FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SFP POSTS RECRUITMENT please refer to the UKFPO website AND THE NHSE England website. This guidance explains to applicants that there are two pathways via which they can apply for an England SFP – one is via their own medical school selection process (Pathway 1), and the other is via national allocation (using PIA - Pathway 2).

The UKFPO page includes FAQs and other general information - please check the UKFPO guidance before applying in case amendments have been made. 

 

 

The Peninsula Foundation School SFP Group offers a number Academic programmes - either Research, Medical Education or Leadership and Management based.  Please see the information below about what is offered in which trusts. 

 

 

1. PENINSULA - RESEARCH SFP 

The Peninsula Foundation School offers 8 x 2-year Academic RESEARCH Specialised Foundation Programmes (SFP)offering a range of opportunities for academic clinicians focusing on research careers and clinicians who want to develop special interests. There are 3 Research posts based in University Hospitals Plymouth and 5 Research posts based in Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (in EXETER).

Each of the programmes starts with a generic clinical foundation year 1 comprising 3x4 month rotations.

In F2 in Exeter, the pattern is for 3 x 4 month rotations with one of these rotations being an Academic rotation.

In F2 in Plymouth the year will comprise of 3 x 4 month rotations with one of these rotations being an Academic rotation.

 

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (in EXETER)

5 x Research SFPs based in Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (in EXETER).

2 of these SFP programmes will be recruited to from Exeter University Students via Pathway 1.

3 of these SFP programmes will be recruited to via the National Recruitment process Pathway 2 using Preferenced Informed Allocation (PIA).

The posts will be of particular interest to those aspiring to an academic career but the research skills will be generic and the experience will be of benefit to anyone with an interest in health and health service research.  

Each programme starts with a generic clinical F1 year comprising 3x4 month rotations. In F2, the post will be offered as 3 x 4 month placements at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.  

Currently the F1 Pathway 2 programmes are as below. 

Please note that as with all our programmes these are subject to change.

F1 year Oriel Programme No	August	December	April
PEN/RH801/59	Cardiology	General Surgery (colorectal)	Emergency Medicine
PEN/RH801/60	Emergency Medicine	Cardiology	General Surgery (colorectal)
PEN/RH801/61	General Surgery (colorectal)	Emergency Medicine	Cardiology

Currently the F2 Pathway 2 programmes are as below.

Please note that as with all our programmes these are subject to change.

F2 year Oriel Programme No	August	December	April
PEN/RH801/59	Academic - Research	Adult Internal Medicine (Geriatrics)	General Practice
PEN/RH801/60	General Practice	Academic - Research	Adult Internal Medicine (Geriatrics)
PEN/RH801/61	Academic - Research	General Practice	Adult Internal Medicine (AMU)

Wide ranging research possibilities exist within genetics, paediatrics, obstetrics, public health, oncology, haematology and renal medicine (list not exhaustive). The post will be of particular interest to those aspiring to a career in psychiatry, paediatrics, public health or primary care.

Research Areas and Leads

Wide ranging research possibilities exist through the University of Exeter Medical School.  Each research foundation trainee has the opportunity to preference their research area.

Research opportunities at University of Exeter Medical School for Academic Foundation Doctors 

Exeter Research Job Description

 

University Hospitals Plymouth

3 x Research posts based in University Hospitals Plymouth

1 of these SFP programmes will be recruited to from Plymouth University Students via Pathway 1.

2 of these SFP programmes will be recruited to via the National Recruitment process Pathway 2 using Preferenced Informed Allocation (PIA).

SFP trainees will undergo a standard FY1 clinical rotation.

Currently the F1 Pathway 2 programmes contain the following specialties in various orders are as below. 

Please note that as with all our programmes these are subject to change.

F1 Plymouth (Specialty Order to be confirmed)

Emergency Medicine

Acute Internal Medicine

General Surgery (Vascular)

In FY2, the trainee will have 3 x 4-month clinical placements.

Currently the F2 Pathway 2 programmes contain the following specialties in various orders are as below. 

Please note that as with all our programmes these are subject to change.

F2 Plymouth (Specialty Order to be confirmed)

Renal Medicine

General Practice

ACADEMIC - Research

In FY2, the 4-month academic placement is spent undertaking research as described below in the link to the Job Description. The programme is designed to provide experience of a clinical academic environment and to develop generic research skills. This will suit both those interested in pursuing a clinical academic career and those interested in applying research skills to improve patient care in their clinical practice. 

Plymouth Research Job Description

 

 

2. PENINSULA - Academic Medical Education and Leadership & Management SFP

These programmes were previous recruited to through the FPP programme which has been removed from 2026 recruitment due to the timing of the Medical Prioritisation Bill announced earlier this year.

