The Foundation Programme

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Your first two years in medicine can be considered the most important of your career, so it is imperative you have a good foundation to build from. Our Foundation Programme at East Kent Hospitals offers a wide and varied approach across the three acute hospital sites; this also includes community placements in public health, Psychiatry and GP rotations.

All of our F1 trainees attend our induction programme prior to formal commencement of employment in East Kent. We know that the transition from Medical School to Foundation training can be difficult. Which is why this includes a variety of practical sessions, taught topics, and most importantly the shadowing of the outgoing F1 doctors.

Within the Trust, our foundation doctors work across various sites and for some specialties, in the wider community. East Kent is committed to teaching and we ensure that our Foundation doctors are fully supported by peers, consultants, our dedicated medical education staff and by the wider multi-professional team.

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) provide psychiatry placements and training for doctors all over the county of Kent. Please visit the KMPT website for more info.

Why Train and Learn in this Specialty at East Kent?

We offer a range of programmes in order to increase specialist knowledge and advance careers in health professional education. Each programme consists of three 4-month clinical placements in which the foundation doctor must be able to achieve their curriculum competencies. Our local Foundation Faculty Group takes representation from foundation doctors across sites and specialties and, together with informal regular meetings with Clinical Tutors and FTPDs help ensure that we tackle issues and concerns and formulate action plans on the basis of feedback.

Some of our programmes are Priority Programmes where, if you apply early, we can offer extra incentives such as 50% payment towards a postgraduate qualification in medical education, an introductory course to masters level study, fully-funded at F2 or an F3 year as a Medical Education Teaching Fellow. We also have two Psychiatry Fellowship Programmes at foundation level

  • We will develop and further consolidate clinical skills, particularly in relation to acute medicine so that sick patients are regularly and reliably identified and managed in whatever setting they present.

  • Ensure that professional attitudes and behaviours are embedded in clinical practice.

  • Validate acquisition of competence in these areas through reliable and robust systems of assessment.

The 2019 General Medical Council National Training Survey rated our Foundation programme with 10 green flags overall with 3 for anaesthetics in clinical supervision; workload; rota design and reporting systems, 2 in general practice F2 workload and teamwork, 2 in Psychiatry F1 workload and induction and 2 in psychiatry F2 in workload and educational governance.

Teaching – Currently all teaching is virtual, every Wednesday 13:00 - 14:00 and every Thursday 14:30 - 15:30

Key Contacts: 

Mr Roland Fernandes - East Kent Hospitals Foundation Local Faculty Group Lead and Foundation Training Programme Director

Mr Jalal Maryosh - Foundation Fraining Programme

Miss Amelia Hall - Medication Education Administrator

FAQs

Do F1s work nights at East Kent?  No, F1s are not expected to work nights here.

What sort of teaching is on offer? We are proud of the amount and breadth of teaching that trainees have the opportunity to attend in a month, along with their mandatory Foundation specific training sessions.

Are their opportunities for foundation doctors to get involved in teaching programs? Yes, we encourage our Foundation trainees to sign up for our on-going medical student teaching – which includes bedside teaching, on-call scenarios and help with running our OSCEs.

Is accommodation available on site?  Yes, we have on-site accommodation at our 3 acute sites.

Teaching – Currently all teaching is virtual, every Wednesday 13:00 - 14:00 and every Thursday 14:30 - 15:30

Key Contacts:

Mr Roland Fernandes - East Kent Hospitals Foundation Local Faculty Group Lead

Dr Gunaratnam Gunathilagan - Foundation Training programme director

Dr Mo Ali - Foundation Training programme director

Lucy Drakley - Foundation Administrator

FAQs

Do F1s work nights at East Kent? No, F1s are not expected to work nights here.

What sort of teaching is on offer? We are proud of the amount and breadth of teaching that trainees have the opportunity to attend in a month, along with their mandatory Foundation specific training sessions.

Are their opportunities for foundation doctors to get involved in teaching programs? Yes, we encourage our Foundation trainees to sign up for our on-going medical student teaching – which includes bedside teaching, on-call scenarios and help with running our OSCEs.

Is accommodation available on site? Yes, we have on-site accommodation at our 3 acute sites.

Teaching – Currently all teaching is virtual, every Wednesday 13:00 - 14:00 and every Thursday 14:30 - 15:30

Image of Dawn WarrenKey Contacts:

Mr Roland Fernandes - East Kent Hospitals Foundation Local Faculty Group Lead

Dr Laura Crisan - F2s FTPD

Dr Christopher McGettigan F1s FTPD

Dawn Warren - Foundation Administrator dawn.warren1@nhs.net

What our students and trainees say

F1 & F2 in East Kent

Was a final year medical student in Margate and really loved how you got to be part of a team, getting involved in theatre and seeing patients in clinic, with consultants who supported you and didn't mind you asking questions. I felt like I had a useful role in the team, and learned a lot about working independently, too. There wasn't the anonymity you sometimes get in the bigger tertiary hospitals, as you always knew who to go to, and people got to know you, too. I chose Margate for both F1/F2, and have really enjoyed it."

F1 QEQM

Seaside town with (endless) beaches and white cliffs only 1h30m away from central London

F2 QEQM

I chose to do my F2 here because it is a comparatively small hospital with better learning and project opportunities and known for good and well-organized teaching. The location is good with links to London but Margate itself is also renowned for being an up and coming seaside town.

F2 QEQM

Margate is a busy hospital with a relaxed feel set beside a fabulous seaside. For a foundation program I can’t think of a better juxtaposition to the bright lights, big city of a year in London.

F1 QEQM

I came to East Kent for my F1 to get experience in a DGH - you know colleagues and staff so well, are well supported and have lots of opportunity to learn.

FAQs

Do F1s work nights at East Kent? No, F1s are not expected to work nights here.

What sort of teaching is on offer? We are proud of the amount and breadth of teaching that trainees have the opportunity to attend in a month, along with their mandatory Foundation specific training sessions.

Are their opportunities for foundation doctors to get involved in teaching programs? Yes, we encourage our Foundation trainees to sign up for our on-going medical student teaching – which includes bedside teaching, on-call scenarios and help with running our OSCEs.

Is accommodation available on site? Yes, we have on-site accommodation at our 3 acute sites.

Handbooks and Programmes

Prospectus for incoming Foundation Trainees 2020-2021