Information about applying for the UK Foundation Programme
How do I apply for the Foundation Programme?
The application process uses the Oriel website. If you are a final year student from a UK medical school (or if you graduated the previous year) your medical school will do a lot of the formal admin work in liaison with the Foundation Programme Office. After the medical school completes your nomination you will receive an email in September ahead of the application window allowing you to complete your registration in the Oriel system. You will need to complete a short application form and rank the Foundation Schools.
Applications open on the 24th of September 2025.
The deadline to submit an application to the Foundation Programme is the 8th of October 2025 (12:00 Midday BST).
As late submissions are not allowed there will be no way to apply if you miss the deadline.
How does the Preference Informed Allocation (PIA) process work?
The new Preference Informed Allocation (PIA) process removes the Situational Judgement Test and Academic scores from the allocation process. Instead all applicants are given a random number from 1 to n (where n is the number of applicants). The system then goes through each applicant in order of that random number allocation from 1 to n.
First pass – first choice foundation schools: For the first pass the system looks at the first choice foundation school for each applicant in order of the random number 1 to n. If there is a space in the applicant’s first choice foundation school they will be allocated to that foundation school. If there are no longer any spaces in that foundation school the applicant will not be allocated to their first choice and will go through the second pass process.
Second pass – remaining choice of foundation schools: For the second pass the system goes through all those remaining applicants who were not allocated to their first choice foundation school in the first pass. Again, using the same allocated random number, the system works through applicants in turn. For each applicant the system will go through their foundation school rankings from 2nd to last until a foundation school with spaces is found. The applicant will be allocated to their highest ranked foundation school that still has spaces available.
How does pre-allocation work with the Preference Informed Allocation (PIA) process?
Applicants can apply for pre-allocation to a particular foundation school due to their personal circumstances such as health reasons, caring responsibilities, etc. If the application is accepted then the applicant would be pre-allocated to that foundation school and would therefore not be required to go through the PIA process. Applications for pre-allocation, along with the required evidence, must be submitted alongside the foundation application form by the published deadline.
What’s the best strategy for maximising my chance of being allocated to my preferred first choice Foundation School?
There isn’t a magic formula. The new system depends on luck (the random number you get allocated in the Preference Informed Allocation process) and the unknown (how everyone else ranks their choices).
Also, if there was a way to game the system in your favour then everyone would do it, then it would probably no longer work.
The published competition ratios may help you decide how you wish to rank your Foundation School choices.
How do applications for the Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) and Foundation Priority Programme (FPP) work?
The process for applying for Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) posts is outlined on the Specialised Foundation Programme page.
The process for applying for Foundation Priority Programme (FPP) posts is outlined on the Foundation Priority Programme page.