Foundation year for newly qualified doctors: Nobody knows whether the foundation programme works

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7518.697-a

BMJ 2005;331:697 (24 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7518.697-a

Letter

Foundation year for newly qualified doctors

Nobody knows whether the foundation programme works

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—I am baffled how Hays can come up with an articlewhere he claims that the pilots for the foundation years haveworked.¹ So far as I am aware nobody knows if it has worked,and nobody will know if it progresses to be successful untilAugust 2007. Foundation year 1 started this year, but foundationyear 2 is now in its second year as a pilot scheme and doesnot officially begin until August 2006. So what are doctorswho have completed their foundation year 2 this year or nextyear meant to do? Where do they go from there?

They will not get entry on any specialist training rotationwithout the necessary qualifications or experience required.The supposed implementation of the new style specialist trainingfor Modernising Medical Careers does not start until 2007, hencewe have a lot of doctors in limbo who are looking . . . [Full text of this article]

Shrilay Sinha, specialist registrar radiology

x Ray Department B, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham LL13 7TD patliputra@hotmail.com