Factors influencing foundation programme choice among medical students

OBJECTIVES: The advent of Modernising Medical Careers has replaced the traditional pre-registration house officer (PRHO) year and first year of senior house officer (SHO) training with a combined foundation programme. The aim of this study was to find out the factors influencing choice of foundation programme among medical students. DESIGN: Prospective survey. SETTING: Three medical schools based in England. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A questionnaire was formulated containing the reasons for choosing a foundation programme with students asked to rank their choices. RESULTS: There were 46 replies. The most important factors identified were geographical location (score 154) and combination of specialties (score 178). The least important factors was the reputation of consultants (score 525) and opportunities for research (score 530). CONCLUSIONS: The factors influencing choice of foundation programme are not dissimilar to the choice of PRHO year despite the different emphasis in training which it offers.