Who must undertake the STEP process?

Every applicant applying for the Foundation Programme must participate in the STEP process to ensure that appropriate support can be put in place, regardless of year and place of graduation. Links to the online STEP form (UK applicants) and the offline Word version of the form (Eligibility applicants) can be found below.

Non-urgent advice: UKFP 2025

The information you submit in the STEP form is confidential and will only be used by your foundation school (and employer if required). It is essential that you carefully select the correct Medical School and Foundation School on your form to ensure your data is accurately shared with the appropriate institutions. Please check this information before submission.

UK applicants: All STEP forms must be completed online, submitted and approved by your medical school by 9 May 2025.
Eligibility applicants: All STEP forms must be completed offline using the Word pro-forma and emailed to your allocated foundation school by 9 May 2025.

If you are a UK medical student/applicant this process will be managed by your graduating medical school and the STEP form will be completed online. Your medical school will ask you to complete and submit your form online from 3 March 2025 onwards.

Complete the online STEP form

UK medical schools will not wait until you have passed finals before they approve and submit your STEP form to your allocated foundation school.

Foundation schools and employers need time to arrange any adjustments you might require and therefore the information is shared as soon as is practical after your medical school has completed the review/approval process for all STEP forms.

The submitted form is sent to a named contact at your medical school for approval. Your medical school will then review the information you have submitted and verify that it is correct.

Occasionally your medical school will want to add additional information to your STEP form to support you. Your school will meet with you to discuss what relevant information they wish to transfer and why.

Your form will be signed by an appropriate member of your medical school’s staff who are able to verify that information contained in the form is correct.

If you have applied via the Eligibility application process and are either a non-UK applicant OR a UK graduate who graduated on or prior to 5 August 2023, you are required to complete the STEP form offline using a Word version of the form.

Download the Word version of the STEP form

Your graduating medical school should review and endorse the content of your STEP form, and you will need to ask them to do this.

The online system is open to UK Medical School students only.

Once you know which foundation school you have been allocated to it is your responsibility to ensure that the foundation school receives your completed STEP form via email.

Email addresses for all foundation school teams across the UK can be found here.

Information for applicants at the following UK medical school overseas campuses:

St George’s University of London, Cyprus campus: Students from St George’s, University of London who complete their studies in Cyprus should complete the online STEP form and select “St Georges University of London (Cyprus campus)” for question 9 and “Cyprus” when completing question 10. 

Queen Mary University London, Malta campus: Students from QMUL who complete their studies in Malta should complete the online STEP form and select “Queen Mary, University of London (Malta campus)” for question 9 and “Malta” when completing question 10.

Newcastle University, NUMED – Malaysia: Students from Newcastle University (NUMED) who complete their studies in Malaysia should complete the offline Word version of the STEP form.