Foundation School network volunteer

Starting foundation training is a big transition and we're keen to support our final year students as they move into postgraduate training. Since the change to the UKFPO application process we've got data to indicate that approximately 50% of the recent graduates were sent to areas of the UK of which they had no prior knowledge or very little established contacts.  

 
Therefore, in January 2026, we set up the first network of Oxford Medical Alumni who are at or have recently been in foundation training, to establish contacts who can be helpful to Oxford finalists moving to UK foundation schools. 

Getting placed somewhere you ranked very low is always demoralizing but I have made such close friends so quickly and I really do feel like we are all in it together. Nobody else will ever know how it feels to be a new FY1 in your hospital/specialty and that sense of camaraderie is everything...F1 doctor from North West of England Foundation School who had no prior knowledge of the area

We are really pleased to have had 36 alumni representing 14 of the 18 Foundation Schools across the UK sign up to the network and offer their support to the Oxford Medicine students, as well as having gathered interesting testimonies. 

Overall, the evaluation by our alumni of their experience of Foundation Schools is positive with them being ranked 4/5 stars on average with alumni indicating that having supportive and friendly teams and seniors, as a key element to this evaluation.