Muzuki Ueda and Tom Adamson

• Developing the evidence base for the specialised foundation programme: a mixed methods study
• MRes Neuroscience and MBBS

What is the problem?
The number of doctors who do research is falling. One route into this career is the Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP). The SFP allows new doctors to do research alongside their medical training.

Medical students used to be selected for the SFP by a competitive process. Recently, this has changed. Since 2024, students rank their job preferences, then a computer system assigns them a job.
There is worry that this change could make it harder for students who really want to do research to get an SFP.

What did we try to do?
Our research aimed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the new SFP selection system and how it affects medical students’ future careers.

How did we do it?
We interviewed 16 final-year medical students across England. They shared their experiences of the SFP selection system and how the changes may impact their career plans.

What did we find out?
Students felt that the new system gave them less control over where they work and what jobs they get. Some thought it was fairer, but many felt it did not value their hard work and achievements.

Most students still want to do research, but the sudden changes have made them more careful about career planning. They feel it now takes more effort to do research as a doctor.

What will we do next?
We will share our findings with the people in charge of the SFP recruitment to help improve the selection process.