South Thames Foundation School
Geography
Trusts and Hospitals
o Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton
o Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital, Brighton
o Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton
- Ashford & St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
o Ashford Hospital, Ashford
o St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey - East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
o Conquest Hospital, St. Leonards-on-Sea
o Eastbourne District General Hospital, Eastbourne - Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
o Croydon University Hospital, Croydon - Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
o Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford - Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust
o East Surrey Hospital, Redhill - Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
o Epsom General Hospital, Epsom
o St Helier Hospital, Carshalton - Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
o Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley - Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
o Guy's Hospital, City (teaching hospital)
o St Thomas' Hospital, Richmond (teaching hospital) - East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
o Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury
o Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, Margate
o William Harvey Hospital, Ashford - Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
o Kingston Hospital, Kingston - King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
o King's College Hospital, Camberwell (teaching hospital) - Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
o Maidstone Hospital, Maidstone
o Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury - Medway NHS Foundation Trust
o Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham - Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
o Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton
o Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital, Brighton
- South London Healthcare NHS Trust
o Princess Royal University Hospital, Bromley
o Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich
o Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup - Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
o Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford - St George's Healthcare NHS Trust
o Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton
- Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust
o St Richard's Hospital, Chichester
o Worthing Hospital, Worthing - Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust
Linked Universities
King's College London
St George's Medical School
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
King's College London
St George's Medical School
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Statistics
F1 Posts Available
804 standard F1 posts.
There are 116 Academic Foundation posts within the Thames Unit of Application.
804 standard F1 posts.
There are 116 Academic Foundation posts within the Thames Unit of Application.
Competition Ratio
91% in 2012 (from the UKFPO's 2013 Applicant's Handbook).
91% in 2012 (from the UKFPO's 2013 Applicant's Handbook).
Scores of Successful Applicants
The scores below are the lowest score obtained by applicants allocated to STFS via FPAS excluding those with special circumstances up until 2011.
NOTE: Remember that these numbers fluctuate from year to year, so looking at the statistics from just one year can be misleading.
The scores below are the lowest score obtained by applicants allocated to STFS via FPAS excluding those with special circumstances up until 2011.
- 2011 intake: 71
- 2010 intake: 73
- 2009 intake: 65
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
Interviews
No interview following national applications.
No interview following national applications.
Appointment to F2 Programmes
For most applicants, the appointment is a linked 2-year programme, where the site of F2 but not the specific programme is known. Some trainees will be accepted onto an unlinked F1 programme.
Second allocation uses trainee preference rankings and their original application score. F2 programme allocation is performed in October of the F1 year.
Trainees are almost all required to move between F1 and F2. Normally one year is spent in a London Trust and one in Kent, Surrey or Sussex. There are some two-year programmes based entirely in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Details of how F2 allocation occurs can be found here.
For most applicants, the appointment is a linked 2-year programme, where the site of F2 but not the specific programme is known. Some trainees will be accepted onto an unlinked F1 programme.
Second allocation uses trainee preference rankings and their original application score. F2 programme allocation is performed in October of the F1 year.
Trainees are almost all required to move between F1 and F2. Normally one year is spent in a London Trust and one in Kent, Surrey or Sussex. There are some two-year programmes based entirely in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Details of how F2 allocation occurs can be found here.
Linked Applications
The School offers applicants the opportunity to retain their link to the second stage of the F1 allocation process. Because the School is so large, they use a colour-coding system - programmes are grouped roughly according to their geographical location. Applicants can apply to be allocated to programmes in the same group. See here for details of this process.
The School offers applicants the opportunity to retain their link to the second stage of the F1 allocation process. Because the School is so large, they use a colour-coding system - programmes are grouped roughly according to their geographical location. Applicants can apply to be allocated to programmes in the same group. See here for details of this process.
The Programme
Posts Available
For the 2012 entrants, South Thames Foundation School is piloting fifteen 2-year programmes which are based at one site or local education provider. These programmes include community, leadership and management experience, and a spreadsheet of the 2-year programmes on offer this year can be downloaded here.
Most F1 and F2 placements are 3 x 4 months.
You can download information about the programmes offered at South Thames Foundation school here from the School's website. In addition, by clicking on the Trusts on the left hand toolbar of this page, you will see "Programme Information" appear in the same toolbar; here you can find individual placement descriptions, including what the jobs entail on a day-to-day basis.
For the 2012 entrants, South Thames Foundation School is piloting fifteen 2-year programmes which are based at one site or local education provider. These programmes include community, leadership and management experience, and a spreadsheet of the 2-year programmes on offer this year can be downloaded here.
Most F1 and F2 placements are 3 x 4 months.
You can download information about the programmes offered at South Thames Foundation school here from the School's website. In addition, by clicking on the Trusts on the left hand toolbar of this page, you will see "Programme Information" appear in the same toolbar; here you can find individual placement descriptions, including what the jobs entail on a day-to-day basis.
Teaching
Individual Trusts each provide a local generic teaching programme; this page contains details of the Trusts affiliated to South Thames Foundation School; click on the "Visit STFS Trust Page" links to find details such as key personnel, accommodation and the teaching provided at the Trusts. A policy outlining the minimum requirements of local teaching programmes is available at here.
Individual Trusts each provide a local generic teaching programme; this page contains details of the Trusts affiliated to South Thames Foundation School; click on the "Visit STFS Trust Page" links to find details such as key personnel, accommodation and the teaching provided at the Trusts. A policy outlining the minimum requirements of local teaching programmes is available at here.
