Antony K Sorial1, Morgan Harrison-Holland2, Helen S Young3. 1. Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. 2. Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. 3. Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. helen.s.young@manchester.ac.uk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Medical students at The University of Manchester have the option of research intercalation on the Master of Research programme. There is a paucity of evidence for the benefits of research intercalation. However, we hypothesised that research intercalation would accelerate post-graduate career progression and aimed to objectively measure the career enhancing impact, quantify the benefits and determine the alumni perception of research intercalation. METHODS: Data was collected retrospectively by electronic questionnaire (in 2018) from those commencing research intercalation between 2005 and 2012. RESULTS: Participants (n=52) returned questionnaires (68% response), demonstrating that the cohort had completed 67 postgraduate qualifications, published 304 manuscripts (median 3 publications per person (PP); range: 0-53) and made 430 presentations (median 7 PP; range: 0-37). Alumni had been awarded 49 research grants; funding disclosed on 43% totalled £823,000. Career progression of 73% of alumni had taken the minimum number of years; 27% took longer due to time spent working abroad or to gain additional experience prior to specialty training. Fifty-five publications and 71 presentations were directly related to MRes projects. CONCLUSION: Research intercalation provides graduates with an opportunity to learn valuable transferrable skills, contribute to translational research, and objectively enhances medical career progression.
BACKGROUND: Medical students at The University of Manchester have the option of research intercalation on the Master of Research programme. There is a paucity of evidence for the benefits of research intercalation. However, we hypothesised that research intercalation would accelerate post-graduate career progression and aimed to objectively measure the career enhancing impact, quantify the benefits and determine the alumni perception of research intercalation. METHODS: Data was collected retrospectively by electronic questionnaire (in 2018) from those commencing research intercalation between 2005 and 2012. RESULTS:Participants (n=52) returned questionnaires (68% response), demonstrating that the cohort had completed 67 postgraduate qualifications, published 304 manuscripts (median 3 publications per person (PP); range: 0-53) and made 430 presentations (median 7 PP; range: 0-37). Alumni had been awarded 49 research grants; funding disclosed on 43% totalled £823,000. Career progression of 73% of alumni had taken the minimum number of years; 27% took longer due to time spent working abroad or to gain additional experience prior to specialty training. Fifty-five publications and 71 presentations were directly related to MRes projects. CONCLUSION: Research intercalation provides graduates with an opportunity to learn valuable transferrable skills, contribute to translational research, and objectively enhances medical career progression.
Authors: Laura Marcela Mass-Hernández; Laura Marcela Acevedo-Aguilar; Ivan David Lozada-Martínez; Lucas Santiago Osorio-Agudelo; Juan Gabriel Esteban Maria Maya-Betancourth; Omar Andrés Paz-Echeverry; Mario Javier Paz-Echeverry; Harold Sebastian Castillo-Pastuzan; Juan Carlos Rojas-Pimentel; Sabrina Rahman Journal: Ann Med Surg (Lond) Date: 2022-01-25