Medical students ‘to get choice’ of foundation school

The Department of Health has reported that over nine out of ten medical students in their final year applying for places on the Foundation Programme 2007 will receive their first choice of foundation school.

Introduced in August 2005, the Foundation Programme consists of a two-year training scheme necessary for junior doctors prior to general practice or further specialist training. Taken after medical school, the programme aims to give junior doctors sufficient training in key clinical and professional skills.

Medical students rank 26 foundation schools in order of preference when applying through the Medical Training Application Service for the programme, with the government reporting that 93 per cent of students have been allocated their first choice of school.

Lord Hunt, minister of health, said: “This is the first time that a national web-based application system has been used for medical recruitment and I am delighted with this initial income.”

He added that the success of the online system had given the government the confidence to use the same procedure for the larger task of specialty and general practice training recruitment.

The first year of the programme aims to build on the knowledge and skills acquired by students as undergraduates, with the learning objectives set by the General Medical Council.

In the second year, training is focused on assessment and management of acutely ill patients, with further training in standard professional skills, such as time management and information technology skills.