The Cambridge Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) is part of Health Education East of England’s East Anglian Foundation School.
The Programme is aimed at doctors who are considering a career path as a clinical academic. Cambridge’s SFP posts offer the opportunity to spend one 4-month rotation of protected academic research during the second Foundation year. The remaining five rotations will be clinical attachments, during which clinical competencies must be met. SFP trainees follow the same curriculum and must attain the same outcomes as other foundation doctors, within their two Foundation Years.
SFP Posts
Cambridge offers 24 posts and each post is linked with a defined academic specialty. These are: Medicine, Neurocritical Care & Pain, Neurosciences, Surgery and ‘Choice’.
The ‘Choice’ posts, offer the opportunity for trainees to select their academic rotation from a further nine specialties: Clinical Radiology, Experimental Medicine, Haematology, Medical Microbiology, Oncology, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Transplant and Regeneration and General Practice.
Each specialty has an academic lead, who will support the SFP trainees linked to that specialty and trainees are expected to undertake their academic project in an area directly related to the specialty linked to their post.
Why Cambridge?
The Cambridge Specialised Foundation Programme (Academic/Research) (SFP) is a well-established and successful programme which, between 2009 and 2021, has seen 254 trainees join the Programme. The majority of trainees who complete their SFP at Cambridge continue on an academic pathway. Of those with a known destination, just under half went on to an ACF programme and in total over half took an academic route. The two Foundation Schools, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals Trust all work together to offer SFP trainees clinical and academic rotations that meet their clinical and academic needs. The Programme is well supported in the University’s academic departments and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus ensures that trainees have access to outstanding researchers and leading clinicians in their field.
Eligibility
Information on eligibility for the SFP can be found on The UK Foundation Programme Office website.
Application
Application to the Specialised Foundation Programme is made through the national process, via the online Oriel system. A Person Specification and guidance on applying (including an application timeline) is usually made available the summer before applications open via The UK Foundation Programme (UKFP) Office website.
UKFP have made changes to the application process and applicants are strongly advised to read the guidance and support materials on the UKFP website. Cambridge considers responses to the white paper questions in its shortlisting decisions.
Please remember that any applications submitted via Oriel after the stated deadline will not be considered.
The East of England Foundation School manages the application process locally. Please direct any queries related to application requirements, eligibility, Oriel, shortlisting or interview notifications, offers and similar to them. Email: recruitment.eoe@hee.nhs.uk
The Specialised Foundation Programme Director in Cambridge is Professor Andrew McCaskie. Queries related to academic options or the overall programme, can be directed to the Clinical Academic Training Office (CATO). Email: cato@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Recruitment period
Applications normally open in September for a start date of the following August.
