Academic careers

The Academy acts as a champion for excellence in medical science in the United Kingdom and the support of excellent individual scientists (both clinical and non-clinical) is therefore a high priority.

The Academy campaigns for the development, protection and promotion of careers for academics and encourages good practice in training and development by establishing partnerships with and between the Department of Health, the Medical Research Charities, the NHS, Universities, Research Institutes and with Industry.

Two Academic Careers Committees have been established along with a programme of activities that are intended to ensure the long-term viability and world-class quality of medical research in the UK.

The Academic Careers Committee (clinical) supports the National Clinician Scientist Scheme along with the Academy’s Fellowship Programme and has recently been monitoring the progress of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) and the NHS Modernising Medical Careers agendas. The Academic Careers Committee (non-clinical) has conducted an investigation into UK Fellowship Schemes in the Biomedical Sciences and a report titled ‘The Freedom to Succeed’ was published by the Academy in July 2005.

Details of the Academy’s programme of activities relating to Academic Careers can be found on the following pages however, if you are interested in a career in any area of medicine please visit the Academy’s ‘Academic Medicine’ website. The website, which was launched in December 2004, explains the medical sciences and academic medicine in a straightforward and accessible manner and provides a variety of links and other useful information suitable for anyone considering, or currently pursuing, a career in any area of medicine.