What is an academic clinical fellowship?

The academic clinical fellowship programmes offer training to new entrants to specialist training who have foundation competences (including GP and dental) and can demonstrate that they have outstanding potential for development as a clinical academic in research and/or education.

Training is flexible and trainee-centred, as far as possible, with mentoring to ensure the attainment of both academic and clinical goals. Each trainee who is selected for the academic clinical fellowship pogramme will be awarded a national training number at the start of the programme. The academic component of the training period must include preparation of an application for a competitive peer-reviewed research training fellowship or educational training programme leading to the award of a higher degree, the completion of which is considered as the end-point of the academic clinical fellowship period. In the event that an individual is unsuccessful in obtaining a research training fellowship/educational training programme within three years, they will join a standard clinical training programme with consequent contractual obligations.

What is the content of an academic clinical fellowship programme? - Programmes should be specialty focussed and engage trainees in a clinical environment that values research and/or education and provide the individual with every opportunity to explore his/her embryonic research and/or education interests.