The College makes 25 Foundation Fellowships available annually. The Foundation Fellowship scheme is open to Foundation doctors who secure a Foundation post in which they will rotate through a pathology specialty between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024. The pathology specialties include histopathology, haematology, medical microbiology and chemical pathology or any other specialty represented by the College.

Candidates will be selected though a competitive application process, and successful applicants will hold the status of Foundation Fellow during the year in which they undertake their pathology training in their Foundation rotation. Fellows will be eligible for a range of benefits and opportunities. 

What are the benefits to Foundation Fellows?

1. Priority booking for the Foundation Taster Event/Path to Success event and may be selected to present their experience of their post there*.
2. Opportunity to be selected to give a short presentation at the undergraduate summer school*.
3. Receive the College Bulletin over the course of their Foundation years and be featured in it.
4. Free attendance at College educational meetings relevant to their specialty*.
5. Opportunities to attend their regional RCPath Committee meetings as observers, if they so wish, and to the regional annual symposia*.
6. Attendance at RCPath science communication training and opportunities to participate in/organise events for National Pathology Week*.
7. Foundation Fellows will receive a College certificate indicating their Foundation Fellow status.

*Subject to being able to book study leave, and arrangements arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Who is eligible to apply?

All Foundation doctors who undertake a Foundation post with a pathology specialty as part of the rotation between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024 are eligible to be considered for an RCPath Foundation Fellowship. Pathology includes all the disciplines which come under the remit of RCPath, including histopathology, medical microbiology & virology/infection, clinical biochemistry, immunology, haematology and others. To see a full list, visit the training by specialty page.

How do I apply?

If you have been appointed to a Foundation post which includes a placement in any pathology discipline, you are eligible to apply during the year in which you undertake your pathology training. To apply, please upload your CV, ensuring your e-mail address is included, and a 250-word statement to support your application. This statement should include the name of the department in which you will undertake your pathology post and the dates you will work there, as well as explaining your interest in the pathology discipline and why you would like to be considered for a Foundation Fellowship. 

How will candidates be appointed?