Overview

We are recruiting to our 8 long established Academic medical education/leadership and management programmes in the Peninsula through the SFP Group (Pathway 2) in the main FP recruitment process.  

Each programme starts with a generic clinical F1 year comprising 3x4 month rotations. In F2, the pattern is for 2x6 months clinical posts with time allocated either in-week or in separate clinical/specialised weeks depending on the type of academic programme. You will be roughly 60% clinical and 40% academic in your F2 year (some flexibility may be required).

One of the 6-month posts will be in a placement determined by the trust. For the second 6-month post, each post-holder will be offered a limited choice of clinical specialty, with the final decision dependant on a combination of doctor preference, availability, F1 experience, the requirement to provide a broad training programme and the Foundation Programme Director’s view of any individual educational needs.  You will need to be on track and be given an outcome 1 at ARCP for F1 to be offered the chance to continue with the Academic component in F2. 

These posts provide exciting opportunities to develop key skills and experience in Medical Education or Leadership and Management while also gaining the generic foundation capabilities through a clinical placement in the acute trust.

Individual placements for the F1 year will be published on Oriel in the FPP vacancy.   The F2 year will be determined as per the information in the overview section above.

 

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Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (in EXETER)

2 x FIXED Academic Medical Education 2 year programmes based at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in EXETER for both F1 and F2

These 2 X Medical Education Academic posts based in Exeter will offer you the chance to study for a funded PG Cert in Medical Education through Exeter University. THIS CANNOT BE CHANGED FOR ANY OTHER PG CERT or Other Qualification.  IF YOU ALREADY HOLD A PG CERT IN MEDICAL EDUCATION YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SWAP therefore please do not rank these 2 x  SFP jobs. WE DO NOT FUND MASTERS DEGREES.

 

The F1 year is a standard F1 programme with 5 study days to attend the first module of the Postgraduate Certificate and the associated learning sets.

Individual placements for the F1 year will be published on Oriel in the FP vacancy in the SFP Group.   The F2 year will be determined as per the information in the overview section above.

 

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PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OUR SFP MEDICAL EDUCATION & LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES BASED IN OUR TRUSTS IN TORBAY AND TRURO OFFER A CHOICE OF A PG CERT IN MEDICAL EDUCATION OR LEADERSHIP & MANAGMENT REGARDLESS OF THE SPECIALTIES INDICATED IN THE F2 YEAR ON ORIEL  however you do need to read the individual job descriptions to see what you will be expected to do during your academic time in trust-  Please read the information below and the Job descriptions referred to below - WE DO NOT FUND MASTERS DEGREES.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust - Torbay

2 x Academic Medical Education and 2 x Leadership & Management 2 year programmes based at the Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in TORQUAY for both F1 and F2

These 4 X SFP posts based in Torquay will offer you the chance to study for a funded PG Cert which can be in either Medical Education or Leadership & Management.  Applicants based at Truro and Torbay complete their Postgraduate Certificates through the University of Plymouth Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

Please read the job description carefully regarding the work you will be expected to undertake at trust level for example: If you already hold a PG cert in Medical Education and are allocated to one of the Medical Education programmes, whilst you will be able to study for a PG Cert in Leadership & Management the trust will still expect you to undertake the Medical Education part of the trust role.

The F1 year is a standard F1 programme with 5 study days to attend the first module of the Postgraduate Certificate and the associated learning sets.

Individual placements for the F1 year will be published on Oriel in the FPP vacancy.   The F2 year will be determined as per the information in the overview section above.

Link to Torbay job descriptions including the FPP programmes below:

TORBAY FPP Academic Programmes Job Description

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust - Cornwall

2 x Academic Medical Education 2 year programmes based at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in TRURO for both F1 and F2

These 2 X FPP posts based in Truro will offer you the chance to study for a funded PG Cert which can be in either Medical Education or Leadership & Management, however your academic time in trust will be geared towards medical education - please see the job description (link below)

Applicants based at Truro and Torbay complete their Postgraduate Certificates through the University of Plymouth Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

The F1 year is a standard F1 programme with 5 study days to attend the first module of the Postgraduate Certificate and the associated learning sets. Individual placements for the F1 year will be published on Oriel in the FPP vacancy. The F2 year will be determined as per the information in the overview section above.

Link to Truro job descriptions including the FPP programmes below:

TRURO FPP Academic Programmes Job description

 

 

For further details, please go to the Specialised Foundation Programme page on the UKFPO website.

For more information about our trusts and training in the Peninsula including Job Descriptions please see our How to Apply section.

For further information on options in  Foundation training please see our Peninsula School Policies and Guidance page.

For general queries regarding the Peninsula Specialised Foundation Programmes please contact: The Peninsula Foundation School – Suzanne Maddock -01752 590626  - suzanne.maddock2@nhs.net.