Oriel FAQs

All applications must be submitted through Oriel (the national online application system).

– Applicants for the UKFP Eligibility process must register for an Oriel account here before they can begin any applications.

– Applicants who qualified or are expected to qualify from a UK medical school (no more than two years before the start of the programme), will be nominated by their medical school. Nominated applicants will be invited to register using the email address and details they were nominated with.

If you are a UK medical student, do not register before being nominated. You will receive details after being nominated. Refer to the national timeline for details.

Do not open Oriel in multiple browsers or on multiple devices (for example, laptop, iPad, smartphone), as your changes may not be saved.

You can use your existing Oriel account.

All applicants nominated by a UK medical school will receive an email with a URL link. If you do not receive this email, contact your medical school. Nominated applicants will only be able to access the Foundation Programme application process via this link. This is not applicable to applicants who apply via Eligibility.

Once you have followed the link, you will be asked to create a password. The username (email address) and password chosen at this time will be required when accessing the system for all future activity. You should keep your password safe.

You will then be able to log on to Oriel and access the registration pages. The email address must match the original details you were nominated with.

Once you have registered, you will be able to apply for the foundation programme once the relevant application window opens.

Eligibility applicants: You must select the ‘Foundation’ staff group by clicking on the UKFPO logo from the landing page. Applicants will not be able to access the Foundation application form by selecting ‘Medical and Dental Specialties’ staff group. You can update your staff group in your Oriel profile.

To change the staff group on your existing account, go your profile area (the small person icon in the top right corner of the screen) and select the ‘Security’ section. Select the ‘edit’ button and select the relevant option from the list of staff groups (‘Foundation’ for 2 year FP and ‘Standalone Foundation’ for F2 Stand-alone).

1. Select the UK Foundation Programme logo/staff group.

2. Select ‘Vacancies’ from the toolbar across the top of the screen.

3. Select the relevant programme from the drop-down menu entitled ‘I am applying to:’ You may need to tick/untick ‘Foundation’ as an option (depending on whether you are applying for the 2 year programme for provisionally registered doctors or for F2 Stand-alone for fully registered doctors).

4. Vacancies will appear in the results box. Select the status box to the right of the vacancy listed.

5. Once you have selected the correct vacancy, you will be directed to the advert information and once the vacancy is open, you will be able to apply by accessing the application form through this next screen.

Log in and select the ‘interviews’ tab from your dashboard.

Selected the type of interview and the date you wish to attend, then choose a time that is suitable for you.

Once the preferencing window has opened, you will be able to rank all available units of application/groups/programmes (depending on which vacancy you’ve applied for and which stage in the process you are in) in order of preference by selecting the ‘Preferences’ tab from your dashboard on Oriel.

Follow the instructions on the screen. All preferencing is a drag-and-drop process.

You can download the preferences in an Excel compatible file.

For F2 Stand-alone: Programmes which you actively wish to be considered for should be listed in the ‘preference’ column in rank order. You could receive offers for programmes listed in the ‘no preference’ column.

Log on to Oriel. Select the profile icon on your dashboard and select ‘My profile’.

You can enter/update your contact information by selecting the ‘Edit profile information’. This information will update on the Oriel portal and not your application. This is not an issue and any further updates can be made with your employer upon successful allocation.

The UKFPO is unable to change your personal information.

Please contact the UKFPO Helpdesk (helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk) and provide your Oriel pin to enable us to unlock your account.