FAQs for Foundation Programme applicants placed on the reserve list

What happens if I am placed on the reserve list?

As a student on the 2012 foundation programme reserve list, you are one of a group of applicants who will be allocated an FY1 post as vacancies arise. Vacancies will arise because some applicants assigned FY1 jobs will fail finals or not accept their posts for other reasons. These vacancies will be filled by reserve list applicants in batches on set dates.

The UK Foundation Programme Office has given the BMA assurance that all 81 applicants on the reserve list will be allocated to a foundation school before the foundation programme commences next summer, with the majority being placed by the end of March 2012.

When will these batch allocations for those on the reserve list take place?

All reserve list applicants will be contacted on each batch application date and informed whether they have been allocated to a foundation school. The dates for the batch allocations are:

• 29 March
• 31 May
• 20 June
• 4 July
• 25 July

How will reserve list applicants be ranked?

Reserve list applicants will be ranked in score order with the highest scoring applicants allocated in the first batch. Please note that it doesn’t matter in what order an applicant ranked their foundation school preferences on the application form. The applicant’s score is the only factor taken into account when determining whether s/he is on the primary list or the reserve list.

How will reserve list applicants be notified if they are successful?

Successful applicants in each batch will receive an email to say they have been allocated, and to login to their Foundation Programme Application Scheme (FPAS) account to see which foundation school they have been allocated to. Applicants who remain on the reserve list will also receive an email to let them know how many were allocated in the current batch and to remind them of the dates of future batch allocations, and to provide an updated score table for reserve list applicants.

What happens if I am not allocated a foundation post?

Please note that it is very unlikely this will happen for the foundation programme beginning in 2012. The UK Foundation Programme Office has publically announced that it expects few, if any, applicants to be in this position. Applicants who are not allocated by the end of July 2012 will be referred back to their medical school to explore local training opportunities. Each UK medical school will have a named contact with whom unallocated applicants can discuss their options.

Can I swap my foundation year 1 post offer with another applicant?

A: Successful applicants will be allocated to one foundation school only, and then to one programme only. There is no opportunity to swap with another applicant, the outcome of the allocation is final. Declining your foundation school or programme allocation will mean you are withdrawing from the application process.

Who do I contact for further assistance?

Reserve list applicants can contact the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) at enquiries@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk or speak to the named UKFPO contact at their medical school.

Last year I heard of foundation programme applicants waiting untilJulybefore they got a post. Is this likely to happen again this year?

The number of students on the reserve list this year (81) is much smaller than last year (185). The UKPO is hopeful that most students on the reserve list will be allocated an FY1 post in the first batch allocation at the end of March, 2012.

This is the first time I am hearing about oversubscription to the foundation programme, why has this problem occurred?

This is the second year that there are more applicants than jobs and the BMA’s Medical Student Committee (MSC) fears that the problem will likely get worse in the coming years. There are a number of reasons why this is the case, one being that there has been a recent expansion in the number of students entering into medical school and hence applying to the foundation programme.

Is oversubscription now a normal part of the foundation programme application process?

It is worrying that the government and UKFPO seem to think oversubscription is a routine occurrence. However, the MSC does not think that this is an acceptable situation. We have been and will continue to lobby and work with the government to fix this problem as a priority.

Useful links

For more information you can contact the UK Foundation Programme Office directly.

If you have any general worries or concerns about your individual situation or about what the MSC is doing on behalf of medical students, please contact your local MSC rep.

If you are a member you can get individual advice and support from the BMA by calling 0300 123 1233 or emailing us at info.students@bma.org.uk

You can also keep updated via the MSC webpages.