Scottish Foundation School
Geography
The School is divided into regions (according to the four Deaneries it covers):
Trusts and Hospitals
East
o Dundee Royal Victoria Hospital
o Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
o Perth Royal Infirmary, Perth
o Stracathro Hospital, Angus
o Murray Royal Hospital, Perth
o Sunnyside Royal Hospital, Montrose
o Royal Dundee Liff Hospital, Dundee
o Carseview Centre, Dundee
o Dudhope House, Dundee
o Roxburghe House, Aberdeen
North
South East
West
- East region: Dundee
- North region: Aberdeen/Inverness
- South East region: Edinburgh
- West region: Glasgow
Trusts and Hospitals
East
o Dundee Royal Victoria Hospital
o Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
o Perth Royal Infirmary, Perth
o Stracathro Hospital, Angus
o Murray Royal Hospital, Perth
o Sunnyside Royal Hospital, Montrose
o Royal Dundee Liff Hospital, Dundee
o Carseview Centre, Dundee
o Dudhope House, Dundee
o Roxburghe House, Aberdeen
North
- NHS Grampian
o Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen
o Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin - NHS Highland
o Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
o Argyll and Bute Hospital, Lochgilphead
o Caithness Hospital, Wick
o Belford Hospital, Fort William
o Lorn and Islands Hospital, Oban - NHS Western Isles
o Western Isles Hospital, Stornoway - NHS Shetland
o Montfield Hospital, Lerwick
o Gilbert Baine, Lerwick
South East
- NHS Lothian
o Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
o Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh
o St John's Hospital, Howden (teaching)
o Western General Hospital, Edinburgh - NHS Borders
o Borders General Hospital, Melrose, Roxburghshire - NHS Fife
o Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfirmline
o The Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
West
- NHS Ayrshire and Arran
o Ayr Hospital, Ayr
o Crosshouse Hospital, Killmarnock - NHS Dumfries and Galloway
o Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Dumfries - NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
o Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow
o Glasgow Royal Infirmary
o Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank, Glasgow
o Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock
o Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley
o Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill
o Southern General Hospital, Glasgow
o Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow
o Vale of Leven District General Hospital, Alexandria
o Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow (teaching)
o Western Infirmary, Glasgow - NHS Lanarkshire
o Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride
o Monklands Hospitals, Airdrie
o Wishaw General Hospital, Wishaw - NHS Forth Valley
o Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert
Linked Universities
North Scotland - Aberdeen University
East Scotland - Dundee University
West Scotland - Glasgow University
South East - Edinburgh University
North Scotland - Aberdeen University
East Scotland - Dundee University
West Scotland - Glasgow University
South East - Edinburgh University
Statistics
F1 Posts Available
804 F1 posts.
57 Academic Foundation posts.
804 F1 posts.
57 Academic Foundation posts.
Competition Ratio
81% in 2013 (from the UKFPO's 2014 Applicant's Handbook).
81% in 2013 (from the UKFPO's 2014 Applicant's Handbook).
Scores of Successful Applicants
An overall chart of the scores of successful applicants to Scottish Foundation School 2012 can be found here.
NOTE: Remember that these numbers fluctuate from year to year, so looking at the statistics from just one year can be misleading.
An overall chart of the scores of successful applicants to Scottish Foundation School 2012 can be found here.
NOTE: Remember that these numbers fluctuate from year to year, so looking at the statistics from just one year can be misleading.
The Application Process
Appointment to F2 Programmes
In North and East Scotland, trainees are matched to a two-year programme.
In West and South East Scotland, trainees are matched to a fixed F2, but their rotations within this programme are not fixed. Second allocation is determined according to preference. If two applicants are competing for the same post, the allocation of each trainee is determined randomly.
Both years may be spent in the same trust, or varied between years. This depends on the employing trusts.
In North and East Scotland, trainees are matched to a two-year programme.
In West and South East Scotland, trainees are matched to a fixed F2, but their rotations within this programme are not fixed. Second allocation is determined according to preference. If two applicants are competing for the same post, the allocation of each trainee is determined randomly.
Both years may be spent in the same trust, or varied between years. This depends on the employing trusts.
