UKFPO Fellow biographies and projects

Hi everyone, my name is Devon and I’m a UKFPO National Leadership Fellow for 2025-2026 and a specialised foundation doctor based in Liverpool. My specific interests lie in ensuring training is delivered at a high quality across different hospitals in the four nations.

To do this, I have been working on several projects to improve the lives and training of foundation doctors. My first project is to improve the access to self-development time (SDT) for foundation doctors. SDT is a crucial component of the foundation programme, allowing time for foundation doctors to work on their professional development. I collected data across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to establish the current provision of SDT as reported by foundation doctors and postgraduate departments, in order to identify areas of good practice and areas for improvement. I have been fortunate to present the results of this project at national meetings and conferences.

My second project has focussed on the perceptions of the e-Portfolio. E-Portfolios will be present throughout our careers in medicine, so trying to establish good working relationships with these assessment tools during foundation training provides a good basis for the rest of our careers. This involved analysing national data from foundation doctors across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to identify what foundation doctors liked and disliked about the e-Portfolio, and where they were struggling. From this, I identified several areas where foundation doctors needed more support, which we have addressed in two webinars: ‘Making the most of your e-portfolio – Tips, tools and reflections’ and ‘Two months until ARCP – actionable points to round out your e-portfolio’.

The UKFPO Fellowship is a diverse role that has allowed me to contribute to national discussions as part of the Education and Support Delivery Group, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Academy Trainee Doctors’ Committee. I have developed invaluable skills in leadership as I chaired Foundation Doctors Advisory Board meetings with regional foundation representatives. There are opportunities provided as part of this role that I simply wouldn’t have experienced without the fellowship at this stage of my career, such as helping shortlist abstracts and judging poster presentations at the National Foundation Doctors Presentation Day. I would highly recommend considering the fellowship if you are interested in leadership and developing a unique portfolio career, and I am very happy to receive questions directly regarding the role via mailto:ward.devon.99@gmail.com.

My name is Kaveeta and I am an FY2 Doctor working in Aberystwyth. My year as a UKFPO Fellow has provided valuable development opportunities extending well beyond the curriculum. I have been supported and encouraged to expand my comfort zone, presenting at conferences, attending national meetings, shaping policy decisions, and advocating for the issues that matter most to foundation doctors. My personal highlights have included planning and facilitating the National Foundation Doctors Presentation Day and chairing the Foundation Doctors Advisory Board.
 
My unexpected allocation to West Wales inspired my UKFPO fellow project work, focused on developing near-peer support networks and resource guides for foundation doctors working in remote and rural areas. Surveying my colleagues, I found 72.8% felt uninformed about the hospital when they started. 54.6% felt uninformed generally about the location they were moving to, and 90.1% would have contacted a mentor if they had the opportunity. This demonstrated a clear need for access to useful information and a near-peer mentor with knowledge of the role before starting FY1.
 
Following this, I designed and launched the Left Field Shift platform on the UKFPO website. This hosts a growing collection of “thrival” guides, written by foundation doctors for incoming cohorts. They contain useful information such as approach to on-calls, local insights and recommendations, and things they wish they’d known. There are also mentor bios, sharing experiences of rural training and highlighting some of the benefits and challenges. I hope this platform proves useful to new FY1s who find themselves in a similar position to me.
 
Together with Devon (the other UKFPO Fellow for this year) we have conducted a survey on foundation doctor attitudes to the ePortfolio and identified several challenging areas. We used our findings to design a guide to ARCP webinar, addressing some of the identified concerns and providing clear actionable advice.
 
The UKFPO fellowship has been an excellent experience and I would highly recommend FY1s to consider applying for next year!

I am Dasha, a UKFPO National Leadership Fellow for 2024–2025 and a specialised foundation doctor with a strong interest in leadership, based in Manchester. My primary areas of focus are equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), particularly sexual safety, as well as professionalism and doctors’ wellbeing.

As part of my UKFPO Fellowship, I have been working on several impactful projects, including my primary initiative that I have been leading to enhance EDI teaching for foundation doctors. I have collected and analysed data nationally to assess the current provision of EDI teaching and identify areas for improvement as well as good practice, ensuring alignment with foundation doctors’ educational needs. This work has provided me with opportunities to present at national meetings and conferences. Additionally, I have been involved in delivering webinars for foundation doctors, including one which I led on Sexual Safety and Professionalism: An Introduction for Foundation Doctors.

