A Career as a Clinical Academic

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A Career as a Clinical Academic

• Prof H McKenzie
• Prof N Webster

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Clinical Academia

• Background/politics
• Research
• Education

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Why would you want to be an academic?

• Interest in research
• Interest in education
• Enquiring mind
• Enjoy variety
• Not a routine job

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What does a clinical academic do?

• Teaching
• Research
• Clinical practice
• Review papers/grants/edit journals
• National committees, Colleges etc
• University/medical school management
• Usually 5050 split as Senior Lecturer/Honorary
  consultant

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Clinical Academic Staffing in the UK

• Medical Schools Council (CHMS) census figures
• 3549 full time clinical academics in 2000
• 2978 full time clinical academics in 2005 (84)
• Clinical lecturer posts are at 50 of 2000 level
• There are around 35,000 medical students in the
  UK up 10,000 since 2000

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Is this a crisis?

• Is academic medicine important?
• Why do you think it might be in decline?

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Why is it in decline?

• Research assessment exercise (RAE)
• Pressures to meet NHS targets
• Longer training with no structure
• Fewer opportunities for undergraduates to
  experience research
• (NB no longer different terms and conditions
  for academics)

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Is academic medicine important?

• Drives research linking fundamental research
  with clinical practice
• Centres of excellence in clinical practice
• Brings an underpinning philosophy to
  undergraduate medical education
• Contributes to post graduate training

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Walport Report (2005)

• Research opportunities and educational principles
  to feature in undergraduate curricula
• Academic programme in FY2
• Dedicated academic programme during specialist
  training

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Academic Training Programme

• Two phases
• Academic Clinical Fellowships three years
  clinical plus competitive 3 year research or
  educational fellowship
• Clinical lectureships two years

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New Posts

• 250 clinical academic fellows and 100 clinical
  lecturer posts ..in England!
• 200 New Blood senior lectureships planned
• Clinical academic numbers in Pathology up 19
  since 2004

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Scotland

• So far, 6 new Clinical Fellowships per year in
  Scotland (Chief Scientist Office)
• 36 new Clinical Lectureships to be created by NES
  from existing NTN posts

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Research

• Should every doctor do it?
• Is it just for clinical academics?

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What types of research are there?

• Audit - is not research
• Clinical research
• Qualitative research
• Basic science
• Animal research
• Systematic reviews

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Value of research

• Literature review
• Critical appraisal
• Problem solving
• Team working
• Time management
• Evidence based practice

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Value of research

• Process without follow-through is pointless
• Completion of the project
• Presentation of the research findings
• Publication of the results
• Change in clinical practice

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How to get started in research

• Starts with a question
• Experimental plan
• Does it need funding? pilot studies always
  help funding bids
• Does it need ethical permission?

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How to get started in research

• Seek help from
• Clinical academics in an area that interests you
• Theme/programme leaders
• NHS RD office

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What next?

• Report the results at a meeting - poster or oral
  presentation
• Prepare a manuscript for publication some
  skills to be acquired
• Paper format according to target journal
• Clarity of explanation

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How to get it published

• Think about how you will present the study in
  advance
• Carefully read and obey the instructions to
  authors
• Figures and tables take up space and are
  relatively more expensive to publish
• Lead the reader through the story

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How to get it published

• What the editor wants is
• A manuscript which is easy to read
• Contains the relevant information in as short a
  space as possible
• Will be quoted by others - impact factors
• Is within the remit of the journal
• Clinically important findings
• Positive results publication bias

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How to NOT to get it published

• Annoy the editor
• No hypothesis
• Unnecessary repeat of others work
• Flawed statistics
• Flawed study design

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Industry funded studies

• Little scope to get involved in design
• Usually strictly controlled and regulated
• Usually not entitled to authorship rights
• Payments are usually made
• Insight into regulatory affairs
• Good introduction into the pitfalls
• NHS RD Office provides support

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Medical Education for everyone..

• Short Training courses available
• Certificate/Diploma/Masters in Medical Education
  (Dundee) new certificate in Aberdeen in 2008
• MA in Education (Open University)
• Clinical Teaching Fellowships
• ASME Association for the Study of Medical
  Education
• AMEE Association for Medical Education in Europe

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