In September, I started my sixth and final year at medical school. During our induction lecture, we were reminded about the semi-random allocation of our foundation programme jobs. We were informed that once again many of us – through random chance – would end up in ‘placeholder’ jobs.

Just days later, specialty training competition ratios were released. This sparked further anger among my peers. The same broken postgraduate recruitment system will leave many of us facing unemployment, just two years after graduation. Over the past few weeks, it feels that morale has deteriorated rapidly, as if every other peer I speak to, is actively planning their exit from the NHS. It is clear we are at a crisis point.

In August, I began my second term as the BMA medical students commitee deputy chair for education, a role where I represent nearly 50,000 medical students’ interests in medical education. We regularly engage with stakeholders including the UK Foundation Programme Office, the Medical Schools Council and the General Medical Council.

It is a turbulent time for medical students. Resident doctors’ industrial action is continuing in England and there is an ongoing a planned ballot in Scotland. The release of the NHS 10-year plan, Medical Training Review and forthcoming workforce plan offer an opportunity for us to reverse the decline we have seen in our career prospects and future profession.

At a time where so many of our colleagues are planning on leaving, it is our responsibility to fight to improve the system for us and our future colleagues. 

So, what are my priorities for the next year? The recruitment process to the foundation programme still requires urgent reform. Last year, we published our Proposal for Changes outlining seven key asks. As a result, the Government committed to prioritise UK medical school graduates in the foundation programme and medical specialty recruitment. 

This will help drastically reduce the placeholder problem. A public consultation on UK graduate prioritisation will soon be launched, through which we will ensure student views are properly represented and that prioritisation is implemented as quickly as possible.  

Despite repeated assurances that the SFP (specialised foundation programme) recruitment system would be reviewed, NHS England has so far failed to act. We, alongside our medical academics’ colleagues, are continuing discussions with NHSE and will work with stakeholders to ensure the recommendation in the OSCHR report to return SFP to fully merit-based recruitment is implemented.  

After the foundation programme, we are facing specialty training bottlenecks that have worsened exponentially owing to an abject failure of NHS workforce planning. Successive governments are responsible for the now real risk of medical unemployment just two years after graduation. Competition ratios skyrocketed this year with 33,870 applicants for just 12,833 specialty training places.

The UKFPO’s career destinations survey found only 68.4% of respondents had confirmed medical employment post-foundation year 2, down from 80.8% in 2024. While patients struggle to see doctors and waiting lists reach record lengths, successive governments have made the conscious political choice to leave doctors unemployed. Campaigning to fix this situation will be a key priority of MSC and the wider BMA this session.  

Finally, we heard your repeated concerns about the inappropriate use of professionalism by medical schools. We’ve recently closed a national student survey that thousands of you completed. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences. We will now work with stakeholders and with your local MSC reps to fight for change both locally and nationally.  

Whether you are starting or finishing medical school this year, there are significant problems facing us and the wider profession. During these uncertain times, we have an opportunity to fight for change. I, along with BMA staff and fellow MSC officers, will ensure your voices are represented and heard in the room, where decisions about your future are made. 

So get involved, we want to hear from you. Follow us on X and Instagram.

Speak to your local reps, learn about our campaigns and tell us your ideas – because you deserve a say in your future.