Welcome to the Scottish Foundation School

Introduction 

We are delighted to welcome you to the Scottish Foundation School and to your training in Scotland. We hope that this period will prove to be be both stimulating and successful for your personal development. To assist you in progressing through the programme, the pages listed will provide you with useful information and guidance.

Overview of the Scottish Foundation School 

The Scottish Foundation School encompasses the entirety of Scotland, offering a diverse range of training programmes. These are designed to support your growth and learning throughout your Foundation training.

Our programmes span all four regions of Scotland: East, North, South-East, and West. Each Foundation Programme is tailored to address different medical specialties, population needs, geographical diversity, teaching hospitals, and opportunities for remote and rural practice. Every region is affiliated with a Medical School, ensuring strong academic support.

Structure of the Foundation Programme

The Foundation Programme (FP) is a generic, two-year training programme that acts as a bridge between medical school and specialty training. As part of the programme, you will undertake a series of placements across a variety of specialties, healthcare settings, and locations, providing comprehensive exposure and experience.

This programme is delivered UK-wide, adhering to a national curriculum and learning portfolio. The curriculum serves as your guide, outlining the competencies a foundation doctor is expected to achieve by the end of the two years of postgraduate training. The first year builds on the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired during undergraduate medical education, while the second year further develops these attributes.

For information regarding specific programmes available in the current recruitment cycle, please visit the Scottish Medical Training website.

Governance and Quality Assurance 

The School is managed by the Foundation Programme Management Board and several sub-groups. There are close working relationships with the Associate Postgraduate Deans and Foundation Programme Directors in each region, who are responsible for overseeing Foundation training and maintaining the quality of each programme.

Training Standards and Curriculum

Training standards for F1 are outlined in the General Medical Council (GMC) publication Outcomes for Provisionally Registered Doctors. All two-year programmes are delivered according to the national operational framework, as agreed by the Departments of Health, and follow a curriculum approved by the GMC.

Additional Guidance for New Starts

If you are new to working in Scotland, please read helpful information, there is also specific guidance available for International Medical Graduates (IMGs).

    

This page was last updated on: 07.01.2026 at 17.37