Study Leave
F2 trainees are allowed up to 30 days' study leave, with 13 days taken up by compulsory activities. Study leave is regarded as an opportunity to gain or strengthen certain competencies. F2 trainees can apply for up to 5 days study leave in which to arrange a taster in a particular specialty. Trainees can also borrow up to 5 days of their F2 study leave to complete a taster towards the end of their F1 year.
Apart from this, there is no study leave available in F1 year. Individual Trusts have their own study leave policies for F2.
Guidance on study leave can be downloaded from the Study Leave page.
F2 trainees are allowed up to 30 days' study leave, with 13 days taken up by compulsory activities. Study leave is regarded as an opportunity to gain or strengthen certain competencies. F2 trainees can apply for up to 5 days study leave in which to arrange a taster in a particular specialty. Trainees can also borrow up to 5 days of their F2 study leave to complete a taster towards the end of their F1 year.
Apart from this, there is no study leave available in F1 year. Individual Trusts have their own study leave policies for F2.
Guidance on study leave can be downloaded from the Study Leave page.
Swap Shop
F1 trainees can swap their provisionally allocated F2 programmes via the swap-shop, which is normally held in January/February of F1 year.
F1 trainees can swap their provisionally allocated F2 programmes via the swap-shop, which is normally held in January/February of F1 year.
Training Options
Providing eligibility criteria are met, Less Than Full Time (LTFT) training may be undertaken. Slot-sharing is the preferred format. See here for further details.
Training abroad for F1 is dependent on the medical school the trainee graduated from. It is possible to apply to train abroad for F2 but only a maximum of four F2 trainees may train abroad. This figure is reviewed on an annual basis and it is not possible to guarantee whether any places will be available in future.
Providing eligibility criteria are met, Less Than Full Time (LTFT) training may be undertaken. Slot-sharing is the preferred format. See here for further details.
Training abroad for F1 is dependent on the medical school the trainee graduated from. It is possible to apply to train abroad for F2 but only a maximum of four F2 trainees may train abroad. This figure is reviewed on an annual basis and it is not possible to guarantee whether any places will be available in future.
Academic Foundation Posts
There are 116 AFPs across the four Thames Foundation Schools.
Applications are made via the Thames Foundation Schools Unit of Application (UoA), which comprises North Central Thames Foundation School, North East Thames Foundation School, North West Thames Foundation School and South Thames Foundation School.
There are six sets of interviews at different locations; applicants are interviewed at their first preference programme wherever possible, but this depends on the applicant's availability and score. Interview dates are as follows:
An Academic Foundation Programme Recruitment guide booklet for 2013 entrants can be found here. It outlines the posts available, and provides other useful information for those thinking of applying this year.
You can download documents regarding the programmes available here; they are divided up according to their location.
Applications are made via the Thames Foundation Schools Unit of Application (UoA), which comprises North Central Thames Foundation School, North East Thames Foundation School, North West Thames Foundation School and South Thames Foundation School.
There are six sets of interviews at different locations; applicants are interviewed at their first preference programme wherever possible, but this depends on the applicant's availability and score. Interview dates are as follows:
- UCL: Friday 23rd November
- Barts & the London (QML): Tuesday 27th November
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School: Tuesday 27th November
- St George's University London: Thursday 29th November
- Imperial: Thursday 13th December
- King's College London: Tuesday 8th January 2013
An Academic Foundation Programme Recruitment guide booklet for 2013 entrants can be found here. It outlines the posts available, and provides other useful information for those thinking of applying this year.
You can download documents regarding the programmes available here; they are divided up according to their location.
Medical Education Posts
There is an academic medical education post available at Guy's Hospital (under King's College London).
However, it is worth having a proper look through the programme information for each location, because some of the research-based programmes also offer formal involvement in the teaching of local medical students.
There is an academic medical education post available at Guy's Hospital (under King's College London).
However, it is worth having a proper look through the programme information for each location, because some of the research-based programmes also offer formal involvement in the teaching of local medical students.
Highlights (in their words)
"We are a very large Foundation School with over 800 programmes, including 51 academic programmes, based at our teaching hospitals at Brighton, St George's, Guy's and St Thomas's and King's College Hospital.
"Our training is based in 19 Trusts over 26 sites in South London and in Kent, Surrey and Sussex; from Frimley in the west, to East Kent in the east and Brighton on the south coast.
"Generally our programmes are constructed so that the two years are spent at two different sites, with no more than a year in a teaching hospital or in a London (Deanery) Trust. This enables over 80% of our programmes to provide a year in a London Trust, which we know that many of our doctors want.
"Overall we feel that our programmes provide a real breadth of experience and we hope that you will explore more by looking at our website and at our prospectus."
"Our training is based in 19 Trusts over 26 sites in South London and in Kent, Surrey and Sussex; from Frimley in the west, to East Kent in the east and Brighton on the south coast.
"Generally our programmes are constructed so that the two years are spent at two different sites, with no more than a year in a teaching hospital or in a London (Deanery) Trust. This enables over 80% of our programmes to provide a year in a London Trust, which we know that many of our doctors want.
"Overall we feel that our programmes provide a real breadth of experience and we hope that you will explore more by looking at our website and at our prospectus."
GMC Quality Assurance and National Training Survey
A copy of the 2008 GMC's Quality Assurance of the Foundation Programme report for the London Deanery can be found here.
Details about the quality management processes used by STFS are available here on their website.
The National Training Survey for South Thames Foundation School can also be found here.
Details about the quality management processes used by STFS are available here on their website.
The National Training Survey for South Thames Foundation School can also be found here.