FAQs about the Malta Foundation Programme application and recruitment process

1. What is the Foundation Programme?
The Foundation Programme is a two year training programme. Your F1 post in Foundation Programme will be the first medical job that you will have after you graduate. All medical graduates must undertake this two-year period of training as a house officer within the Foundation Programme in order to be able to obtain full registration with the Medical Council of Malta.

2. How does Foundation Training work?
The programme is designed so that you can gain basic competence in core clinical skills as well as other professional skills. Your first foundation placement will commence in July after you have completed your final examinations and received your results. You will have already received your programme of training for a whole year and over 2 years you will build a portfolio of assessments and achievements under supervision. Once you have successfully completed your FY1 you will progress to FY2 and successful completion of this will mean that you will obtain your Foundation Programme Completion Certificate (FPCC) and be eligible to apply for full registration with the Medical Council of Malta and also be eligible to apply for training posts in Malta and elsewhere. You cannot progress to speciality training in Malta unless you have successfully completed Foundation Programme.

3. When can I apply for Foundation Programme?
Applications will open in September of each year for entry into the Programme in July of the following year. The application form will be available on this website in the Recruitment section. The list of documents needed can be found on the Call for applications and in the Checklist available in the Eligibility section. Make sure you go through the list of documents and get these done in time to avoid disappointments. Please see the Timeline section for more details. No applications can be accepted before the Call for applications is issued.

4. How and where do I submit my application?
The application process for the filling of posts in the Malta Public Service is via the Government of Malta Recruitment Portal which can be accessed here. Please register with the site, then login and look for the relevant Call for applications - Position of House Officer  (Foundation Doctor) in the Ministry for Health. Full details on how and where to submit the application may be found on the Call for applications.

5. I am not a graduate of the University of Malta. Can I apply to this programme?
Yes if you are eligible, once you produce evidence that your training, once successfully completed, is eligible for provisional registration with the Medical Council Malta. Please see full details of eligibility criteria here.

6. How do I present my decile ranking?
You should ask your medical school to provide a certified record of you ranking in deciles. If you do not, or present it in quartiles, the lowest or lower decile ranking will be considered. A sample statement of such a document (Dean's statement) can be found here.

7. Do I need to apply to the Medical Council of Malta for provisional registration before I apply to FP?

When the call for applications is issued, you will be asked for evidence that the Medical School of your training and the course you are following are eligible for consideration of Provisional registration with the Medical Council Malta, if you are accepted into the Foundation Programme.

You are thus encouraged to make contact with the Medical Council Malta as early as possible, expressing your wish to apply for the next intake of the Malta Foundation Programme. You will be asked for details about the Medical School of your training and details on the course you are following. The reply from the Medical Council will need to be presented with your application to make you eligible for progress in the Foundation Programme application process.

You may find contact and other details on the Medical Council Malta here. Please refer also to FAQ no. 17. Details on Provisional registration with the Malta Medical Council may be found here.

8. I am not an EU or EEA citizen or coming from one of the countries enjoying freedom of movement in the EU, and have not graduated from a University in the EU. Can I still apply to join the Malta Foundation Programme? Would I be eligible for registration in Malta?
This would make you ineligible to apply to Foundation School Malta. You would need to contact the Medical Council of Malta on medicalcouncil.mhec@gov.mt for further information on process to be followed to apply for registration with the Medical Council of Malta.

9. I am not a Maltese citizen. Do I need to apply for a work permit in order to start Foundation Training in Malta?
No. If you are accepted to Foundation School Malta, the Ministry of Health will apply on your behalf for the release of a work permit.

10. How do I apply for a Criminal Record/Police Certificate of conduct?
You will need to apply for this through your local police authority. The Criminal Record will need to be issued not earlier than one (1) month before the closing date of applications. Candidates who are part of the Malta Public Service do not need to produce a Criminal Record but would need to produce a Service and Leave Record Form (GP47 form). Certificates which are not in English or Maltese will need to be translated and notarised. 

11. Do I need to apply for an employment licence to join the Foundation Programme?
EU nationals do not require an employment licence. If you are a non-EU national, you do not need to apply for an employment licence at application stage. If you are offered a post with Foundation School you will be asked to submit a number of documents for your employer to be able to apply for an employment licence on your behalf. This licence will not be sent to you prior to your joining the programme but it is important that the documents are submitted in time for your employment licence to be issued at the start of your programme. Issue of this licence will also depend on you undergoing a mandatory pre-employment health check.

12. Basic Life Support and Immediate Life Support
Candidates accepted to Foundation Programme will be asked to obtain their BLS before joining the programme. This is mandatory in order for candidates to be able to follow their Immediate Life Support (ILS) which will be organised during FY1. Non local applicants are to produce certificates for equivalence of these courses if already attended.

13. Is the FPCC (Foundation Programme Completion Certificate) issued by Foundation School Malta equivalent to that issued by any UK Foundation School?
Yes. Foundation School Malta is affiliated to UKFPO and at the end of your two years you will achieve your FPCC which is recognised both in Malta and in the UK for applications to BST (Basic Specialist Trainee) and other posts.

