Dear Sir
We read with interest the letter by Hamdan & Kakarla (Citation2013) about the obstacles that medical students face in acquiring research opportunities. We extend this idea and consider the hurdles faced by junior doctors in undertaking research during their clinical attachments.
In some respects, despite having a closer working relationship with senior clinicians, junior doctors can face greater challenges than medical students in obtaining research experience. Lack of time is a major factor. While students can potentially fit in research projects during their intermittent free hours each week, the same is not necessarily true for junior doctors. The various demands of a junior doctor’s job mean that there is little time, if any, to spare for a full research project during working hours. This means that audits, case studies and quality improvement projects often need to be done in one’s spare time. Indeed, if junior doctors are interested in a niche specialist area, they may have to travel to tertiary centres to undertake a relevant project; hence availability of time becomes even more crucial.
In the UK, the Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) has been introduced as a way of providing junior doctors with time dedicated in their day job to undertake research. The programme has been well received, but there are relatively few places available nationally. Consideration could be given to expanding the AFP further to increase accessibility and increase the number of junior doctors who can benefit from this programme.
Furthermore, we propose that more flexibility could be given to junior doctors to allow at least some time for research during working hours. For example, a few hours per week could be dedicated to academic pursuits such as research and audit. Senior clinicians, with their significant experience in their specialist areas, should be encouraged to support juniors with their research interests. The benefits would work both ways: juniors would gain invaluable research experience; seniors would be able to advance projects that they might not otherwise have time to do.
For medical innovation to continue, we need to facilitate potential researchers in finding research projects to develop and hone their skills. We should capitalise on the zeal for research among junior clinicians and not allow this enthusiasm to go untapped.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no declarations of interest.
Reference
- Hamdan A, Kakarla J. 2013. Barriers faced by medical students interested in research. Med Teach 35(1):78