Linked Applications
Every foundation school honours linked applications so that linked applicants are allocated to the same foundation school. Others (often the larger schools) will honour them further, ensuring applicants are allocated programmes within a certain distance of each other. In Scotland linked applications are honoured for matching to trusts. Matching is determined via a compatibility matrix (download it here - blue means that the posts are compatible). For posts that are compatible, the school has decided that they are sufficiently close to one another for trainees to reasonably be able to live together.
Every foundation school honours linked applications so that linked applicants are allocated to the same foundation school. Others (often the larger schools) will honour them further, ensuring applicants are allocated programmes within a certain distance of each other. In Scotland linked applications are honoured for matching to trusts. Matching is determined via a compatibility matrix (download it here - blue means that the posts are compatible). For posts that are compatible, the school has decided that they are sufficiently close to one another for trainees to reasonably be able to live together.
The Programme
Posts Available
There are programme profiles available for each Deanery, and you can find them here on the NHS Education for Scotland website. The year is organised into three 4 month rotations.
There are programme profiles available for each Deanery, and you can find them here on the NHS Education for Scotland website. The year is organised into three 4 month rotations.
Training Options
Providing eligibility criteria are met, Less Than Full Time (LTFT) training may be undertaken details of the flexible training available in Scotland is outlined here.
Overseas training is not available.
Providing eligibility criteria are met, Less Than Full Time (LTFT) training may be undertaken details of the flexible training available in Scotland is outlined here.
Overseas training is not available.
Academic Foundation Posts
There are 57 posts across the entire region, linked to the 4 different Deaneries. Telephone interviews are possible if you are abroad on elective during the relevant period.
Successful applicants are asked to rank the Deaneries, and are only offered a post in one of the four Deaneries. There are documents profiling the academic programmes in each region, which can be downloaded here:
You can also find profiles of previous AFP trainees in the North Deanery and contact details of current trainees. North Deanery AFP posts are organised around four themes:
More information about the AFP in Scottish Foundation School, including general information about the AFP in each Deanery, is available on their Academic page. You can also download their structured CV application form from previous years.
Successful applicants are asked to rank the Deaneries, and are only offered a post in one of the four Deaneries. There are documents profiling the academic programmes in each region, which can be downloaded here:
You can also find profiles of previous AFP trainees in the North Deanery and contact details of current trainees. North Deanery AFP posts are organised around four themes:
- Surgery (3 posts)
- Medicine (3 posts)
- Critical Care including Neurosurgery (3 posts)
- Medical Education with Primary Care (6 posts)
More information about the AFP in Scottish Foundation School, including general information about the AFP in each Deanery, is available on their Academic page. You can also download their structured CV application form from previous years.
Medical Education Posts
There are six posts available in the North Deanery; more information can be found here. The posts involve a four month Clinical Teaching Fellowship post. The programme is based in Inverness for F1, and for F2, three trainees will go to Aberdeen, and three will remain in Inverness. Trainees will be involved in the planning and delivery of teaching in both locations.
There are six posts available in the North Deanery; more information can be found here. The posts involve a four month Clinical Teaching Fellowship post. The programme is based in Inverness for F1, and for F2, three trainees will go to Aberdeen, and three will remain in Inverness. Trainees will be involved in the planning and delivery of teaching in both locations.
GMC Quality Assurance and National Training Survey
The National Training Survey is conducted annually by the GMC. It aims to examine the quality of postgraduate education and training by collecting anonymous feedback from trainees about their posts.
This year, the GMC have launched an online version: the National Training Survey reporting tool. There is a lot of information available on this tool, but you could get started with "Foundation school by foundation scheme". This tool displays feedback from trainees about their rotations (e.g. anaesthetics, general surgery) at every foundation school. You can just browse the results, or by using the filter tool, you can make a couple of useful comparisons:
This year, the GMC have launched an online version: the National Training Survey reporting tool. There is a lot of information available on this tool, but you could get started with "Foundation school by foundation scheme". This tool displays feedback from trainees about their rotations (e.g. anaesthetics, general surgery) at every foundation school. You can just browse the results, or by using the filter tool, you can make a couple of useful comparisons:
- You can compare the same rotation at different foundation schools, e.g. general medicine at Scottish vs. Staffordshire Foundation School.
- You can compare different rotations at the same foundation school, e.g. general medicine vs. general surgery at Scottish Foundation School.