14. Have any doctors who finished the Malta Foundation programme applied for specialty posts with this FPCC and been accepted?
Yes. Since the start of the programme, several doctors who applied for specialty posts in the UK were accepted into these programmes. The others applied and were accepted into specialty posts locally, or went into other programmes or avenues of progression. Third country nationals (non-EU doctors) should check with the respective specialty programmes and countries where they intend to pursue their post-Foundation training to ascertain their requirements to enter these programmes.

15. Is accommodation provided by Foundation Programme?
Accommodation is not provided by Foundation Programme and successful candidates would have to make their own arrangements. Current International Medical Graduates are usually happy to help out with tips and advice. The hospitals have on site accommodation for doctors during on call only.

16. Do I have to pay for Foundation Training?
No you do not have to pay for Foundation training but will receive a salary which will be indicated in the Call for Applications for House officer. This is a basic figure and will increase with increments, allowances, bonuses and on call shifts.

17. I am not a graduate of the University of Malta. How can I produce evidence of equivalency of my degree/diploma or for any diplomas/degrees not issued by the University of Malta?
You should apply to the Malta Qualifications Council http://www.mqc.gov.mt/home for this and produce their statement of equivalency. Moreover, you will also need to contact the Medical Council Malta. Please refer also to FAQ no. 7

18. What happens after I submit my application?
You will be informed whether you are eligible to continue the process of selection to the Malta Foundation Programme as per our Timeline. An interview will be conducted in November to confirm that you are suitable for the post.

19. I am interested in applying to Foundation School Malta. Can I send in my documents and testimonials now?
Documents will be accepted when the Call for applications is open. This usually takes place in September of each year. You can start applying for the list of documents you will require for your application (refer to website). In particular, you should apply for the Criminal Record from before as this may take some time to process in your country. The Criminal Record needs to be dated not earlier than one (1) month before closing date of the call for applications closing date (usually towards mid to late October)

20. Do I need to submit a Curriculum Vitae with my application?
Yes. You will need to submit a Europass curriculum vitae together with two passport sized photographs with your application.

21. My Medical School Dean's statement does not include academic ranking in deciles. Will this be accepted?
If your Dean's statement does not include academic ranking in deciles you will be assigned the lowest decile. Make sure that all the requested documents required for application are presented as requested as otherwise this could render your application ineligible.

22. How will the programmes be assigned?
Foundation School will ensure that you are given exposure to the clinical and educational environment necessary for you to complete your Foundation training. Your personal choice and ranking achieved after the results of the interviews are published may influence which placements you will be assigned to but this will also depend on availability of placements.

23. What will the interview consist of?
The interview usually lasts not more than 15 minutes. You will be asked by the panel to verify the information provided on the application form. Those applicants not able to support claims on the application form at this stage will not be able to progress further in the selection process. The interview will also assess claims on language proficiency, related knowledge, relevant experience, qualifications, communication and personal qualities. Further information regarding the interview may be found here.

24. I am not conversant with the Maltese language. Can I still apply to Foundation School Malta and will this in any way impede me in my work?
Yes you can still apply. Maltese is the primary language in Malta. However, English is the second language and widely spoken so communication with colleagues and patients should not be a major problem if you do not speak Maltese.
Points will be awarded at the interview stage for knowledge of Maltese. International Medical Graduates with very little or no knowledge of Maltese will be asked to attend a Medical Maltese course. A language exam will be held at the end of the year, and success in this is mandated by the employer to guarantee further employment, and thus progress in the Programme.

25. What happens if I decide to leave before the end of the 2 year programme?
If you decide to terminate your job/training before the contracted date, you will be required to either give, and work, a notice period of 4 weeks’ duration or else incur a fine. The fine is generally calculated to be the sum equal to one half of the full salary to which you would have been entitled as per contract for the remainder of the time specifically agreed upon. The written notice of termination has to be submitted to the Human Resources Department copied in to Malta Foundation School.

26. Will the departure of the UK from the EU (Brexit) affect the affiliate status of the Malta Foundation School to the UKFPO?
No, the affiliate status of the Malta Foundation School to the United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is not dependent on membership of the European Union. The affiliate status of Malta Foundation School was established in a memorandum of understanding between the UKFPO and the Ministry of Health, Malta (as the successor to the Health Care Services Division, Ministry for Social Policy, Malta) signed on 20th February 2009. This is a bilateral memorandum of understanding between the two signatories and which is not dependent on EU membership.

27. Will the Foundation Programme Completion Certificate (FPCC), which is the completion certificate issued after successful completion of the foundation programme by Malta Foundation School, still be recognised in the United Kingdom in case of Brexit?
The completion certificate awarded by Malta Foundation School is recognised for the purposes of entry into specialty training in the UK irrespective of Brexit.

If you need clarification about any of these FAQs, please contact our staff here.

FAQs about the Malta Foundation Programme itself may be found here.