In collaboration with the other UKFPO Fellow, I have continued efforts to enhance educational and training opportunities for foundation doctors. This has included designing and leading workshops for both foundation doctors and senior medical education leaders to address key challenges and propose practical solutions.
A significant aspect of my role so far has been chairing the Foundation Doctors Advisory Board, which brings together regional foundation representatives to share best practices, provide feedback, and establish robust communication channels. This ensures the voices of foundation doctors across the four nations are heard and represented effectively.

Additionally, I have engaged with external stakeholders, including the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the Academy Trainee Doctors’ Committee (ATDC), contributing to national discussions and initiatives to improve the training environment for doctors in the NHS.

This Fellowship is an immensely rewarding experience, offering me valuable insights into the complexities of shaping and improving medical education and training systems. It has deepened my understanding of how strategic collaboration and leadership can create meaningful change for both current and future doctors and I look forward to continuing this and exploring even more during the rest of my Fellowship.

My name is Jie Fei Lau, UKFPO Fellow and FY2 doctor based at Tameside and Glossop Hospital. Through this fellowship, I have learned about the various organisations within the NHS that govern our working lives as doctors. I have had the opportunity to voice out the foundation doctor perspective on matters relating to the quality of foundation training and progression to higher specialty training.
 
I also have a passion for creative writing which has paved the way for my UKFPO project. Creative narratives help us become more empathetic with our patients, our healthcare colleagues and ourselves. This project also serves to highlight the creative talents of foundation doctors, either intertwined with or distinct from our professional selves.
 
Projects and events that I have been involved in include:
– Starting “Humans of the Foundation Programme”, a platform for foundation doctors to share their stories, experiences, and creative talents to foster connection, inspire others and celebrate the diversity of experiences within the Foundation Programme
– Engaging with relevant stakeholders at various meetings and focus groups such as the Education Delivery Group (EDG) and Academy Trainee Doctors’ Committee (ATDC)
– Co-chairing the Foundation Doctors’ Advisory Board (FDAB) meetings
– Presenting at the UKFPO webinar series
– Helping with shortlisting abstracts and judging poster presentations at the annual National Foundation Doctors Presentation Day (NFDPD) organised by the UKFPO

I’m Aysha Nijamudeen, a UKFPO Fellow and F2 doctor at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. I applied for the Fellowship as I’m passionate about improving training and conditions for doctors and wished to be involved with initiatives for the Foundation Programme and to represent my colleagues on a wider basis. I have enjoyed this Fellowship as it has given me the opportunity to deliver a project that will hopefully improve training opportunities for future foundation doctors, but it has also helped me understand the roles of the different governing bodies, and how decisions are made that impact upon our training and working lives.

Projects and events I have been involved in are: 

–  Improving training opportunities for foundation doctors by looking at protected time on rotas 
– Presenting the above project at multiple national UKFPO meetings and working with stakeholders on implementation 
– Working with the AoMRC Trainee Doctor’s Committee on improving conditions to retain doctors 
– Working with NHS Employers on standardised payroll guidance
– Chairing the Foundation Doctors’ Advisory Board (FDAB) meetings 
– Working with foundation doctor representatives nationally on improving guidance for core teaching 

Hi, my name is Doanna Daoud and I am an F2 at The University Hospital of North Durham in the North East and I have had the pleasure of working alongside the UKFPO as a fellow. In my role as a UKFPO Fellow, I’ve embarked on an enriching journey of discovery in leadership and management within the realm of medicine. Immersed in meetings that unveil the intricate layers of healthcare, I’ve found excitement in exploring a different facet of the profession. Crafting my own project, I’ve delved deep into the nuances of project development and navigating the complexities of creating a national teaching course. Forging connections with diverse professionals has been instrumental in my professional growth, offering insights into my own capabilities as a future leader in medicine. 

One highlight of my experience was judging oral presentations at the UKFPO national foundation doctors’ presentation day (NFDPD), a newfound skill that I otherwise may have not been able to explore as an F2. As a creative individual, I thrive on the process of creation, and this role has illuminated the possibilities for innovation within the medical field. Through these experiences, I’ve come to realize my potential to lead with creativity in a domain often governed by tradition, laying the groundwork for a future defined by inventive approaches to healthcare leadership.

Hello, I’m Wassim Merzougui, one of the UKFPO Fellows based in the East Midlands. The UKFPO leadership fellowship is a great opportunity to learn more about academia and develop your own leadership skills. You are given the opportunity to learn and work with various HEE members, in order to improve foundation training for doctors nationally.

Personally, some of the projects that I have been involved in are:  

– Presenting at several UKFPO conferences/webinars
– Creating a national teaching series to aid new foundation trainees settle into their foundation posts
– Working closely with various organisations and developing policies to enhance foundation training  
– Working to improve communications between the UKFPO and foundation trainees through newly created materials