Trainee and Supervisor Experience of the Academic Foundation Programme

Abstract

Background The Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) is often the initial step along the Integrated Academic Training pathway in the UK. It is relatively new and research as to its effectiveness is limited. Our objective was to evaluate the AFP in terms of its impact on academic career aspirations and to explore trainees’ expectations and experience of the programme and investigate the enablers and barriers to success. Method Seven supervisors of Academic Foundation trainees were interviewed over a 5-month period in 2014. AFP trainees’ views were sought by way of an online questionnaire that covered six areas: demographics, expectations, academic time, experience, research and achievements. Results Thirty-four trainees completed online questionnaires. The majority of trainees (94%) did not proceed directly along the Integrated Academic Training pathway to complete Academic Clinical Fellowships, but those who applied to do so were often successful (nine applicants, six successful). Free-text comments revealed an expectation of a more course-like structure to the programme, this is in contrast to the authentic experience of clinical academia, along with its associated challenges, that some of the supervisors reported. The importance of planning and preparation for success was a recurring theme from the supervisor interviews. Conclusions The programme is achieving some success in encouraging academic careers. There are several areas that can be improved. Improving the availability of information and guidance for supervisors and facilitating Academic Foundation Doctors to network are both feasible changes that could lead to improvement.

Strengthening the clinical academic pathway: a systematic review of interventions to support clinical academic careers for doctors and dentists

“…Conversely, one supervisor thought a barrier to success was that some candidates did not appreciate the time and work involved. 63 …”

The Case for Junior Doctor Academic Internships: A Narrative Review of the Published Literature

“…A sizeable proportion of academic interns received no training in research methodology. Darbyshire et al 19 Convergent mixed-methods research (questionnaire for interns, and interviews with thematic analysis for supervisors) 1. Academic interns contributed to significant academic output.…”

“…Another recent study that evaluated UKAFP is by Darbyshire and colleagues. 19 These authors conducted a mixed-methods study to evaluate the experiences of interns and their supervisors participating in the academic internships in England. An online survey (which was accessible for 4 weeks in mid-2013 and again in mid-2014) was sent to 48 academic interns, of which 34 in total were returned (ie, response rate 44% in 2013, and 27% in 2014).…”

“…This study provides a unique juxtaposition of the interns and supervisors’ experience of the UKAFP in North West England. 19 However, a major weakness of the study is its failure to address the representativeness (or lack thereof) of the intern sample. It is unclear if the authors could distinguish which interns responded to the survey in 2013 versus 2014.…”

“…24 Providing interested students with introductory material (via live or online courses) may enhance the prospective applicants' confidence in applying for these competitive positions. 22,23 Among the highlights of the academic internship to date are the significant research outputs (including conference presentations, and peer-reviewed publications) by the interns, 20 the valued opportunity to teach medical students, 19 and the superior performance on clinical (ie, non-academic) rotations compared with traditional interns. 17 However, several challenges were also identified, including: the lack of funding opportunities, limited protected research time, inadequate introduction to research methodology, and the need for careful balancing of clinical, research and life duties.…”