Applying for FY1 in London

RainBow_xo

Hi guys,

After studying medicine in Ireland, is it very difficult to apply for the foundation programmes in the UK, particularly London?

Has anyone done this?

nakuru

not difficult you just have to complete online Eligibility Form and submit a document from your medical school all detailed in the relevant web-site. You also have to sit a Clinical Judgment test (as do UK graduates and all applicants to the FYP programme) which is held twice in the application period each year. Your overall previous years academic grade for medicine is given a ranking (so before final year), previous study (so degree MSc) also given a few marks, but most of your marks is based on the Clinical Judgement Test and you are graded along with UK graduates. However getting a place is much more competitive particularly in I suppose more desirable locations compared to Ireland with London being particularly challenging also some of the London Deaneries which cover a very large geographical area will make you do one year in inner London and another year outside of London so even if you get a spot not guaranteed that you will be in central London for the two years. That is all I know about the system. I think about 98% of applications get offered a place in total.

shaz84

It is possible, but as nakuru says, you need to complete an eligibility application first. If you are an Irish or EU citizen and english is your first language then eligibility should be easily met as you can satisify the right to work requirements. The 98% figure quoted is for EEA citizens, who have priority over Non-EEA citizens (in fact in the past 3 years all applicants from the EEA were given a place eventually, but not just not where they may have wanted). If you are a non-EEA citizen, you may need to complete another examination called the PLAB (see the GMC website for details - "GMC provision registration requirements").

You'd need to be realistic about London as well due to the level of competition as there are always more applications to places. The West Thames Deanery (which covers central and western london) is the most competitive and for the last two years was at least 470% oversubscribed. The UKFPO website will include documents on application process, eligibility requirements, the application timeline and how applications are ranked according to performance.

Here is the link www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Any further questions, feel free to ask

RainBow_xo

Thank you both for your detailed answers!

I am an Irish citizen so that is one thing ticked off the list. I will be starting Medicine in Sep and there has only been one graduate that has gone onto the UK foundation programme (everyone stays in Ireland).

Are either of you studying or working as docs?

shaz84

No worries. Congrats on getting a place rainbow, which college are you going to? Im not sure about where you are studying, but across the board, a lot of people go abroad every year. I think a recent survey of final year med students earlier this year showed 4/10 planned to train outside of ireland, so it is more common than you think. The US, canada, australia, NZ and the UK are common destinations.

Im studying myself and have 2 years left

RainBow_xo

shaz84 wrote: »

No worries. Congrats on getting a place rainbow, which college are you going to? Im not sure about where you are studying, but across the board, a lot of people go abroad every year. I think a recent survey of final year med students earlier this year showed 4/10 planned to train outside of ireland, so it is more common than you think. The US, canada, australia, NZ and the UK are common destinations.

Im studying myself and have 2 years left

I will be starting in UL in Sep. I asked the Prof there and she said so far only one graduate has applied to the UK. But there are plenty more UK students still studying so she reckons the numbers will increase in the following years. I didn't realise that many would leave after studying, I assumed many would stay for their intern year and then go abroad :pac:. Glad to know I'm not the only one :rolleyes:

Where are you studying?? You excited for starting clinical years??:D

shaz84

RainBow_xo wrote: »

I will be starting in UL in Sep. I asked the Prof there and she said so far only one graduate has applied to the UK. But there are plenty more UK students still studying so she reckons the numbers will increase in the following years. I didn't realise that many would leave after studying, I assumed many would stay for their intern year and then go abroad :pac:. Glad to know I'm not the only one :rolleyes:

Where are you studying?? You excited for starting clinical years??:D

Just PMd you there