FOUNDATION PROGRAMME

The UK foundation programme is the 2-year training programme leading from undergraduate medical school training to further speciality training. The purpose of the foundation programme is to ensure newly qualified doctors develop core clinical and professional skills. This is mainly through experience within the clinical setting and is supported with simulation teaching and virtual reality training. Ipswich and Colchester Hospital are both part of the East Anglia Foundation School

ESNEFT foundation trainees rotate through 3 specialities in their first year followed by another 3 specialities in their second year. Rotations at ESNEFT cover a range of specialities including acute medicine, anaesthetics/ITU, cardiology, endocrinology and diabetes, cardiology, gastroenterology, respiratory, renal, emergency medicine, care of the elderly, psychiatry, general surgery, urology, haematology and oncology, obstetrics and gynaecology, ENT, paediatrics, trauma and orthopaedics.

We host a number of specialist foundation programmes including the academic foundation programme (AFP) and the foundation priority programme (FPP). The AFP programme based at Ipswich Hospital has a focus on medical education with the ability to complete a post-graduate certificate of education (PGCERT). The FPP programmes offer further teaching and training experience for individuals with a specific interest in these certain specialities such as psychiatry and paediatrics.

There is weekly mandatory teaching for foundation years covering a wide range of topics. This is an excellent opportunity to keep up to date with clinical practice. Most departments also provide weekly teaching in their speciality. Taster weeks are offered to trainees so that they can explore a speciality of interest. The taster can be taken once throughout the foundation training, usually towards the end of FY1. Taster weeks can also be taken in specialities that do not normally have foundation trainees, specifically palliative care.

Foundation ‘Buddy’ System

At both hospitals, foundation trainees are paired up with a ‘buddy’ to help support them through their first year. At Ipswich Hospital, trainees are paired with a doctor in foundation year 2. At Colchester Hospital, trainees are paired with a senior nurse. The ‘buddy’ system adds a level of informal support, alongside the more formal element of support offered by clinical and educational supervisors.

I applied for the educational Academic Foundation Programme at Ipswich as it allows you to complete a PGCert in medical education, develop educational projects and teach medical students alongside the teaching fellows whist training as a foundation doctor. 60% of your time is spent working clinically and 40% is spent working towards your academic projects. The PGCert is based at UEA in Norwich where we have faceto-face teaching sessions on the theory and application of medical education. I would thoroughly recommend this foundation programme to anyone who enjoys variety in their work and wants to maintain academic interests.

Foundation year 1 (FY1)

The first year of foundation training focuses on developing the clinical skills and medical understanding gained in undergraduate training. The learning objectives for this year are set out by the General Medical Council (GMC) and Health Education England (HEE). Trainees will be expected to keep a record of all clinical skills, competencies and feedback via the online e-portfolio system Horus. At the end of the year, FY1 trainees will need to demonstrate they have met the standards of competence in order to progress to FY2.

Foundation year 2 (FY2)

The second year of foundation training builds on the first, with a particular focus on assessing and managing the acutely ill patient. For some specialities, including T&O, general surgery, ENT and paediatrics, you will have the opportunity to hold a referral bleep. Trainees will also need to keep their portfolio up to date in order to demonstrate they have met all the standards of competence for completing foundation training. They will be awarded a certificate of completion following a successful ARCP outcome.