Applying to STFS

“Why should you consider coming to the South Thames Foundation School?

We are a very large Foundation School with over 800 programmes, including 45 academic programmes, based at our teaching hospitals at Brighton, St George’s and Kings College London.

Our training is based in 19 Trusts in South London and in Kent, Surrey and Sussex; from Frimley on the west, to East Kent on 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 London. This enables over 80% of our programmes to provide a year in London, 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."

Dr Jan Welch
Director

Information for those considering applying to STFS

STFS manages the allocation process for Trusts linked to it, all of which are in South London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Applicants are allocated to 2-year programmes via the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO). Only F1 programme information appears on the application site initially. Additional information regarding links to Trusts and specific programmes for the F2 year will be added before applicants are required to rank programmes.

Follow the links below to take you to the relevant sections of the website:

STFS Prospectus
Trust information (including interactive map of trusts)
Programme Fair
Information for those considering applying to STFS
Linked Applications
Matching to Programmes Following Allocation to STFS
F1 Programmes commencing August 2010
Completing F1/F2 Overseas
Programme Information and Trust References spreadsheets

Please note that STFS is not responsible for arranging shadowing attachments, either as an undergraduate curriculum requirement or pre-employment shadowing. Your Medical School should liaise with the employing Trust to make arrangements for any undergraduate shadowing requirements. You are also advised to contact the employing Trust after allocation to programme to check if you are required to undertake any pre-employment training or shadowing prior to 1st August.

In order to provide a range of experience, the F1 and F2 years are almost always based in two different Trusts. Generally one is in London and one outside, with no more than one year being spent in a teaching hospital. Some programmes, for example many of those linked to Brighton, are outside London for both F1 & F2. Approx 5% of programmes are unlinked initially. It may be possible, if your circumstances change and there is availability, for your F2 placement to be exchanged for another one but only with the approval of the Director of STFS.

Applicants allocated a place in STFS will be invited to attend a Programme Fair at the Guy’s Hospital site (London Bridge Office) and all Trusts linked to the South Thames Foundation School will be invited. The Fair will provide prospective trainees, before they submit their programme preferences, with an opportunity to discuss the programmes/facilities offered by individual Trusts.

Applicants successful in gaining a place in STFS are required to complete and return a Registration Form (link to STFS “Registration” page).

A Transfer of Information form will need to be submitted through your Medical School.

In participating in the national on-line application process for Foundation Training, applicants are committed to undertaking the programme to which they are allocated. Unilateral withdrawal by the allocated trainee after completion of the allocation process, is viewed very seriously as such action could have serious implications for the employing Trust and compromise patient safety. This would be contrary to the GMCs ‘Good Medical Practice’ guidance in accordance with which all doctors are required to act.

Linked Applications

As the area covered by STFS is so large, we have decided that we will be offering linked applicants the opportunity to retain the application link at the local second stage of allocation i.e. to a colour coded group (yellow, green or blue).

The colour coded groups are geographically based to a degree. Yellow is towards the West of the STFS area, green towards the South and blue toward the East, but all groups include some programmes which contain a year in London. The pages of programmes in the STFS Prospectus will be colour coded.

Once you have received your Foundation School allocation on 9th December 2009, we will send an e mail to all linked applicants who have been successful in obtaining a place in STFS. Both applicants will be required to confirm that you either:

i) do not wish the link to be applied at the second stage of allocation (the two original application scores would then be used to allocate to one of three groups)
or

ii) if you do wish to retain the link, then STFS will ensure that both applicants are allocated to the same colour group (i.e. yellow, green or blue) using the lower of the two scores

Both applicants will need to rank the three groups in the same order of preference or the link will no longer apply.

NB If you both wish to be allocated to the same Trust, ranking programmes in your group in exactly the same order may increase the chances of this. However, we cannot guarantee that you will be allocated to the same Trust or programme as the applicant you are linked with.

NB It is not possible to apply the application link to the provisional F2 Trust link for the following year (ie 2011). If linked applicants wish to work in the same group or Trust for F2 you may be able to apply through the ‘swap shop’, if this is run for 2011, under the usual rules.

Matching to programmes following allocation to STFS

2 stage programme allocation process

In order to minimise the number of programmes students need to rank, for 2009/10 STFS will be running a 2 stage allocation process

Stage 1

Allocation into one of three programme groups

Stage 2

Ranking of programmes within that group, followed by individual programme allocation

Why are the programmes being divided into 3 groups?

Students have told us that they value the large size of STFS, but hate ranking 800 programmes as it is time-consuming and tedious.

Dividing up the programmes into three groups means that no-one will have to rank more than 270 programmes.

How have the programmes been divided up into the groups?

Very carefully, to try and make the groups as equivalent as possible.

For example, all three groups have similar proportions of programmes in which one year is spent in a teaching hospital, and of specialties such as paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology.

What are the programme groups called?

Yellow, green and blue. The pages of programmes in the prospectus are colour coded.

Are the groups geographically based?

Only to a degree. Yellow is towards the west of the STFS area, green towards the south and blue towards the east, but all the groups include some programmes containing a year in London.

F1 Programmes Commencing August 2010

A composite spreadsheet containing F1 programme information for all Trusts together with details of the linked F2 Trust will be available here shortly. Please note that this information will be correct as of the date of publication. The programme data contained within the national online application process will be amended as and when Trusts provide any updates. Please check the national website (www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk) for the most up-to-date programme information.

How is STFS run?

STFS is committed to fairness and transparency. Our policies - for example for flexible training, maternity leave etc - are set out on the website and if you have any queries it is worth looking through these first, as well as the national information on the UKFPO website. If not, one of our managers will be happy to advise you.

Dr Jan Welch, Director STFS