Postgraduate Clinical Academic Training
Postgraduate Clinical Academic Training
Imperial offers a wide range of opportunities for clinicians to become involved in research and education.
In collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and other Imperial associated trusts, trainees can complete their training whilst learning and carrying out research alongside internationally renowned clinicians and researchers.
Integrated Academic Training (IAT) Pathway
The IAT pathway is one route to become a medically qualified academic.
NB Academic Training Programme:
- Includes training pathway in medical education
- Timing of ACF appointment varies across specialties
- Time taken to complete training varies with specialty/competence
- Easy transfer with clinical training programme
Academic Foundation Trainees:
- First employment after completing medical school training.
- Academic attachment for 4 months in year 2
- 20 months on clinical rotation, with some ongoing academic activity.
- Aim is to prepare for core/speciality training or apply for an ACF post.
- Further information
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow:
- Usually pre-doctoral clinical academic trainee, but can be appointed with PhD
- Usually preferable for trainee to be at ST3 level or above, except in specialties with run-through training
- 25% time carrying out research, usually as 3 month blocks per year, combined with clinical training for up to 3 years
- Aim is to obtain a Clinical Research Training Fellowship or other funding to complete PhD/MD(Res)
- Recruitment is carried out through the London Deanery, further information
NIHR Clinical Lecturer:
- Post-doctoral clinical academic trainee
- 50% time carrying out research, combined with clinical training, organised to suit the trainee’s needs
- Maximum time 4 years, provided that ongoing clinical training is required
- Aim is to obtain a Clinician Scientist Fellowship or Clinical Senior Lectureship
- Recruitment is carried out through the London Deanery, further information
Clinical Research Training Fellow:
- Registered for a PhD or MD(Res), usually at Imperial
- Full-time research funded by various bodies, e.g. MRC, AMRC
- No fixed clinical commitments, but often choose to do limited clinical work, e.g. one clinic per week
- Aim is to obtain a PhD/MD(Res) and continue research/clinical training, e.g. as a Clinical Lecturer
- Fellowships will need to be applied for through the various funding bodies.
Clinical Research Fellow:
- Carrying out fixed term period of research or education, with variable clinical commitments
- May be registered for a PhD or MD(Res), depending on job description
- The title is used flexibly, and the post can be equivalent to ACF or CRTF
- Aim of the post will depend upon job description
- Posts will be advertised through the College.
Clinician Scientist/Intermediate Research Fellow:
- Post-doctoral research, combined with completion of clinical training, depending upon funder’s requirements
- Can usually be extended beyond award of CCT
- Funded by various bodies, e.g. MRC , AMRC
- Aim is to obtain a Clinical Senior Lectureship or Senior Research Fellowship
- Posts will be advertised for through the various funding bodies.
HEFCE Clinical Senior Lecturer:
- Combines independent research programme with Consultant level clinical responsibility
- Funded 50% by HEFCE and 50% by Trust
- 5 year appointment at post-CCT and post-doctoral level
- Aim is to obtain a tenured clinical academic post at Imperial College London or elsewhere
- The fifth and final recruitment round has finished and it is unclear whether there will be any more HEFCE funded Clinical senior lecturers. Further details.
Numbers at Imperial
Information on this year’s spread of Academic Clinical Fellows and Clinical Lecturers.
There were 9 HEFCE clinical senior lecturer posts awarded to Imperial in 2010, this was the highest number awarded to an institution.
There were nearly 300 Clinical Research Training Fellows at Imperial in 2010.
The graphs below show the overall numbers of Academic Clinical Fellows, Clinical Lecturers and HEFCE Clinical Senior Lecturers awarded to Imperial College and the numbers awarded to the rest of England:
