When will the pilots be carried out and who will be involved?
A Parallel Recruitment Exercise (PRE) is being run by all UK medical schools during the 2011/2012 academic year. This is a ‘dry run’ before live implementation for applications to the Foundation Programme 2013. More information on the PRE can be found on the Parallel Recruitment Exercise pages.
Will taking part – or not taking part – in the PRE affect my application to FP2012?
We do expect all final year medical students to take part in PRE. It has not yet been finally decided that the SJT will go live next year, which is why we need accurate data to complete our comprehensive evaluation. We do see participation in the PRE as a mechanism for students to demonstrate the responsible professional behaviour expected.
It should be noted that participation in the PRE SJT is not mandatory, and will not contribute to your application to FP 2012. Only you will receive feedback on your performance on the PRE SJT.
What are the benefits of taking part in a pilot?
SJTs are being used more and more for selection into specialty training and it would be beneficial for you to gain early experience of answering these types of questions and to familiarise yourself with the type of assessment you may be required to undertake in a few year’s time. You will get feedback on your SJT performance by logging into the FPAS system on Thursday 15 March 2012.
By taking part, you will inform the future selection of doctors. All participants in the PRE will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win one of five iPad2s.
Where do I take the SJT?
The PRE SJT will be run at each medical school on one of three national dates (28 November 2011, 9 December 2011, 9 January 2012). Your medical school will contact you with details about the time, date and venue.
I am not currently registered to a UK medical school. Can I still take the PRE SJT?
Applicants not currently registered to a UK medical school will be able to take the SJT in London on one of 3 dates (28 November 2011, 9 December 2011, 9 January 2012).
What happens if I am on placement throughout December and January?
During the PRE, students who are not able to take the SJT are asked to contact their medical schools with their reason why.
Non-participation in the PRE SJT will not affect your application to FP 2012.
What sort of feedback will I get?
You will get feedback on your SJT performance by logging into the FPAS system on Thursday 15th March 2012. Each student will receive feedback on their academic decile, which is their score in relation to the performance of the rest of their medical school. You will also be told your performance in deciles in relation to those taking the same paper, i.e. you were in the top 10%, 20% and so on.
I am an international student – how does the PRE affect me?
Participation in the PRE SJT is not mandatory, and will not contribute to your application to FP 2012.
We do encourage all applicants, including applicants from non-UK medical schools, to participate in the PRE in order to run a full-scale pilot this year before the SJT is implemented next year. You may also find it useful to take part, as you are likely to encounter an SJT for specialty selection, and you will receive feedback on your performance on the PRE SJT.
If you do wish to take part, please email enquiries@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk as soon as possible.