Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

Please note that this website has a UK government access keys system.

Modernising Medical Careers - the new curriculum for the foundation years in postgraduate education and training
[Archive CMO Feature - Last update: 04/04/05]

  • Last modified date:
    14 May 2007

The launch of the new UK-wide curriculum for junior doctors on 4 April 2005, as part of the Modernising Medical Careers programme, signals a groundbreaking change in postgraduate medical training. The world-leading programme will provide graduates with far broader exposure to medical practice and specialties than was previously provided. The result of two years of research and development, the programme has been produced in conjunction with the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges and the four UK health departments, with input from a wide variety of stakeholder groups.

Previous curricula focused predominantly on teaching medical procedures and techniques but the new curriculum recognises that the next generation of doctors will need a far broader range of skills in order to provide the best care to patients.

To meet this challenge the curriculum has identified a range of competencies that it will assess, in addition to the more traditional elements of medical training. Many of these competencies have never been set before, such as communication skills, leadership, acute care and team working.  Competence and performance will be assessed throughout the Programme.

Features of the Foundation Programme Curriculum include:

  • A structured two-year training programme which will expose trainees to placements across a much broader spectrum of specialties including accident & emergency, obstetrics & gynaecology and anaesthetics.
  • Explicit standards of assessment and structured supervision for trainees, where an educational supervisor will oversee each trainee.
  • The requirement for trainee doctors to learn a range of skills including communication, the undertaking and use of research, time management, teamworking, leadership, quality and safety improvements, and use of evidence and data.

Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England, said, 'The Foundation Programme curriculum marks a new era in UK medicine.  For the first time, doctors will have the opportunity to explore a range of career options, while ensuring that their acute clinical and professional skills are secure and robust. 

'This is very much a 'curriculum for patient safety', ensuring that at the end of their two years of training doctors are both confident and competent and we are delighted that the UK is leading the world in these innovations in medical education.'

The curriculum follows on from publication earlier this year of the General Medical Council's The New Doctor 2005. The key principles in The New Doctor 2005 have been used to shape the new MMC Foundation Programme curriculum, which is due to take its first influx of trainees this August.

Successful completion of the first year of the Foundation Programme will fulfil the criteria for full registration to the GMC.

Successful completion of the second year will indicate that the doctor is professionally accountable for patient safety and ready to start a programme of further specialist training.

Access keys