It is a longstanding problem that medical students feel inadequately trained for the workplace during their time at medical school. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this situation through cancellation of all clinical placements including assistantships.

An online survey consisting of 124 participants was carried out to assess the confidence of participants for practice. We found 94.4% were not confident in managing the workload of a foundation doctor. 95.2% had not received formal workplace training from their medical school. 67.7% reported feeling reliant on senior students to prepare them for working as a doctor.

An online teaching programme titled ‘F1 Survival Guide’ was created. The series included four sessions, covering topics including maximising induction, managing ward jobs, organising the e-portfolio and conducting quality improvement projects.

It was broadcasted through Microsoft Teams to incoming foundation doctors. It consisted of a brief presentation by a foundation trainee, followed by panel-style questions and answers. In total, 515 people attended live internationally. 9% of them were international medical graduates preparing to work in the UK.

Of the 124 participants, 91.1% revealed their confidence improved after the webinars. 87.9% agreed the topics were important for their career development. 73.4% would recommend this program to their colleagues. 83.9% reported that online webinar was equally effective as in-person teaching.

The data shows this online training had a positive influence on the confidence of new foundation trainees by covering pre-existing gaps in the curriculum. Additionally, it revealed that senior students are heavily relied upon for this information. This indicates a need to re-evaluate how transition to practice can be made more equitable and economical through the use of virtual teaching. Recommendations include further research into the creation of a national online training programme for this transition.