About the Foundation Programme
The Foundation Programme was introduced by Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) - a project board of the four UK Health Departments - and went live in August 2005.
The Foundation Programme is a two-year training programme for doctors after leaving medical school. It is designed to give trainees a range of experience before choosing an area of medicine in which to specialise.
The first year of the foundation programme (F1) was previously known as the pre-registration house officer or PRHO year.
Roles and responsibilities
The GMC has responsibility for the F1 year to ensure that provisionally registered doctors have acquired and demonstrated the required competences before they are granted full registration. The outcomes required to be demonstrated by F1 doctors can be found in The New Doctor 2007 
(opens in a new window).
PMETB are responsible for training once a doctor gains full registration, and this includes the second year of the Foundation Programme.
View the PMETB website (opens in a new window).
The curriculum
A curriculum for the Foundation Programme has been developed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.
View the curriculum (Foundation Programme Office website) (opens in a new window)
The GMC Education Committee has approved the Foundation Curriculum as meeting its standards for training for the first year of the foundation programme.
Those entering Foundation Programmes will be expected by their postgraduate deanery to follow this curriculum.
