Foundation recruitment
Recruitment to the foundation programme is a fair and open competitive selection process for UK and non-UK medical graduates, which is overseen by the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO). For detailed information on the current recruitment round, please see the UKFPO website.
Applicants are asked to carefully read the guidance on the UKFPO's website to ensure that all deadlines and requirements are met.
If you have any questions that are not covered on this website, please email Wales Foundation School with your query.
Application process
Applications are completed through the online recruitment portal Oriel. Eligibility applicants will need to register themselves in order to complete the Eligibility application form. UK medical school graduates will be nominated by their medical schools and invited to register via email.
Please see the UKFPO's website for deadlines for the current recruitment round and further information on the national application process.
Allocation to a Foundation Programme
Unless allocated directly to a post through the separate FPP recruitment processes, Foundation Doctors will initially be allocated to a Foundation School using the Oriel algorithm. Please see the UKFPO's guidance for more detail on this.
Applicants allocated to the Wales Foundation School are required to take part in a “two stage” preferencing process. This means that applicants will first rank and be allocated to a “group”, and then will rank and be allocated to a programme within that “group”.
Further information will be provided separately for those who are eligible for pre-allocation or anyone who is initially allocated to a placeholder programme.
Foundation Programme (FP)
Our foundation programmes are made up of 3 x 4 month placements, in both the F1 and F2 years.
Further details of individual programmes can be found on the Programmes page.
Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP)
Please note that Wales does not participate in separate Specialised Foundation Programme recruitment, and all of our SFP posts are included within the main Foundation Programme.
Wales offers SFPs in research, medical education and other special experiences (such as Mountain and Coastal Medicine). These take place in either the F1 or F2 year alongside the allocated 4-month placements.
Further details can be found in the SFP booklet on the Programmes page.
Foundation Priority Programme (FPP)
In Wales, our FPPs are based in the seaside town of Aberystwyth and have links to the Cardiff Medical School CARER Programme, teaching 3rd year medical students in a rural community setting.
Interested applicants are required to preference individual programmes rather than Foundation Schools, as part of the separate FPP recruitment process. Any posts not filled by the FPP recruitment process are included in the main Foundation Programme vacancy.
Further details can be found in the FPP booklet on the Programmes page.
Longitudinal Integrated Foundation Training (LIFT)
A pilot “LIFT” model was launched in Wales in 2020, with the aim to improve clinical progress and patient centred practice, as well as the quality of the educational experience.
In these programmes, an additional specialty (e.g. General Practice) is undertaken for 1 day per week throughout the F1 or F2 year, alongside the 4-month placements. This allows Foundation Doctors to experience an additional specialty as well as having a more long term experience in that specialty.
Further details of individual programmes can be found on the Programmes page.