Note: Rotations, terms and units vary by facility and discipline. Screenshots and examples here are indicative of the process only — what you see may look slightly different.
Med App's Preferences & Allocations tool lets you tell your hospital which rotations/units/lines you want (and don't want) for your upcoming training year. Your preferences feed the allocation system, which helps assign you rotations that best fit your priorities while respecting capacity limits, facility requirements and other standards (e.g. AMC training requirements).
It won't mean everyone gets exactly what they want every time, but it produces a fairer result for more people.
What you'll be asked to do
Your admin sets up each cycle, so you'll be asked to do one of the following:
Select and rank individual rotations — choose the rotations you want (and don't want), then put your wanted ones in order.
Rank full-year lines — rank preset year-long rosters as complete blocks.
Some steps below (prior rotations, preferred leave, AMC requirements) only appear if your admin has turned them on. The tool only ever shows you the steps that apply to your cycle.
Unit Based Preferences:
Line Based Preferences:
Step 1 — Open your invite link
You'll receive a unique invite link via a Mailout in Med App. It's personal to you, so please don't share it. Click it to open the tool in Med App or your browser.
🔥Tip: You can copy it and open it on a desktop if you prefer to do it on a computer.
🔥Tip: If you want to find the Mailout again, it is in the mobile app this is under the 'more' tab, then 'My Documents'.
If you're in a single cycle, the link takes you straight in.
If you're in more than one, you'll see Your Distributions — a card for each cycle showing its name, year, status, and your progress (Not started / In progress / Submitted). Tap a card to enter.
If your link doesn't work or has expired, contact your administrator for a fresh one.
Joining late? If you're invited after your cycle has already been allocated — a late-starting registrar, for example — your link still works. You can open it and submit your preferences once; after you submit, your submission locks like everyone else's.
Step 2 — Welcome and acknowledgement
The first page welcomes you by name and explains how your cycle works in a How it works box. Depending on your site you will see:
Line cycles — you'll rank full-year lines (each a preset sequence of rotations across all terms), ranking at least a set minimum.
Ranked cycles — you'll rank all available rotations in order of preference.
Select-and-rank cycles — you'll mark rotations/lines you want and don't want, meet a minimum number of wanted selections, then rank them.
If AMC tracking is on, an AMC Training Requirements box explains the categories (A–D). In select-and-rank cycles it lists the minimum rotations you must want in each category; in ranked cycles the AMC tags are shown to help you decide.
You must tick the acknowledgement box — "I have read and understood the instructions above and how the allocation process works" — before Continue → becomes available.
Step 3 — Prior rotations (only if enabled)
If your cycle asks for prior rotations, you'll record rotations you've already completed (for example your PGY1 rotations). If your administrator has configured it, avoid placing you somewhere you've already been or avoid conflict with other requirements
For each entry:
Rotation — pick from the list, or choose Other and type the name.
Year — the year you completed it.
Sometimes this step is already pre-filled with rotations carried over from a previous allocation you took part in. When you see the note "we've pre-filled the rotations we have on record for you", review each entry and confirm it — you can edit, remove, or add rotations before continuing.
Use + Add rotation to add more rows (up to the limit your administrator set). If you have none, click Skip (no prior rotations). Otherwise click Save & Continue →.
Step 4 — Choose your preferences
This step differs by cycle type. Find the one that matches your screen.
A. Selecting rotations (select-and-rank cycles)
Note: If you don't see the select screen, your site wants you to rank all available options first to last.
You'll see all available rotations. For each one:
Tap the tick (✓) to mark it as wanted — it turns green.
Tap the cross (✕) to mark it as unwanted — it turns red. (This option only appears if your administrator has enabled it.)
Tap again to clear your choice.
A counter at the top shows your progress toward the minimum wanted — for example 12/15.
Mandatory units, if any, are listed in a notice — they'll be assigned to you automatically and don't need to be selected.
If AMC is on, category coverage badges show whether your wanted selections meet each required category (green ✓ when met).
Use the search box to filter by name or location.
Continue to Ranking → becomes available once you've met the minimum wanted count and any AMC requirements.
B. Selecting lines (line cycles)
You'll see preset lines, optionally grouped by pathway. Each line card shows the rotation in each term (and AMC badges, if your administrator has enabled them).
Tap Want on the lines you'd like — you'll rank them next. A counter shows selected / minimum. Continue to Ranking → becomes available once you've selected at least the minimum.
Step 5 — Rank your selections
On the ranking page your selections are listed in priority order — #1 is your most preferred.
