You may want to apply post foundation to a specialty that you haven't yet worked in (this can arise if you are applying for a specialty that doesn't offer foundation placements or because you didn't succeed in getting a foundation placement in that speciality.) In this situation, it can be helpful to try to organise a taster in that specialty.

If it is not possible to organise a taster, as a bare minimum you could consider arranging a few days of work shadowing or attend a national conference in your specialty of interest, as well as reading recent issues of the major journals in that specialty. All these ways are ways in which you can find out more about working in that specialty.

When you returns from your taster, it can be helpful if you arrange to see your educational supervisor for a 'debriefing'. The sorts of questions you could discuss include

• What were your expectations about this specialty?
• Prior to the taster, in what specific ways did you think you might be suited to the specialty?
• Prior to the taster, did you have any specific concerns about ways in which you might not be suited to the specialty?
• What did you find out about the specialty - and about yourself?
• Do you have any remaining questions about the speciality that you were not able to answer on the taster? If so, how could you have these questions answered?
  What are the next steps you are going to take, on the basis of having completed the taster? (for example, have remaining questions answered; talk to more people in the specialty; find out how to apply for posts in that specialty; research other specialties.)