Leaving medical school area

**Welshmedic** · 10-09-2005, 03:41 PM

Hi, I'm a Welsh student, hoping to go into medical school next year (Sept. 06), and there is one thing that's worrying me slightly about choosing a medical school. I want to move out of Wales to go to university, see what big-city (ie bigger than Cardiff) life is like, and make new friends etc, but I want to return to Wales after completing my course, probably ASAP, but certainly before settling down and having kids etc. But at Manchester Medical School open day last week, we were told that you're likely to be stuck in the area where you qualify for a long time. I appreciate that you probably spend your foundation years at the hospital attched to the medical school, but what happens after that? Are you able to move, and how easy would it be? And would Welsh hospitals give preference to students qualifying at Cardiff? I hope to study at Sheffield.

Thanks!

**joyabbott** · 10-09-2005, 04:45 PM

By the time you graduate, it will most probably be a national 'matching scheme' for Foundation Jobs (Something they're trying to work towards at the moment) which should in theory increase flexibility in terms of where you work. At the moment, yes, it's true, most grads stay in the area they trained. After that though, you find there's a massive amount of movement around the country, for various reasons, both personal, and related to job opportunities

**yeliab_cram** · 17-09-2005, 02:27 AM

further to the point above, although you will probably be part of a matching scheme, u can turn your back on it if you so wish, and apply where you want. A friend of mind (who graduated from leeds) is working his foundation jobs in manchester - where he comes from. so it is possible!

**rjm** · 17-09-2005, 12:10 PM

As Joy said, in 6 years time when you graduate the national matching scheme which all posts will be allocated through should be up and running smoothly (or maybe ditched by then!!), this supposedly will allow you to apply to any foundation school (aka deanery) in the country - whether you will be penalised or not because you do not come from the "local" medical school is not yet clear. Certainly after your 2 years foundation programme you can move anywhere you want in the country, I guess a lot of people try to stay put at that point because they are settled.