The Academic Foundation Programme
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The Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) offers doctors the opportunity to undertake clinical jobs combined with a research interest of their choice over a two year structured programme. This is specifically designed in order to help doctors develop research, teaching and leadership/management skills in addition to the basic clinical knowledge and skills that are required of a junior doctor. The AFP is open to all Foundation Programme applicants but may be especially suited to those with an interest in research, or those who envisage themselves pursuing an academic medical career.
However, it is not the only pathway into academic medicine: it provides those who are interested with a chance to try academic medicine, and the time to pursue a project of their own. There is no reason to undertake an academic foundation programme simply out of concern that it is necessary to enter an academic career at a later stage.
The structure of academic training
It used to be that doctors who wanted to pursue an academia whilst remaining in clinical practice had to forge their own career pathway; they were unconventional. Many found it difficult to balance the demands on their time as there was no structured training pathway, and consequently no provision made for competing commitments.
This system was overhauled to provide a new integrated pathway allowing doctors who are interested in research to follow a structured career plan. The diagram below illustrates the training pathway.
The Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) offers doctors the opportunity to undertake clinical jobs combined with a research interest of their choice over a two year structured programme. This is specifically designed in order to help doctors develop research, teaching and leadership/management skills in addition to the basic clinical knowledge and skills that are required of a junior doctor. The AFP is open to all Foundation Programme applicants but may be especially suited to those with an interest in research, or those who envisage themselves pursuing an academic medical career.
However, it is not the only pathway into academic medicine: it provides those who are interested with a chance to try academic medicine, and the time to pursue a project of their own. There is no reason to undertake an academic foundation programme simply out of concern that it is necessary to enter an academic career at a later stage.
The structure of academic training
It used to be that doctors who wanted to pursue an academia whilst remaining in clinical practice had to forge their own career pathway; they were unconventional. Many found it difficult to balance the demands on their time as there was no structured training pathway, and consequently no provision made for competing commitments.
This system was overhauled to provide a new integrated pathway allowing doctors who are interested in research to follow a structured career plan. The diagram below illustrates the training pathway.
What should I be looking for when I consider applying for academic foundation posts?
Academic foundation programmes vary enormously from place to place. Here are a few questions you could ask yourself when you are looking at the posts offered by different foundation schools.
Will my post have an overarching theme? Some foundation schools (Oxford, for example) offer academic foundation posts which are not tied to a specialty. This means that successful applicants are awarded a post which has a dedicated academic rotation, but the trainee is responsible for seeking a supervisor and setting up their own project in whichever specialty they desire. Other units of application (London, for example) offer academic foundation posts which have set themes, such as Neurology, Haematology, or Surgery. Often the supervisor is specified, though there is usually scope for applicants to seek our their own supervisor depending on their particular interest. Applicants rank the available posts according to which specialty they are most interested in.
There are pros and cons to both of these systems. Some people like complete freedom to choose their own supervisor and project; perhaps they already know their supervisor and are planning to continue a project they have already started, or perhaps they would like more time to decide where their interests lie, and plan to contact supervisors at a later date. Others prefer the structure of having a supervisor from the beginning of their F1 year, and often the non-academic rotations complement the overarching theme: for example, there may be clinical Neurology rotations in a Neurology-themed academic programme.
Will I have formal opportunities to teach during my academic foundation programme? Some academic programmes - even if they are not medical education programmes - incorporate opportunities to teach medical students. This might be taking small groups for tutoring or even lecturing. Although many foundation trainees will take the chance to provide informal teaching to medical students attached to their wards, it can be difficult to approach organisation to offer formal teaching. If you would like to be involved in medical education in the future, this could be a valuable chance to hone your ability to plan and deliver teaching.
Is there a generic research skills teaching programme? Even for those medical students with multiple publications, the world of grant proposals, statistics and ethics applications can seem confusing and overwhelming. It might be worth considering whether, besides setting up your own projects, the foundation school organises teaching in generic research skills for its academic foundation trainees. This is also a great opportunity to meet the other academic trainees: you can find out how they are getting on with their projects, swap tips with each other, or simply get to know other medics who are interested in research.
