Integrating research into the career of a psychiatrist in the past, present and future?

Following the maelstrom of Modernising Medical Careers and changes to postgraduate training in the UK, trainees' exposure to research has changed significantly. At an early stage, those interested in a research career apply for a limited number of academic clinical fellow and clinical lecturer posts through academic programmes. The latest version of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Occasional Paper 65, Specialist Training in Psychiatry, ¹ advocates two sessions of ‘protected time’ for higher trainees for both research and special interest sessions (unlike the four sessions advocated in the past). ² Anecdotal feedback from trainees across the country suggests that significant numbers of higher trainees are therefore not conducting research (favouring audit), and although provision is made in the curriculum for research, deaneries are not compelled to enforce this.

Australian colleagues have pointed to this problem in the past ³ and used the analogy of knowledge of research methods and statistics without conducting actual research being akin to that of practising medicine based solely on theoretical knowledge, without patient contact.

Furthermore, at a time when recruitment into psychiatry is in the spotlight, one of the accepted reasons for students neglecting psychiatry as a career choice (perceived lack of a scientific basis) ⁴ may be accentuated.

The ramifications of this shift could be that an entire generation of psychiatrists stop asking (and testing) the clinically relevant questions and that aspiring students do not enjoy the enriching experience of research.