UCL CAREERS
ACADEMIC
FOUNDATION
PROGRAMME
EFFECTIVE
APPLICATIONS
ELAINE DENNISS
CAREERS CONSULTANT
UCL CAREERS
Aims
Examine different types of questions you might encounter
Provide hints and tips on how to approach questions and
structure answers
How to present your evidence effectively
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How can you stand out?
– Understand recruiters’ hopes and fears
– Allay fear and confirm hope
– ATIC = Ability To Identify Criteria
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What have you done already?
Downloaded application form
Read and understood the person specifications for your preferred
Units of Applications
Read through the applicant handbook
Looked at the Academic Compendium and Rough Guide
Updated your cv and e-portfolio
Talked to F1/F2 doctors on AFP
Reflected!
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What are selectors looking for?
Besides good clinical skills and consistently high
academic achievement, selectors are looking for
An understanding of the principles of medical research
An understanding of the importance of effective teaching
An understanding of the principles of ethical research
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Personal Attributes
Patient focused
Ability to prioritise tasks and take appropriate decisions
Ability to work effectively with others
Ability to communicate effectively
Initiative and ability to deal with pressure/challenge
Commitment to learning/professional development
Self awareness and insight into boundaries of own
abilities
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Different types of questions
Understanding questions
Scenario questions
Competency questions
Experience questions
Reflective Learning questions
Motivation questions
Achievement questions
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What type of question?
We recognise that applicants will have had varying levels of research,
management and teaching experience.
Please give one example from your post-secondary education career to
date, of a research project, management or teaching experience and its
significance to your application for an academic foundation programme
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What’s being assessed?
Provide an overview (list) of your contribution(s) to academic life during
your medical school career.
Using one of these examples, describe your contribution to academic
life during your medical school career and how it will be relevant to an
academic medical career.
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Competency question example
Academic medicine requires an individual to work successfully in a
team.
Describe a time that will be relevant to your foundation training when
you have worked as a member of a successful team and define your
role and contribution to this success
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Verbs not adjectives
Supporting
Enabling
Encouraging
Explaining
Responding
Assessing
Respecting
Listening
Requesting
Sharing
Demonstrating
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Think about team roles
Plant (creative)
Resource Investigator
Monitor Evaluator
Co-ordinator
Implementer
Completer Finisher
Shaper
Specialist
Based on Belbin’s Team Roles
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Your evidence laid BARE(R)
– Background – setting, situation, objective
– Actions – what you did, how you did it
– Rationale– your thinking and choices
– End result – achievements and outcomes
– Reflection – learning and lesson
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Evidence for motivation
What’s your story?
How does it link to the AFP?
Past
Present
Future
Understanding the role, making links
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Evidence for motivation
Research — What have you discovered about the Academic
Foundation Programme and how? What’s involved? What
challenges might you face?
Decisions — What choices have you made leading up to this
stage?
Actions and Behaviour — What have you done to gain relevant
experience, knowledge and skills?
Interests — What do you devote time to inside and outside
medicine?
Goals — How will this programme help you to achieve your longer
term aims and ambitions?
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Sample Answer 1 - Motivation
Please identify your reasons for applying for this academic programme of
Foundation Training (150 words)
Academic medicine is integral to the development of clinical medicine and to
making advances in patient care. I developed skills in research analysis and
methodology during my intercalated BSc for which I received a first class
degree. As an AHO at Mayday Hospital I was also involved in an audit into X
which allowed me to see the direct application of research and critical analysis
to the improvement of clinical activity.
I also believe in the importance of communicating the results of research and
medical developments through effective teaching, and have had various
opportunities to become involved in teaching, including anatomy and clinical
skills demonstrating, peer-led PBL teaching and organizing revision sessions
for finalists through the GP Society.
I aspire to an academic career where I can combine my passion for research
and teaching with my clinical interests.
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Critical commentary
Academic medicine is integral to the development of clinical medicine and to making
advances in patient care.
But why are YOU interested in academic medicine?
I developed skills in research analysis and methodology (such as?) during my intercalated
BSc for which I received a first class degree. As an AHO at Mayday Hospital I was also
