The Insider’s guide to the Academic Foundation Programme!

1. The Insider’s guide to the Academic Foundation Programme! Amelia Holme Mike Ambler Academic F2 Doctors Bristol Royal Infirmary/UoB/NBT

2. Introduction • A bit about us and how we ended up doing an Academic Foundation Programme • What we did for our research projects • A week in the life of an AF2 • The best and worst things about being an AF2 • Top tips + Questions

3. Mike • Physiology & Psychology MA (2004) • Graduated MBBS (2009) UCL • F1 Year NBT Surgery/Care of the Elderly/Short-stay Medicine • AF2 Year NBT: Laboratory science/ITU/GP

4. Career Intentions • Year abroad in South Africa • Applying for ACCS (Acute Care Common Stem) • Plan to do intensive care and a PhD in medical physiology – Cardiff WCAT

5. My research ECG • Working in physiology department with Tony Pickering looking at the use of viral vectors in brainstem neurophysiology Laser input aCSF

6. Expected Outcomes • Still in process of collecting data • Will be submitting an abstract for Experimental Biology 2011 in Boston

7. Amelia • Intercalated BSc in Public Health & Epidemiology • Graduated 2009 University of Birmingham MBChB • Doing “Child Health” AF2 • F1: Gastroenterology/Cardiology/Surgery • F2: Paeds renal/Research/Psychiatry

8. My Research • Interested in paediatrics and public health • Chose Bristol as very good community child health department and ALSPAC

9. My Research • Data from ALSPAC • Brilliant because: • Ethics approval already obtained • Data already collected • All I had to do was analyse the data and write up the paper

10. My Research • Psychological and educational outcomes of growth faltering in infancy in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children • Submitting abstract to BACCH in april • Paper drafted and will be submitted to Pediatrics in a few weeks time

11. Career intentions • Not really sure • Year out next year • Potentially will apply for ACF in Paediatrics in Severn

12. A week in the life of an AF2 Research Post Clinical Postx2 (4 months) (4 months) Monday LabHospital Tuesday TeachingHospital Wednesday HospitalLab Thursday LabHospital Friday LabHospital

13. Purpose of AF2 • Walport report identified lack of structure for clinical academic training. • Introduction to research in early career • Provision of generic research skills • Preparation for ACF

14. Career Structure

15. The best things about AF2 • Great experience in research that other F2’s don’t have • Dedicated academic teaching programme • Great for the CV – will get publications/posters/presentations etc • Can do other qualifications eg. STATA course, teaching courses etc

16. The best things about AF2 • Flexible in what you do your project in (some) • Prestigious – competitive entry as undergraduate • Good hours so can revise for membership exams (not officially supposed to!) • Social • Advantage at CT/ST Training applications

17. The worst things about AF2 • Got to achieve same clinical competencies as non-academic colleagues in 2/3 of the time • Reduced clinical exposure • “Slackademics” – reputation • Some jobs unbanded and odd combinations

18. The worst things about AF2 • Research component can be lonely/frustrating • For the surgeons: placements all quite medically biased, only one surgical AF2 post • For unfortunate few – projects don’t take off, too big to do in 4 months, ethics approval issues etc.

19. Top Tips • BSc not vital: can demonstrate academic potential via ranking/distinctions/publications etc • Think carefully about how it fits in with your career intentions • Surgeons may want to look at other deaneries • Research what the deanery offers AF2s • Prepare for the interview • Good luck!

20. Questions