FINAL_protected.dochttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_2015_Extenuating_Circumstances_Guidance_FINAL_protected.dochttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_2015_Extenuating_Circumstances_Guidance_FINAL_protected.dochttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQshttp://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Situational_Judgement_Tests_Monograph_FINAL_August_2013.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Situational_Judgement_Tests_Monograph_FINAL_August_2013.pdfhttp://www.isfp.org.uk/http://www.isfp.org.uk/http://www.isfp.org.uk/http://www.isfp.org.uk/http://www.isfp.org.uk/http://www.isfp.org.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=Situational_Judgement_Tests_Monograph_FINAL_August_2013.pdfhttp://sjt.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home/how-to-apply/SJT-FAQshttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_2015_Extenuating_Circumstances_Guidance_FINAL_protected.dochttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FP_2015_Reasonable_Adjustments_Guidance_FINAL_protected.doc


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Processing AFP applications

AFP InterviewsEach AUoA will undertake its own short-listing and will invite short-listed applicants to attend

an interview. Some AUoAs will invite their short-listed applicants to login to FPAS and selectan interview slot from those available, whereas others will send a specific interview date andtime to each applicant.

The interview period for each AUoA will be available on the UKFPO website from 26 August2014. Some AUoAs may accept telephone or video interviews, whereas others will require youto appear in person. The AUoAs websites will have more information about interviewrequirements. You should check this information before you select AUoAs to ensure you areavailable for interview during the relevant interview period.

Following interviews, each AUoA will allocate a score for each interviewed applicant. This AUoA specific score will be added to your EPM score to provide your overall ranking score foryour AFP application. Each AUoA will decide locally on the weighting of the AUoA and EPMscore. The highest scoring AFP applicants (AUoA score + EPM score) will receive offers.

Although your SJT score will not be used to calculate your AFP ranking score for the purposesof AFP offers, all AFP offers are subject to a satisfactory SJT score. This means that you arenot withdrawn from the national process due to an exceptionally low SJT score. Applicantswho are withdrawn due to an exceptionally low SJT score will receive an email to inform themon 5 March 2015. If you do not receive an email then you have achieved a satisfactory SJTscore and your AFP application can progress.

As previously mentioned, the process and criteria for reviewing exceptionally low SJT scoreswill be made available by 1 December 2014 at the latest.

AFP offe rsOn 21 January 2015, you will receive an email to inform you that your AFP application resultsare available on FPAS.

You will need to login to your FPAS account and select each AFP application from the righthand menu and then select Track Application for each application in turn to see the result ofyour application.

The result of your application will be either: an offer of a programme; notification that you are on the AUoAs reserve list; or notification that you have not been successful.

If you have received an AFP offer, you must accept or decline the offer on FPAS within twoworking days of receiving it, i.e. by midday (GMT) on 23 January 2015.

If you have been lucky enough to receive two AFP offers, you must decide which one you wishto accept. The system will prevent you from accepting both offers so make sure you accept theright one.

Please note that if you decline an offer, you will not be placed on the A UoAs reserve list, nor

will you be reconsidered for the post later in the process.Failure to accept or decline your offer on FPAS by the deadline will result in the offer beingwithdrawn and you will not receive another offer from the same AUoA.


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If you accept an AFP offer at any stage during the offers process, you will automatically beexcluded from the FP allocation.

If you do not receive an AFP offer or decline the offer(s) you receive, you will automatically beincluded in the FP allocation.

Case study: How AFP offers work

Sinead dreams of pursuing an academic medical career in Wales but decides to apply to two AUoAs: Wales and South West. She does well in short-listing and is invited to attend aninterview by both AUoAs. Following the interviews, she is placed on the reserve list by Walesand offered a place by South West on 21 January. She now has until 23 January to make adecision.

She is perfectly at liberty to decline South West s offer and hope that enough applicants withhigher AFP scores in Wales drop out following the initial offers process in order for her to beoffered a place during the cascade process. But s he must remember that if this doesnthappen, she will be left with no AFP offers because if she declines the South West offer shewill not receive another offer from South West. She would then be included in the FPallocation.

Sinead decides to decline the South West offer and, luckily for her, receives an offer fromWales during the cascade process. Sh e accepts Wales offer withi n two working days and is,therefore, excluded from the FP allocation.

For more information about AFPs and the opportunities available in academic medicine afteryour foundation years, download the Rough Guide to the Academic Foundation Programme and Compendium of Academic Competences or look at the relevant AUoAs website.
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=ACADEMIC_ROUGH_GUIDE_2013_INTERACTIVE_WEB_VERSION_FINAL.PDFhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=ACADEMIC_ROUGH_GUIDE_2013_INTERACTIVE_WEB_VERSION_FINAL.PDFhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=ACADEMIC_ROUGH_GUIDE_2013_INTERACTIVE_WEB_VERSION_FINAL.PDFhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FINAL_C16029_UKFPO_ACADEMIC_COMPENDIUM_2013_PRINT.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FINAL_C16029_UKFPO_ACADEMIC_COMPENDIUM_2013_PRINT.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FINAL_C16029_UKFPO_ACADEMIC_COMPENDIUM_2013_PRINT.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=FINAL_C16029_UKFPO_ACADEMIC_COMPENDIUM_2013_PRINT.pdfhttp://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=ACADEMIC_ROUGH_GUIDE_2013_INTERACTIVE_WEB_VERSION_FINAL.PDF


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You will be notified if you are on the reserve list by email on 5 March 2015. The e-mail will tellyou how many applicants are on the reserve list and will illustrate the range of scores. You willalso be reminded of the dates for the reserve list batch allocations.

After each reserve list batch allocation, applicants will be contacted by email to confirmwhether or not they have been allocated to a UoA. Those who have not been allocated will begiven updated information regarding the number of applicants remaining on the reserve list

and the range of scores. They will also be given the name of the pastoral contact at theirmedical school that they can approach for support and advice.

Matching to a founda t ion programm e As this part of the process is managed locally by each UoA, it is very important to check thewebsite of your allocated UoA to see what process they use for matching you to a particularprogramme.

Each UoA will decide if it wishes to add a locally determined score to your total applicationscore for the purposes of matching to programmes. Information regarding the scores used forthe local matching process should be available on each UoAs website.

Two-stage matchUoAs that have a large number of programmes available may decide to cluster programmestogether into groups. If a UoA decides to use programme groups, the process to match you toa particular foundation programme is in two stages.

Stage 1: Match to a programme groupStage 2: Match to a particular programme

If your allocated UoA is using programme groups, you will first be required to rank theprogramme groups in order of preference. The UoA will then match you to a programme groupbased on your score and your group preferences.

Once you have been matched to a programme group, you will be invited to rank theprogrammes within that group in order of preference. The UoA will then match to you to aparticular programme, again using your score and your preferences.

One-stage matchIf your allocated UoA is not using programme groups you will be invited to rank theprogrammes in order of preference without having to first rank programme groups. The UoAwill then match you to a particular programme based on your score and your statedpreferences.

Whether UoAs are using a two-stage or one-stage matching process, it must be completed by8 April 2015 when you will be notified via FPAS which programme you have been matched to.Some UoAs may let you know before this date.

Allocation to programmes It is important to note that after being matched to an individual programme, placements withinthat programme may change as a result of service redesign, working time d

FP2015 Applicants Handbook

Documents

Transcript of FP2015 Applicants Handbook