Foundation Year 3 Programme

Find out about the Trust’s one-year Foundation Year 3 (FY3) Programme. Gain excellent clinical experience in medical or surgical specialties, whilst working in one of the UK’s leading teaching hospitals.

Why choose an FY3?

Choosing an FY3 role offers an excellent opportunity to gain further first-class clinical experience across medical and surgical specialties, allowing you to refine your clinical skills and deepen your understanding of the field. It also provides valuable time to strengthen your portfolio, enhancing your competitiveness for future training applications. Moreover, this year gives you the space to reflect on your long-term career direction, ensuring that your next steps are well-informed and aligned with your professional aspirations. If you’re looking for structured development, supported learning, and clarity in your career journey, this role is an ideal choice.

About the programme:

The local FY3 Programme at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is a one-year programme for doctors who have completed foundation training (or equivalent). The FY3 doctor will rotate through two preset six-month posts, in medical or surgical specialties. This programme is designed to deliver high-quality, hands-on clinical experience across a broad range of specialties, giving you the tools and experience to apply for core training.

This is a locally managed and delivered initiative, with all resident doctors employed directly by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. All rotations take place on our hospital sites, namely St Mary’s Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital.

Rotations are likely to include the following specialties (subject to change):

• Cardiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Endocrinology
• ENT
• Gastroenterology
• Haematology
• Intensive Care Medicine
• Medical Oncology
• Neurosurgery
• Renal Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Stroke Medicine

Applicants will be asked to indicate their rotation preferences at the interview stage, and final allocations will be based on recruitment scores and service requirements. The programme starts each year on the first Wednesday of August.

FY3 doctors on the programme will benefit from:

• A named educational supervisor for the full duration of the programme.
• Access to Horus ePortfolio.
• Structured teaching and educational activities.
• 10 days (pro rata) of study leave per year.
• A £400 personal study bursary.
• Access to opportunities for quality improvement, research and relevant teaching.

Staying in a single trust for one year in a structured programme allows you to develop professional and research networks with expert clinicians in a world-class research and teaching environment.

Rota patterns: Rotas vary by specialty and may include evenings, nights and weekends. Full rota information is provided at the time of offer.

Eligibility

To be considered for this programme, applicants must meet the following core requirements:

• GMC registration with license to practice in the UK.
• Foundation competencies: Provide evidence of foundation programme competencies, or alternative evidence such as the Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST).
• Valid ALS (Advanced Life Support) or equivalent.
• Must be available to start in post on Wednesday 5th August 2026.

Recruitment timeline

How to apply: Applications should be submitted via NHS Jobs/Trac. Please refer to the job advertisement when live for full details.

The indicative recruitment timeline for the F3 Programme is outlined below to support applicants with planning. Please note that all dates are provisional and may be subject to change depending on application volumes, operational requirements, or other unforeseen factors.

Milestone	Timeframe
Application window opens	Late February 2026
Interview invites	Week commencing 30 March 2026
Interviews	Week commencing 13 April 2026
Offers	Week commencing 27 April 2026
Start date	Week commencing 5 August 2026

Please note: This programme receives a very high number of applications, and due to the expected volume, we are unable to provide individual feedback to applicants. Please refer to the job advertisement when live for any additional information.