The placements within the Malta Foundation Programme are 3 month posts. In F1, all trainees are expected to rotate through at least 3 months each of Medicine and Surgery. Throughout the 2 year period, they are then expected to do at least 6 months of Medicine (3 months of which may be in a related specialty) and at least another 6 months of Surgery (3 months of which may be in a related specialty).
Related specialties which count for Medicine are Cardiology, Haematology, Oncology, Neurology, Geriatrics, Gastroenterology and Paediatrics.
Related specialties which count for Surgery/Vascular Surgery, are Orthopaedics, Urology, Cardiac Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, Paediatric Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
This is better shown in the schematic table below.
In F2, trainees will usually do at least a 3 month placement in A & E, and then other specialties.
Examples of programmes which are typically offered for FY1 and FY2 can be seen here.
A swap shop is usually organised each May/June so that individual trainees may organise swaps with other trainees. A swap policy regulates this process.
