5th years insight
Tips to think about
 Where do you want to be in 10 years? Career, place
(?London), research, teaching...
 Why do you want to do AFP?
 Could you cope with AFP?
 What makes you stand out? Is there anything you can
do between now and application?!
 Research: booklets, website, requirements, ask people.
 Need to be organised!
Application form: West Midlands
 Questions:
 Awards, prizes and distinctions
 Academic achievements (7 example spaces)
 Teaching achievements
 Non-academic achievements
 Professional achievements (from GMCs good medical
practice guidelines)
 Teamwork and leadership
 Reasons for applying
 Write concisely, proof read it
 Keep a copy - you need to know what you put for
interview!
 Rank the jobs list before you go to interview!
Interview: West Midlands
 Prepare, prepare, prepare
 Talk in June excellent preparation
 Practice common questions
 2 stations, ~10 mins, 2/3 people on panel
 1 academic: Know your research, and know a research
paper, know your epidemiology, what differentiates
audit and research...
 1 clinical: Know a clinical scenario, and interpret one
given.
 Smile, be confident, address every interviewer
Application and Interview:
East Midlands
 Application: similar questions + management of ACS
scenario
 Interview: 1 clinical, 1 academic
 Academic – prepare 5 mins presentation on chosen
AFP, questions on ethics and law
 Clinical – Mx of 2 scenarios (epilepsy and aortic
dissection)
 I applied to:
 Thames
 Southwest (Bristol and Peninsula)
 West Midlands
A bit about me…
 Working in Northwest Thames
 FY1 (Northwick Park hospital)
 Cardiology, Rheumatology, General surgery
 FY2 (Chelsea and Westminster hospital)
 ITU, Academic Anaesthetics, A+E
A bit more about me…
 Intercalated in Clinical Sciences (between 3rd + 4th year)
 No publications
 Enjoys asking questions
 Considering:
 Anaesthetics
 Academia
 Would like to keep as many options open as possible
Application Forms
 Register online at www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk
 Generic application form
 Includes 2 referees (one academic)
 Separate application form for each UoA
 Compares applicants to the person specification
 All have different deadlines
Thames (online)
 Entry Qualification
 Primary Qualification
 Professional Qualifications
 a. Degrees / other qualifications
 b. Prizes / Honours / Distinctions
 Academic Achievements / Publications
 a. Publications / Letters / Case Reports / Presentations
 b. Achievements – Academic / Teaching / Research
 2 examples (150 words per example)
 c. Achievements – Non-Academic
 1 example (150 words)
 Preferences
 Rank all 120 jobs
Southwest
 Academic Achievements / Publications / Presentations
 Please identify your reasons for applying for this Academic Foundation Programme
(150 words)
 Please give details of any publications (published or in press) and/or any
presentations/posters at regional, national or international level – please include full
references.
 Please give details of your special study modules or elective attachment (or proposal)
and the significance of these to your commitment to developing an academic career
(150 words).
 Please provide us with an indication of your academic ranking in your medical school
Southwest cont…
 Achievements
 Give one example from your clinical experience that has increased your understanding
of the importance of team working? What was your role and contribution to the team?
How was it relevant to academic foundation training?
 Give one example of a recent clinical situation where you demonstrated appropriate
professional behaviour. What did you do and what did you learn? How will you apply
this to academic foundation training?
 Give one example of a non-academic achievement and its significance to your
application for an Academic Foundation Programme.
 Describe an example (not necessarily clinical) where you had to deal with pressure or
overcome a setback/challenge. What did you do to manage this and what did you learn
from the experience that is relevant to your academic foundation training?
 Education and teaching: We are looking for a commitment in this area. Give one
example to demonstrate your performance in this area.
 Describe one example from your undergraduate medical training of your ability to
prioritise tasks and information from any clinical or education area. What was the
outcome, what did you learn and how will you apply this to your academic foundation
training?
Tips for the application forms
 Read GMC ‘Good Medical Practice’ (qualities desirable in a junior
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doctor)
With situational questions, show your ability to reflect and learn.
Show ability to juggle both clinical medicine and research
(organisation, time-management and things like that)
The AFP emphasises both research and teaching. Don’t forget your 4th
year teaching project or non-medical teaching experiences (SKIP).
Be specific: what did you do in a team? Use ‘I’ not ‘we’
Read ‘Medical Interviews’ by ISCMedical. This gives good advice on
language to use (active rather than passive words, buzz words)
Don’t forget: SSMs, intercalation, elective, everyday hospital events,
non-medical pursuits
Any questions?
Contacts
 Hannah Lunn:
HRL667@bham.ac.uk
 Rosada Davey:
RXD511@bham.ac.uk
 Andrew Roberton:
AWR595@bham.ac.uk
 Jennifer Tamblyn:
JXT577@bham.ac.uk