Part of the transition from medical and dental school to foundation training is choosing a foundation programme (FP), and in doing so, choosing a deanery.
Your choice of deanery will likely have a big impact on your career path, so we’ve outlined some aspects to consider when you make your choice.
Where to next?
Choosing your deanery is essentially choosing which region of the country you want to live and work in. London is a popular choice for many newly qualified doctors and dentists because it’s perceived as having more opportunities, but it doesn’t suit everyone due to different factors.
You should consider:
- The cost of living
- Proximity to family and friends
- Whether the region has hospitals that specialise in your interest
- School allocation (some deaneries have a second independent allocation for F2, meaning trainees could be placed anywhere with the deanery and not necessarily remain within the same foundation school)
- Competition ratios
Once you’ve thought about the deanery that suits all of your needs, this will influence your FP application.
Submitting your application
The national application form is divided into 11 sections, one of which is preferences. This enables you to state your preferred FP and therefore deanery.
Applicants must rank all 20 foundation schools as part of the online application form for FP. For FP only, you will have the option to amend your preferences and the order in which you have ranked foundation schools following the close of the application window.