Academic Foundation Programme 2015

Does anyone know how competitive AFP in Aberdeen is? Struggling to find any data on it.

Does anyone have any data on EPM cut offs per region from previous years?

I might be wrong but I think except for London most AUoA's don't have cut-offs for the EPM. I know that many look at all applications in full and a lower EPM can be made up for with good white space answers/ extra educational achievements.

I don't think the "north" Scottish AFP programmes are very competitive at all. I know a lot of people who are applying for AFP in Scotland - but not ranking the Aberdeen/ Inverness jobs.

Is there any particular reason why people aren't interested in the North Scotland AFP jobs? Or is it purely based on location? Which ones are you applying to?

Had a meeting with my personal tutor today where we spoke about my future plans... Hadn't properly considered the AFP until now as I thought of it as "what other people do". Didn't realise how flexible and diverse it is. He mentioned it's worth me looking at example white-space questions so I can see what I'd need to start honing over the next year or so if I want to take this seriously. Does anybody have any examples of white-space questions they got asked for the AFP?

Best of luck for all those of you submitting!

Had a meeting with my personal tutor today where we spoke about my future plans... Hadn't properly considered the AFP until now as I thought of it as "what other people do". Didn't realise how flexible and diverse it is. He mentioned it's worth me looking at example white-space questions so I can see what I'd need to start honing over the next year or so if I want to take this seriously. Does anybody have any examples of white-space questions they got asked for the AFP?

Best of luck for all those of you submitting!

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What sort of AFP do you think might suit you?

Hi, I think a fair amount of it is location, many people just don't want to move there (many in my year don't want to leave the central belt). I also think that some may not like academic jobs where there isn't a 4 month dedicated research block. There is also less research happening particularly in Inverness but there is also less in Aberdeen compared to Glasgow, Edinburgh and even Dundee. So the opportunities are likely quite limited, even for AFP students!

I am ranking all the Edinburgh jobs first, then the Glasgow ones. I have a few rotations in mind particularly in the FY2 rotation in these AF posts that would be really beneficial for me and there are research groups I would particularly like to work with in both.

I think I am going to 0 the Dundee and North jobs, I am from the NE of Scotland originally and love the place but for my career the opportunities I want are in the central belt at the moment. I also feel that the jobs there are very much surgery/ T&O/ EM based and the rotations really aren't ones I would want.

What are you applying to?

I quite like the sound of one of the teaching/education ones. Only taken a gander at a few places and sadly my uni's deanery doesn't do one of that nature - but Scotland and KCL look cool... Like the idea that there will be protected time to research and teach. How about you?

Hi! Thanks for the info. I had a closer look into the programmes and decided I preferred the ones with a 4 month block allocated for research. Not really sure how the one day a week thing would go! I really liked some of the Aberdeen AFP tracks, but decided on East Anglia and Oxford in the end. I imagine I have little chance of an interview, based on previous threads, but at least I tried! Will probably do Edinburgh Surg sciences masters if I don't get AFP. Tbh, not getting AFP isn't the end of the world. As long as you're somewhere with the specialty/research you're interested in, I'm sure there is scope for getting involved!

In the end I only applied for the Scottish AFP, it is where I want to be and has some perfect rotations for me, and I figured if I didn't get Scotland AFP Oxford was very unlikely! I can also have some flexibility later on with the FY2 jobs not being liked and always change to more teaching if I fancy, and there are some research groups that I would really like to work with



Good luck for Oxford and East Anglia , I considered Oxford but (as above) decided it wasn't really worth the stress to be a back up plan for Scotland!

Do you know anyone who has done the distance MSc courses at Edinburgh during FY? I'm tempted by the teaching or internal medicine ones, but I don't know anyone who has done them and would be worried of taking on too much during what I am sure is going to be a rather stressful time anyway!

Thanks! I do know a couple of people who are doing the Edinburgh surgical sciences masters. They are both really struggling for time to do it. One of them in particular is a very hard working person, so it's a bit worrying that even she isn't coping with it! It's quite an expensive yr if you don't manage to complete it.. I wonder if there are any stats on how many people actually complete it?!

That is pretty worrying! It would be a lot of money to waste. I shall see if I can find stats on pass rates anywhere.

I guess you just have to make the most of days off and annual leave. Though it does require about 8 study hrs a week or something. Sounds like a really good course, and very useful for MRCS exams too. I'll let you know if I find out any more info!