Clinical research fellow

These roles are usually offered on a 12-month contract and can be a good route to start you on the road to obtaining your MD, should you wish to do so.

As a clinical fellow – equivalent to a senior house officer (SHO) or a junior specialist registrar (SpR) – you need to be willing and eager to take on the challenge of a research project alongside your clinical duties. Your clinical duties will of course involve being assigned to clinics along with specific clinical duties, however, they will be fewer than those expected of other clinical colleagues.

Within the role of the clinical research fellow, you will produce papers on a research topic provided by a consultant in the department. This will mean a portion of your working hours will be dedicated to undertaking a clinical research project, which will involve writing, submitting and publishing at least one paper. To achieve this, you will attend scientific seminars and conferences, deliver lectures on your research, and submit extracts of your research to relevant conferences.