Drag and drop to reorder. On mobile, press and hold a card, then drag. The rank number updates as you move cards.
In ranked cycles you rank all rotations; in select-and-rank cycles you rank only your wanted items; in line cycles you rank your selected lines, with a progress bar showing when you've met the minimum.
Special considerations
Below the list is a Special Considerations (optional) box. Use it to share circumstances that should be weighed during allocation — for example:
Career goals, or other site requested freetext info
Family or caring commitments that make a particular location difficult
A health condition affecting shift type or location
This is read directly by your administrator. Voice-to-text works on most mobile keyboards if you'd rather dictate.
Step 5b — Preferred leave (only if enabled)
If your administrator has enabled leave capture, you'll see a Preferred Leave step after ranking. It's optional — you can continue without adding anything.
Click + Add leave period, then pick a From and To date.
Add a short note if it helps (for example "wedding").
Add as many periods as you need; use Remove to delete one.
If a period falls outside the rotation dates you'll see a gentle warning, but you can still submit it.
Your leave is shared with your administrator for planning. It does not yet change how the allocation is calculated.
Step 6 — Submit
When you're happy with your ranking, click Submit Preferences →. The system checks you've met the minimum, locks your preferences, and records a timestamp. In line cycles you can also Save Draft and come back later without submitting.
Once submitted, your preferences are locked. If you need a change before the allocation runs, contact your administrator.
You'll then see a Preferences Submitted! confirmation with a "What happens next?" summary and a View my submission button.
Viewing your submission and your allocation
After submitting you can review your preferences and — once the allocation has run — see your assigned rotations.
Get back in by:
Access your original invite link URL sent to you via Med App Mailout.
The status page shows:
Your submission status — with an Edit preferences button while the cycle is still open.
Your allocated rotation(s) — either Allocation in progress (your rotation is being finalised; you'll be emailed when it's ready) or Allocated, showing your assigned rotations. In multi-term cycles each term is listed with its dates and the current term is badged. A custom message from your administrator may appear here too.
Your ranked submission — the list (or lines) you submitted, in order.
Special considerations you entered, if any.
Requesting a rotation swap (only if enabled)
Once allocations are distributed, you may be able to request a swap from your status page.
If your cycle has several terms, pick the term you want to swap first. Terms that have already ended can't be swapped.
In Request a Swap you choose how you'd like to swap:
Swap with a specific colleague — pick them from the dropdown, which shows each person's allocated rotation. You'll also be asked whether you've already spoken to them. Swaps usually go more smoothly if you have, but you can submit either way, or skip the question.
Ask an administrator to find a match — you don't name anyone; your administrator finds someone for you. You'll be told what your rotation changes to, but not who you swapped with.
Add a note if you want to explain the reason, then click Submit Swap Request.
Your request appears under Your Swap Requests. While it's still open you can Withdraw request at any time. You can have one open request per term.
Your administrator approves or rejects it, and you're told either way along with any note they leave. A request can also be marked no longer valid — that happens when the thing it was about has changed, for example because the allocation was re-run or your rotation moved for another reason. Nothing has gone wrong; you can raise a new request.
Only your administrator can approve a swap, and they may decline one for reasons you can't see, such as unit cover or training requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the message with the preference link in it?
You will find it in the Mailout sent to you. In the mobile app this is under the 'more' tab, then 'My Documents'.
Can I change my preferences after submitting?
Not once the allocation has run — submitted preferences are locked. While the cycle is still open you may see an Edit preferences button on your status page. Otherwise, contact your administrator.
What if I don't meet the minimum selection requirement?
The Continue/Submit button stays disabled until you've selected (or ranked) at least the required number. The counter tells you how many more you need.
What happens if my #1 preference is full?
The system works down your ranked preferences in order and assigns the highest-ranked option with remaining capacity. If all your wanted options are full you may receive an unwanted rotation, or be left unassigned for your administrator to resolve manually.
Why didn't I get my first choice?
The tool doesn't show the reasoning directly. Your administrator has full visibility of the outcome and can explain.
My invite link isn't working — what do I do?
Contact your administrator to resend or copy a fresh link.
Will everyone see what I ranked?
No. Your preferences and special considerations are visible to your hospital administrator only.
Who do I contact?
For technical problems — a broken link, a page that won't load — chat to the Med App team via live chat.
For programme or hospital questions — why you got a particular rotation, changing a submission, swap decisions — contact your hospital administrator directly.