Please also see our Applicant/Trainee Information page.
How do I apply?
The national Foundation Programme website provides final year medical students with a centralised application portal for the Foundation Programme. All UK Foundation Schools will be using this system to appoint candidates to their two year Foundation Programmes.
I am an overseas applicant/graduate – am I eligible to apply?
Applicants who qualified at a medical school outside the UK must submit evidence of their eligibility before they can apply for the Foundation Programme. For further information on eligibility please see the national Foundation Programme website.
How many places are in the Severn Foundation School? How many local graduates are there?
We have 280 vacancies in our Foundation School. Bristol Medical School will have
approximately 230 graduates in 2011.
Is priority given to local graduates?
No. The national application process is based on open competition (subject to eligibility). All applications are anonymised and are scored according to national guidelines.
Will you be honouring linked applications for allocation to programme?
For 2011 entry, linked applications will be recognised for allocation to Foundation School, but NOT for allocation to trust or programme.
Are Special Circumstances taken into account?
There are a small number of students entering the first year of foundation training who need extra support in ensuring that the geographical location of their training programme is manageable with existing care commitments for their children, or others dependent on them, as well as their own personal support needs. These students may be eligible to apply for pre-allocation to a foundation school on the grounds of their special circumstances.
The current nationally agreed special circumstances criteria are:
- Childcare responsibilities
- Primary carer for disabled partner, sibling or parent
- Chronic illness or disability for which local follow up is an absolute requirement
Applicants who believe that they are eligible for Special Circumstances must submit the relevant application form, along with supporting documentation, to their medical school (or the national Eligibility Office if they are a non-UK graduate).
For more information, please see the national Foundation Programme website.
When allocating Special Circumstances applicants to programme, Severn Foundation School will take into account any recommendation from the applicant's medical school, personal circumstances and requirements and overall score. Applicants should, therefore, rank the programmes based on their specific needs.
Will there be interviews?
For 2011 entry, we will not be using interviews to allocate applicants to programme. Successful applicants will be asked to rank programmes online, then allocated using the score by which they were allocated to Foundation School.
Do applicants need references?
Yes, applicants will need to supply details of two referees. References will not be scored, but if an application is successful, they will be forwarded to the Trust to which the applicant is allocated. The taking up of references is a statutory requirement of employment. For more information, see the 'Applicant's Handbook' on the national Foundation Programme website.
What is the application process for Academic Foundation Programmes?
The application process for the Academic Foundation Programmes will be publicised on this website. These programmes will be recruited to in advance of the main application process. Further details can be found on our Academic Foundation Programmes webpage.
When is Shadowing/Induction?
The Shadowing (Preparing for Professional Practice) course for Bristol medical students will be between 4 January and 21 March 2011. Shadowing is organised by Bristol Medical School, in association with the Trusts.
Successful non Bristol applicants may be able to negotiate a Shadowing period with their F1 Trust, but they must - in the first instance - meet the Shadowing requirements of their home medical school.
All Trusts in Severn have an Induction period immediately before the beginning of F1, which applicants should be prepared to attend. Successful applicants will be sent more details by their F1 Trust once they have been allocated to programme.
Who can answer questions about terms and conditions, pay and accommodation?
General information about Terms and Conditions can be found on the NHS Employers website. Queries about pay bandings and accommodation should be directed to individual Trusts.
For both F1 and F2, an acute Trust will act as lead Trust and employer for the whole year. This is usually the Trust where trainees are based for the majority of their programme. This arrangement is particularly important for trainees undertaking placements in general practice, as indemnity will be provided by the acute Trust.
Will there be any Stand Alone vacancies available?
There may be a limited number of Stand Alone F1 and/or F2 posts available each year. These will be advertised and filled through a competitive recruitment process, which may differ from the national recruitment process.
Stand Alone F1 vacancies are filled by the employing Trust, so queries should be directed to their Medical HR departments.
Stand Alone F2 vacancies will be centrally recruited, in February/March each year. Details of the recruitment process will be published on this website.
Details of the Stand Alone F2 recruitment process for programmes beginning Aug 2010 (for information only).
What should a trainee do if they wish to withdraw or resign from their Foundation Programme?
Please see our 
Resignation Policy