involved in an audit into X which allowed me to see the direct application of research and
critical analysis to the improvement of clinical activity. (but do you need to be an
academic clinician to be involved in audit?)
I also believe in the importance of communicating the results of research and medical
developments through effective teaching, and have had various opportunities to become
involved in teaching, including anatomy and clinical skills demonstrating, peer-led PBL
teaching and organizing revision sessions for finalists through the GP Society. (What did
you learn about effective teaching from these experiences? What skills would you
like to develop as part of an academic career?)
I aspire to an academic career where I can combine my passion for research and teaching
with my clinical interests. (But you still haven’t told us WHY you want this kind of
career)
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Sample Answer II – Academic achievement
“I was very proud to have been awarded a prize for a research project that I did
as part of a summer research studentship. The prize was an achievement
because it proved that I could carry out high quality research alongside the
pressures of being at medical school, and further developed the research skills
gained during my BSc and clinical research projects
The purpose of the research was to invesitigate the effect of xxxxx on xxxxx, to
inform evidence based management options and emphasize ethical issues
pertaining to this debilitating condition
The experience also taught me skills relevant to being an academic trainee
such as being focused and determined even when my results did not work out
well during the early stages of the project. This did not dishearten me; only
drove my passion for excellence and perfection. In collaboration with my
research supervisor I improved on my initial attempt to reach a higher standard
of data collection.”
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Critical commentary
“I was very proud to have been awarded a prize for a research project that I did as part of a
summer research studentship. The prize was an achievement because it proved that I could carry
out high quality research alongside the pressures of being at medical school, and urther
developed the research skills gained during my BSc and clinical research projects (what were
these ‘skills’ – could you be more specific?).
The purpose of the research was to invesitigate the effect of xxxxx on xxxxx, to inform evidence
based management options and emphasize ethical issues pertaining to this debilitating condition
(I’m not sure what this adds to your argument; you might be better using this portion of
your word count to focus on skills that you have gained from the experience).
The experience also taught me skills relevant to being an academic trainee such as being
focused and determined even when my results did not work out well during the early stages of the
project. This did not dishearten me; only drive my passion for excellence and perfection. In
collaboration with my research supervisor I improved on my initial attempt to reach a higher
standard of data collection.” You focus on your attitude towards the project, and developing
the skill of resilience, but perhaps you could also talk more about other skills relevant to
academic research – e.g. awareness of some of the stages of the research process e.g.
ethics approval, formation of hypothesis, dealing with set-backs etc).”
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Scenario Questions
What are the key words/red flags?
What are the issues?
What are the options?
What factors do you need to consider?
What would you do?
Process – rationale – considered decision making
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Approach
Break down questions into component parts
Keep an eye on main themes
Use TD and GMP to help if appropriate
Be as specific as you can whilst remaining concise in your
descriptions
Explain what, how and why
Focus on what you learnt from your experiences or observations
And be clear about how you will apply this learning as an
(academic) foundation trainee
Be clear about what you want to gain from the programme and
ALSO what you have to contribute
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CVs
2 pages usually sufficient (no more than 4)
Clear headings and layout – use white space
Think about appropriate headings to showcase what you
have to offer
Prioritise medical and academic experiences
Include audits, research projects, presentations,
teaching, conferences etc under clear headings
Think about what sets you apart
e.g. Anything different about the MBBS at UCL? …
Any specific achievements or experiences?
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Sample Structure
 Your name as heading, not ‘Curriculum Vitae’
 Contact details and GMC number (when received)
 Education
◦ Medical





Degree title
Awards
Clinical grades
Intercalated degree
Electives/SSCs
◦ Other education






Clinical experience
Audits, research, teaching
Other work experience
IT Skills (software packages)
Interests
References
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Portfolios
Suggested format:
Lever arch file or similar
Tabbed for easy reference
Divided into relevant themes, e.g. ‘Publications’, ‘Audits’, ‘Nonacademic achievements’ etc
Suggested Structure(s):

Following the key headings of your CV

Using the core themes within the GMC's Good Medical Practice
Guide for Doctors
More info:
http://www.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/index.php?option=com_co
ntent&view=article&id=468&Itemid=405
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Where we are
4th Floor, ULU
Building, Malet Street
Mon – Thu 9:30 – 5
pm; Fri – 11 am – 5
pm
careers@ucl.ac.uk
020 7866 3600