2024 FY1 Crash Course - Medibuddy

Prepare for FY1 with the 2024 Medibuddy FY1 Crash Course

Starting FY1 can be stressful. Everything’s new, and you don’t know what to expect. We’ve been there and know how tough it is, so we’ve created the Medibuddy FY1 Crash Course to help!

FY1 is your first step as a doctor (and, for many of you, your first full-time job!), but there’s lots to take in, making it a steep learning curve.

Most FY1 jobs consist of three rotations, each providing you with experience in different medical or surgical specialties. This is a daunting prospect, so it’s perfectly normal to be nervous about it.

However, knowing what to expect is half the battle. The right knowledge and tools make transitioning from medical school to FY1 much easier.

That’s why we’ve created the Medibuddy FY1 Crash Course!

We asked current FY1s from various hospitals across the country what they wished they’d known before starting. We then used their answers to create the lessons for our course modules.

Our goal is to help you prepare for foundation year one and make you more confident in those first few weeks. By covering all the common topics people struggle with before you start, you’ll be in a far better position to take on FY1 and everything that comes with it!

What will I learn from the FY1 Crash Course?

The FY1 Crash Course is divided into 10 topics. Each topic contains lessons covering specific situations you’re likely to encounter, providing in-depth knowledge and allowing you to adapt seamlessly to life as an F1 doctor.

Day to day life on the ward

Mollie Miall FY1 Doctor
  • Understand what’s involved in a standard ward round
  • Create a ward list of jobs and learn how to prioritise them
  • Learn what’s expected from you on a day to day basis, including writing discharge summaries and giving handovers
  • Learn the importance of the board round and what you’re expected to do in them

On-call: most common bleeps

Sophie Rhys-Evans Specialised FY2 Doctor
  • Understand the types and structure of the on-call shifts
  • Understand the most common types of bleeps received whilst on-call
  • Describe the management options for common on-call scenarios
  • Understand who and when to escalate to if you are worried about a patient
  • Understand your limitations as an FY1 and how to handover safely

Understanding your pay

Jack Collin FY2 Doctor
  • Understand what your basic pay should be & hourly rates
  • Explain your pay enhancements and pay deductions
  • Explain your tax – Tax code and tax returns
  • Understand what locuming means for your finances
  • Make an informed decision regarding European Working Time Directive (EWTD)

Night shifts

Florin Mutu-Bodiu FY1 Doctor
  • Discuss the challenges and benefits of working night shifts
  • Explore ways to prepare for night shifts
  • Discuss sleep hygiene in between night shifts and ways to recover after night shifts
  • Explore ways to look after yourself and your colleagues
  • Explore effective ways to prioritise your workload
  • Explore how to escalate concerns

Portfolio and Horus

Ruvan Amarasinghe FY2 Doctor
  • Understand the requirements of the ARCP
  • The Breakdown of HLOs
  • Dealing with the E-Portfolio
  • Supervisors and Meetings
  • The PSG and TAB
  • The SLEs: Mini-CEXs, CBD, LEARN, LEADER, DCT and DOPS with examples
  • Reflections and examples
  • Summary Narratives and Personal Learning Logs
  • The Timetable to help you pass your ARCP

Top tips about prescribing (and errors!)

Chloe Fairbrother FY1 Doctor
  • Avoid the most common prescribing errors
  • Understand what FY1s can and cannot prescribe
  • Know when and who to ask for help with prescribing
  • Recognise common drugs which are contraindicated in renal impairment
  • Prescribe IV fluids more confidently

Understanding your rota

Reeja Premjee FY1 Doctor
  • Rota & TOIL
  • Leave - Annual, Study
  • Self Development Time (SDT)
  • Take & Post-Take

Death and the bereavement office

Jenny Suepiantham FY1 Doctor
  • Verify death and document
  • Complete death certificates and cremation forms
  • Know when and how to refer to a coroner
  • Understand what ReSPECT and ACP are
  • Understand DNACPR

A successful referral

Sophie Rhys-Evans Specialised FY2 Doctor
  • Understand when to escalate to your senior
  • Learn how to do an effective SBAR handover
  • Develop confidence in asking for a patient review
  • Prepare key points to ensure an effective specialty referral
  • Learn ways you can think ahead and anticipate the needs of other specialties

Tips for surgical rotations

Minka Grut FY1 Doctor
  • Rotas – understanding and anticipating
  • A standard day – what to expect, your responsibilities, how to minimise stress
  • Ward rounds - what you’ll want to know, what your senior will want you to know
  • ‘ATSP’: Asked To See the Patient

Highly curated FY1 video course content

Our FY1 Crash Course lessons have been created by current and recent FY1s. They’ve been there and done it, so they know what it takes to pull through and succeed. The course material will give you a thorough understanding of FY1, giving you all the information you need to prepare for your first foundation job.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an FY1 Doctor?
After completing medical school, you can enter a two-year foundation programme to continue training as a doctor. As a junior doctor in foundation year 1, you’ll rotate through various jobs in different hospital specialties, to achieve full registration with the GMC at the end of the year.

What is an FY1 salary UK?
As an FY1 doctor, you can earn a yearly salary of around £32,000, which rises to £37,000 in FY2. Junior doctor salaries continue to increase throughout speciality training as you eventually progress to become an NHS Consultant.

How do you rank FY1 jobs?
Medical students are required to rank their preferred foundation jobs towards the end of their time at medical school. To save time, it’s worth using a foundation ranker, which will allow you to rank jobs based on the location, the specialties and the experience on offer.

What is an FY1 Crash Course?
FY1 Crash Courses provide the knowledge you need to transition seamlessly from a medical student to your first role as a junior doctor. A suitable FY1 Crash Course will allow you to learn what it’s like to go through a day in the life on the ward and how to handle working night shifts. It should help you understand your payslips, tax and rotas.

Who is this FY1 Crash course for?
This FY1 Crash Course is for anyone who wants to know what life is like as an FY1 doctor. If you’re in medical school and want to prepare for your first foundation job as a junior doctor, the Medibuddy FY1 Crash Course can give you the insight you need.

Sign up now to start preparing!
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