Early Career Clinical Academic Pathways for General Practitioners If you are a GP who is interested in exploring the possibility of an academic career, then please do get in touch. Academic careers are varied and flexible, incorporating both research and teaching, and spanning the spectrum from clinicians supporting undergraduate teaching to full-time roles. We are always happy to discuss the possibilities. Key opportunities are summarised below. Key People Name Role Email Bruce Guthrie Professor of General Practice bruce.guthrie@ed.ac.uk Stewart Mercer Professor of Primary Care and Multimorbidity stewart.mercer@ed.ac.uk David Weller James Mackenzie Professor of General Practice david.weller@ed.ac.uk Karen Fairhurst Professor of Student Learning in Primary Care karen.fairhurst@ed.ac.uk Research Opportunities GP SCREDS (for GPs in clinical training) The Scottish Clinical Research Excellence Development Scheme (SCREDS) gives protected time to clinicians in specialist training to develop research skills. GP SCREDS posts are usually appointed in the middle of the GPST2 year to start at the beginning of GPST3. For GP SCREDS, your training programme is extended to four years and you do 50% clinical and 50% academic work in ST3 and ST4 giving you one year of protected time to develop academic experience (in practice, the time split is often more like 60% clinical in ST3 and 40% in ST4 to fit around clinical training and MRCGP). The aim of this post is to give you enough experience to decide if an academic career is right for you, and if it is, to prepare you for an application for a research fellowship to complete a PhD. You will typically therefore spend time doing methods and skills training, collaborating on existing projects, and developing and running your own work. We do expect you to contribute to teaching, but the focus is on clinical research. We currently have one GP SCREDS post, which is therefore only available every second year. Post-CCT Clinical Academic Fellowships (for GPs in ST3 or who have recently completed training) NHS Education for Scotland fund post-CCT Clinical Academic Fellowships across Scotland. These are appointed in a single annual process where you nominate where you would like to work (Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, or St Andrews), and how many academic sessions (ie half-days) you would like to work (minimum 4 sessions, maximum 8 sessions). These normally advertise between late March and end of April and start in August. You are eligible provided that you have fairly recently completed GP training, although the time limit applied varies with individual circumstances. You organise your own clinical or other work in the rest of the week. The posts are for one year, although you can apply for a second year in open competition. Like GP SCREDS, the aim of this post is to give you enough experience to decide if an academic career is right for you, and if it is, to prepare you for an application for a research fellowship to complete a PhD. You will typically therefore spend time doing methods and skills training, collaborating on existing projects, and developing and running your own work. We do expect you to contribute to teaching, but the focus is on research, although for Clinical Academic Fellows it is possible to focus on educational or workforce research if that is your primary interest. Across Scotland, there are normally around 6 GPs appointed annually to these posts. NHS Research Scotland Fellowships (for GPs who are more established in practice) NHS Research Scotland (NRS) fund fellowships intended to bring established practitioners into research. These are funded at the consultant scale for one day per week for two or three years, and as of 2020 there is a single annual national appointment process for GP applicants (consultants, nurses and allied health professionals are also eligible but are appointed separately). They typically advertise in the final quarter of the year, with interviews in January or February, and two GPs were appointed in the 2019/2020 round. The application involves completing a form that includes a project proposal, so if you are interested in one of these then please get in touch to discuss. Teaching opportunities General Practice Undergraduate Medical Education Teaching in the community delivered through general practice constitutes a substantial part of the core undergraduate medical curriculum at the University of Edinburgh. Community based education provides excellent opportunities for medical students to: Understand the concept and value of generalism Develop skills in clinical problem solving due to the undifferentiated nature of many patient presentations in primary care Understand epidemiology of disease e.g. the true prevalence and nature of disease Understand the social and psychological aspects of health, illness and disease Understand the socioeconomic determinants of health Understand the concept and value of relationship-based care and continuity of care Understand the concept of team working and the multidisciplinary team Community based education ensures that all medical graduates whatever their eventual career path have an understanding and appreciation of primary care and practising medicine in the community. It is increasingly recognised that students who have greater exposure to general practice at undergraduate level are more likely to choose a career in general practice. Year 1 Social and Ethical Aspects of Medicine (SEAM) Students undertake two community based practical modules with the SEAM theme. Semester 1 is about understanding the experience of illness and semester 2 is about Health in Communities. Students are attached in groups of 10-12 to a GP tutor and conduct interviews in pairs with a patient with a long-term condition and an adult in a family. Interviews are preceded by preparatory tutorials and followed by review tutorials. Through the practical aspects of the modules, students apply and develop their knowledge and understanding of health and illness, develop interviewing and communication skills and develop reflective learning. Students will also learn more about the Practice and local community. Contact Jeni Harden for more information for semester 1: jeni.harden@ed.ac.uk Contact Helen Eborall for semester 2: h.eborall@ed.ac.uk Year 2 Knowledge to Clinical Practice Students are attached in groups of up to 9 to a GP tutor for one afternoon a week for 25 weeks throughout year 2. They are introduced to history taking and examination in four systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological) in the context of exemplar diseases. They are also introduced to important clinical areas such as mental health and frailty. They are examined in an end of year Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Contact Hilary Young for more information: h.young@ed.ac.uk Year 3 : BMedSci Health Sciences – Primary Care We offer a primary care course as part of the BMedSci in Health Sciences programme. Students taking this course undertake a longitudinal clinical placement linked to a GP practice and GP tutor. The aim of the placement is to enable students to reflect on the practical and professional implications of the theoretical and factual learning undertaken in the associated primary care course. Students are attached to a practice for 10 half day sessions spread throughout the academic year. Contact Karen Fairhurst for more information: karen.fairhurst@ed.ac.uk Year 4: Process of care – General Practice In Year 4, students undertake a 10-week General Practice module which includes experience in outpatient clinics including endocrine rheumatology and diabetes. During the GP module, the students alternate between a placement week in practice and a week of clinic learning which also includes in-person and virtual tutorials. Students are attached to practices for 6 half days per week during their General Practice module and have a dedicated GP tutor in Practice. The overall aim of this attachment is to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to holistically diagnose and manage patients’ problems in the General Practice setting. Contact Katherina Tober for more information: katherina.tober@ed.ac.uk Year 6: Preparation for practice – General Practice In Year 6, students complete a four week general practice module. The overall aim of this attachment is to provide an immersive experience in primary care, allowing students to acquire the knowledge, skills and professionalism required to holistically diagnose and manage patients’ problems in the general practice setting with exposure to both acute and continuing care, and the broader MDT. Students are attached to practices for five half day (four hour) sessions in each placement week. Contact Neil Gallacher for more information: neil.gallacher@ed.ac.uk Gaining teaching experience (GPs and GP trainees) Small group teaching For the past four years, we have supported final year GP trainees (GPST3) in gaining teaching experience by providing opportunities to get involved in small group teaching of students in year 4 on Wednesday afternoons. The feedback is always positive and some of these trainees have gone on to further develop an active role in teaching within the undergraduate programme in Edinburgh and at other Universities. Opportunities for GP trainees who have an interest in teaching and could commit to some sessions are available from March onwards each year for an August start. Contact Hilary Young for further information: h.young@ed.ac.uk Workshop facilitation For the past three years, we have also offered opportunities to GPs and GPST3s to facilitate the Year 4 virtual telephone simulation workshop days that we run three times a year in August, November and February. Contact Katherina Tober for more information: katherina.tober@ed.ac.uk Courses If you would like to develop your teaching skills, the following courses may be of interest: Clinical Educator Programme Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education This article was published on 2024-09-24
