Starting out in clinical academia

Amitava BanerjeeNIHR Clinical Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine

University of Birminghama.banerjee.1@bham.ac.uk

Conflicts of interest• Nil

Outline

• Current UK climate for clinical academics • My career path

• Lessons from my mistakes

• Specific questions from trainees

UK healthcare spending-under threat

Patients and funding-on the rise

Growth of publications (and retractions)

Lesson 1

• Go where there is a need and a future

Flow diagram for clinical research

Flow diagram for knowledge creation

Flow diagram for clinical academic training

How to never become a consultant• 1996- Medical school (Oxford)• 2002/3- House jobs (Oxford/Newcastle)• SHO A+E/Cardiothoracic (Hull)• 2004/5- MPH (Harvard)• Internship (WHO)• SHO Medicine(Oxford/London)• 2007- DPhil (Oxford)• 2010- Cardiology (West Midlands)• 2011- Clinical Lecturer (Birmingham)• 2015- CCT due

Lesson 2

• Life is not a flow diagram

ST years pre-doc

• Broad experience• Identify potential local mentors/projects• Ask ACFs/ACLs• Read around to establish your interests• Get exams out of the way• Publications

How to prepare an application for funding for a higher degree

• Person• Place• Project

• Mentor• Peer review• Deadlines• Supporting documentation• Develop a thick skin

Sources of PhD funding• MRC• Wellcome• NIHR• Speciality-specific funders- CRUK, BHF• Special funding-BMA, AXA, Fulbright, Mason

Medical Research, Dunhill Trust, Pharma• Societies-RCP/RCS/Academy of Medical Sciences• Secured funding

• BMJ Careers

NHS research

Flow diagram for clinical academic training

Lesson 3

• Don’t worry about failure

Challenges facing surgical speciality ACFs/CLs

•Support of clinical and academic supervisors/teams and deanery

•Gaining practical competency

•Realism

•Selecting the right subspeciality

•Mentorship

Lesson 4

• One size does not fit all

Conclusions• There is plenty of scope and need for clinical

academics• There are many ways to become a clinical

academic• Identifying good mentors is crucial