What would you say to a new FY1?

Stephen McGuire - Thursday, May 12th, 2022

Our competition entry deadline has now passed. Winners will be announced July 2022.

The latest cohort of foundation year doctors will arrive in the NHS at the start of August.

Take a moment to think back on your experiences since you were in that position. What do you know now that you wish you’d known back then? What advice do you wish you’d been given? What proactive steps could you have taken that would have helped you along the way?

This year, we’re giving you the opportunity to help the latest group of foundation year doctors by sharing your thoughts via our blog post competition. We have some fantastic prizes lined up for the winning entries.

What I wish I’d known for my foundation years

Entering the competition is simple. All you need to do is write out your advice as a blog post to be read by someone starting their foundation years on the entry form.

Your entry should be 400-600 words long and the title is “What I wish I’d know for my foundation years.” Your focus should be on getting the best from the first two years after medical school. To make it easier, you can save a draft version on the entry form, then revisit it to make amendments whenever you want. Entries must be received by end of May 2022, so best to get started sooner than later.

The prizes

*Make your choice from any of the courses listed on our Online Courses page.

See your blog post published: We will publish the 3 best entries as blog posts on our website, clearly attributed to the winning authors during July 2022.

Participate in our webinar: In addition, we will invite the winning authors to participate as members of the discussion panel on our webinar on the topic at the end of July/start of August 2022. (date to be confirmed).

Click here to go to the entry form

Terms and Conditions

  • This competition is open to all doctors registered with the General Medical Council who work within the the NHS, except employees and contractors of Oxford Medical Training Ltd, their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of this competition.
  • There is no entry fee and no purchase is necessary to enter this competition.
  • By entering this competition, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  • The winners agree to the use of their name and image in any publicity material and to allow Oxford Medical to publish their work, in perpetuity as a blog post on the News & Insights section of our website. Copyright will remain with the entrant.
  • Any personal data relating to the winners or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation incorporating GDPR, and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
  • Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will lead to disqualification.
  • Entries must be submitted using the online entry form. Oxford Medical accepts no responsibility for entries not received for whatever reason.
  • You must submit your entry before 08:00 BST on Wednesday 1st June 2022. After this, no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
  • Our panel of judges will choose the winners of the first, second and third prizes after reviewing all valid entries.
  • Oxford Medical’s decision in respect of the winning entries and all matters to do with the competition is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • We will notify winners within 28 days of the closing date and provide the prizes in the form of a limited-duration voucher to be used to purchase from the Online Courses page on our website.
  • The prizes are as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice. Oxford Medical is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
  • The winners’ names will be published on the News & Insights section of our website 28 days after the closing date.
  • This competition is being run by Oxford Medical Training Ltd. We reserve the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of our control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible.
  • The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.