Your Guide To Applying for the Academic Foundation Programme
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AFP
The Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) is a scheme that runs alongside the normal Foundation Programme (FP) for UK doctors. It was designed with the aim to provide protected time to foundation trainees to pursue interests in research (e.g. through lab based or clinical projects), medical education or public health. This enables trainees to gain exposure to academic medicine earlier in their training.
HOW DOES IT WORK
Instead of six rotations of four months each across different specialities, an AFP trainee does five rotations with one four-month block for research. During that period, they work with a supervisor on a project related to their research within the university that their hospital is allied to.
A trainee can apply to up to two deaneries for the academic programme. The deaneries are broadly the same as those of the standard programme, with some changes (e.g. West Midlands is all one deanery for the AFP and three deaneries for the FP).
As part of the application, all jobs for each deanery are ranked from most favoured to least. Jobs which are completely undesired by the candidate can be omitted from the final selection, but the more jobs that are selected, the greater the chances of success. In addition, there is a White Space Question (WSQ) section which must be filled, where the candidate typically discusses previous research and teaching experiences. Most deaneries have a system for scoring a candidate’s portfolio of presentations, publications and extra degrees, which is also taken into account. The application is submitted in early October. Shortlisting and interviews follow this with interviews typically taking place between November and January. Offers are released between January and February, but some people choose not to accept, meaning that even if a candidate was initially unsuccessful, they may be offered a job via cascade.
If the candidate is unsuccessful securing interviews or an academic job, they will go straight into the standard FP with no penalties.
SOME PROS AND CONS OF THE AFP PROGRAMME
The main advantages of the programme are:
Often stay in the same hospital for the two years of foundation training, so no moving around is required
Get exposed to academic medicine earlier, gaining vital experience earlier in the training route
Can provide a pathway to the next stage of academic training, an ACF (academic clinical fellowship)
May get to do some teaching, especially if on a medical education job
If projects are planned well, they can result in publications and presentations, enhancing the portfolio of the trainees. N.B. it is not impossible to get publications and presentations as a standard foundation trainee, but the research block allows an academic trainee to focus full time on these projects
SOME POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES:
Tends to be more competitive than a standard application, with the added stress of a written application and the interview process
You have less time to complete clinical competencies and slightly less clinical experience than those in the standard programme, but it’s worth mentioning that ALL programmes are designed such that every candidate should be able to acquire enough clinical experience to progress with their training. Many deaneries will also place candidates in A&E or the emergency assessment unit (EAU) of the hospital for a day a week to ensure maintenance of clinical skills
Potentially get paid less i.e. basic wages compared to a banded wage associated with working nights and weekends
IS THE AFP FOR ME?
The AFP is not for everyone. You can still have a successful career in academic medicine without it. Likewise, having an AFP does not mean you have to become an academic medic. Many people choose this option just to see if academic medicine is for them. Others are committed to the idea and select an AFP as a first step towards becoming a clinician scientist. Choose what is right for you – if you like the research projects on offer and are happy with the idea of applying for a competitive position, then go for it. Don’t feel pressured into applying just because friends are or because you are at a research-orientated med school. If you are still unsure, then talk to people who have done or are doing an AFP and ask them for their views. Talk to supervisors who have supervised candidates. Talk to academic medics. Listen to what they have to say and make your own informed decision.
TOP TIPS:
1) PICKING A DEANERY
This tends to be largely dependent on the following:
Where do you want to live?
What speciality are you thinking of?
What kind of projects interest you?
Is there a particular job or supervisor in mind?
Competitiveness of the deanery
Do your research and start early. If location is a big sticking point (as it often is e.g. people wanting to be close to family/partners/home) then prioritise that in deanery selection. If it’s a certain type of project you want e.g. something with respiratory medicine in mind, then look for where the big research centres in that field are and find the AFPs aligned to it. You do not have to do a research project in the speciality you want to go into – often, people do, but the skills learnt are always transferable and the presentations and publications you may be able to attain will always prove useful. If there is a particular supervisor in mind, then find out what their research focus is and where they are based and see if an AFP in that department is on offer.
The projects are varied – some are based in labs, others are clinical. Medical education posts and public/global health posts are also becoming more common. There is plenty of variety. Most deaneries have a booklet describing all the academic jobs they have to offer, so it is worth reading that in detail.
Many deaneries have website which discuss their own application processes and scoring methods. Be sure to pay attention that. Some deaneries are extremely competitive e.g. LaSE (London and South East). Be aware of the standards to be expected for successful candidates. Check the competition ratios and success ratios for the deaneries you are thinking of in the UKFPO manual. They should NEVER put you off. If you want to go for a competitive AFP deanery, then do, but also be aware that some deaneries may only take people of certain deciles or portfolio scores.
2) WHITE SPACE QUESTIONS AND PORTFOLIO
For this part of the application, you have to answer 5 or 6 questions related to e.g. research experience, teaching, leadership and discuss why you wish to do this AFP. The questions tend to be relatively similar between deaneries and can be looked up online well in advance of the October deadline, so start preparing early. Starting early also allows you to see what is valued in the portfolio section of the application, so you can get some more teaching done or possibly finish off a publication so it counts for the application. Often, you can only mention one achievement e.g. a research project, once in WSQs so this also allows you to see where the deficiencies lie in assembling an application. Emphasise the skills you have learnt and why these experiences encouraged you to apply. Also make it clear that you are a clinician first and an academic second. Get a current AFP doctor, supervisor or academic medic to read and critique your WSQs if you can.
3) THE INTERVIEW
First things first – congratulations if you get an interview as they can be very hard to get. Interviews are all about keeping calm and demonstrating the value of your achievements. Be prepared for the standard questions e.g. why you chose this AFP, why you want to do academic medicine, discuss a paper you read recently, how you will balance academic work and clinical commitments. They often also throw in some unexpected questions, so make sure not to panic and link one of your projects/teaching experiences into the answer. DO NOT LIE. Find a supervisor to help you prepare for the interview and practice answering these questions. Sometimes, they may have got you to analyse an abstract beforehand and discuss it. Practice doing this before the interview. Ensure you have a basic understanding of research terms and statistics.
4) MANAGING EVERYTHING ELSE
The final year of med school is busy. If you choose to apply for an AFP, you will also contend with finals, the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) and planning an elective. Be proactive, prioritize and do not give up. Remember to take breaks and take good care of yourself. It is a lot to handle all in one year, but with some good planning, some determination and focus, there is no reason why you can’t turn all these challenges into successes. Likewise, do not panic if it does not all go as planned.
CLOSING NOTES
The AFP is a fantastic opportunity to gain an insight into the world of academic medicine and potentially grab a presentation or publication. The application and preparation for an interview is a lot of work, so do make sure you think about the motives for applying thoroughly before you commit. It is competitive, but do not let that put you off. Competitive just means it is highly sought after, therefore many people recognise its merits.
If you have any questions about this blog, please email us at support@doxa.co.uk
BM BCh / AFP
I am a final year medical student at Oxford University who is due to graduate in July 2019. I attained a BA (Hons) in medical sciences at Oxford. I am soon starting my Academic Foundation Programme placement where I will be further exploring my interest in medical education with a 4 month research block.
