Clinical academic careers Galenicals, 20 th March 2011 Peter Mathieson, Professor of Medicine & Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

Clinical academic careers WHAT? HOW? WHY?

Career path in medicine (including surgery) involving training and experience in teaching and/or research, leading to a senior level position in a university WHAT?

Clinical academic careers Personal: stimulating environments, opportunity to contribute to training of future generations, highs and lows of research. National: shortage subject! WHY?

Clinical academic careers Defined career paths now exist, career structure easier to envisage than previously (but not necessarily easier to attain!). Competitive, demanding. Aim is to have true flexibility. HOW?

Clinical academic careers “I did it my way….” : grammar school in Cornwall : MB BS (Hons) London Hospital (didn’t do an intercalated BSc) : “house jobs”, London Hospital : SHO, “golden mile”, London : Registrar, Hammersmith Hospital incurably hooked on nephrology by this stage; encouraged to do research mainly for reasons of cv enhancement in a competitive specialty

Clinical academic careers “I did it my way….” 1988: Medical Research Council training fellowship, Cambridge (3 yrs). PhD : new Chair of Renal Medicine, Bristol 1991: Medical Research Council clinician- scientist fellowship, Cambridge (4 years). 2007: elected President of Renal Association 2008: Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry University of Bristol

Clinical academic careers “I did it my way….” Research: In Bristol, focus on proteinuria (causes, consequences, treatments) PhD & post-doctoral work on autoimmune renal disease, cytokine genetics Research group now 18 people, mixture of clinical & non-clinical backgrounds from UK, India, Libya etc, collaborations with Sweden, USA, Canada; Funding from MRC, Wellcome

180 litres/day of water & small molecules Almost no protein

Clinical academic careers “I did it my way….” Teaching: Undergraduates & postgraduates in general medicine & nephrology; nurses and PAMs, PhD/MD students, undergraduate projects for intercalating medics/other sciences Rewarding & stimulating, opportunity to “give back”, encourage others etc. UK & Uganda…

Clinical academic careers “I did it my way….” Would I do it again? Definitely! Definitely! Especially now with efforts to construct pathways for clinical academic careers in UK, availability of mentorship schemes, shortage of applicants for senior clinical academic posts etc…

Academic foundation programme Academic Clinical Fellowship Higher Academic Degree ( MD/PhD) Academic Clinical Lectureship Completion of Clinical Training (CCT). 3 years 4 years 2 years 2011: the integrated academic training pathway

Pathways to a career in academic medicine (& surgery etc!) Some health professionals know that they want to pursue an academic career while still a student Opportunities usually exist to learn about research methods during the undergraduate course Some will enter medicine already with a degree in another subject (graduate entrants) For a few there are opportunities to combine getting a medical degree with a PhD (MB/PhD courses) Intercalated BSc (!) & other academic credentials

Academic F2 programme University of Bristol in association with the Severn Deanery Supported by Foundation Programme Directors

The national scene Programmes in all school/deanery partnerships –Varying numbers of posts –Different rotations –Most focus on research a few teaching a very few leadership and management Information on UKFPO website Moving to a national application process before standard FP opens Separate application form Interview

The Bristol programme An academic F2 year 12 posts –1 x 4 month academic post based at UoB Each with a day a week in service –2 x 4 month service posts at UHBristol/NBT Each with a day release for academic work Currently research orientated Education posts to follow Lead onto Academic Clinical Fellowship posts

The academic posts* Surgery Endocrinology-adult General practice Clinical epidemiology/public health * may be subject to change! Psychiatry Medical physiology Paediatrics & ID/microbiology Paediatrics – renal/endocrine

The curriculum Complete F2 competencies in 2 service blocks –Day release in service blocks for academic work –Day release back into service in academic block Generic research methods course –1/2 day/week in block 1 Complete a piece of academic work – 4months –Literature Review –Practical project in lab –Data collection – survey, interviews etc –Write a paper –Presentation at academic meeting Prepare an ACF application

Generic research methods course A selection of the following will be available –European Computer Driving License –An Introduction to Epidemiology, Health Services Research and Basic Statistics –Critical Appraisal –Good Practice in Clinical Research –Good Practice in Laboratory Research –Database management –Writing a research proposal –Careers in Academic Medicine

Supervision/mentorship Clinical supervisor - each attachment Educational supervisor - for the year Academic supervisor Member of group of 12 F2 trainees

Desirable Qualities No failure in MB BCh Additional qualifications eg BA, BSc MSc etc Intercalated degree Distinctions in MB BCh Publication(s) Prizes in medical school Presentation of work at a national or international meeting Demonstration of personal reasons for applying for this AF2

Further information