In the past 15 years, I’ve worked with a range of NHS managers at different levels across a number of organisations. I’ve also mentored a sizable pool of further clinician academics working with their managers. Reflecting back, what realisations would I like to share with both NHS managers and clinical academics?
“I have recently (pretty) successfully completed the task of co-ordinating an international visit as part of my NIHR Clinical Lectureship. I thought it might be helpful to others planning training to share some of the things that worked well for me…and some that didn’t!!”
Do you feel a “a serious lack of organisational and professional value” placed on NMAHP clinical academic skills, knowledge and, ultimately, roles that you try to advance? Continue reading
What am I? Where am I going? Am I actually achieving anything worth while? What should I be doing?
These questions have grown louder and louder in my mind over the past year, and as I recently read Jemma’s post it did not go un-noticed that some of these might be questions inherently built into being a clinical academic. So I thought I would share my ponderings of these questions, in what seems to have turned out a somewhat personal post. Continue reading
Nine years ago I attended a big professional conference at which I met a pair. That pair changed my life and career in profound ways, and today has in many ways been a culmination of that change.
I’ve told this story many times, but never this publicly. Now it feels apt to tell.
From as soon as one goes anywhere near the clinical academic step ladder one is told that funders look for leaders, and that one needs to start to become one. From there on it becomes a case of developing one’s leadership skills, competencies and roles. Yet, ironically, I never expected to arrive to the point of actually being one.
“In coming to the end of my internship I have produced some suggestions as to why one might not want to enter the clinical academic world.” Continue reading
Getting into research is often more like a long gentle slide than a single step. There is plenty of time to wonder if you should be on that slide or jump off, and whether or not you like the look of the landing spot.
I believe supporting and mentoring others are key clinical academic tasks. I view them as favours that people have done for me, and that I seek to pass forward. But it regularly bemuses me how people receive these favours… Continue reading
It’s the fellowship season (read ‘panic’) again. I get at least an email per day asking for advice. This year much of the emails’ content has been about how to choose the host university and supervisors. Continue reading
