Exploring resilience in rural GP registrars – implications for training

Background: Resilience can be defined as the ability to rebound from adversity and overcome difficult circumstances. General Practice (GP) registrars face many challenges in transitioning into general practice, and additional stressors and pressures apply for those choosing a career in rural practice. At this time of international rural generalist medical workforce shortages, it is important to focus on the needs of rural GP registrars and how to support them to become resilient health care providers. This study sought to explore GP registrars' perceptions of their resilience and strategies they used to maintain resilience in rural general practice

Identifying the dominant personality profiles in medical students: Implications for their well-being and resilience

Purpos

The clinician-scientist track: an approach addressing Australia’s need for a pathway to train its future clinical academic workforce

Clinician-scientist training represents the epitome of preparation for biomedical scientific discovery. The significance of, and need for, clinician-scientists is universally recognised as essential to progress medical research across what is regarded as the 'translational gap'. Despite a rich history of cutting-edge biomedical research, Australia has no infrastructure or career pathway for training clinician-scientists.The Clinician-scientist Track (CST) was developed to address this concern at the University of Queensland. The CST concept began in 2010 with the Concurrent MD-Masters that allowed students to undertake a research Masters concurrently with their medical program. The rationale was to offer an attractive and realistic option to recruit our highest performing students into a research higher degree, with the underlying aim of encouraging those most capable, to transfer to the MD-PhD. The Concurrent MD-Masters was immediately popular and remains so. Over 8 years, enrolments rose seven-fold (60 MD-Masters, 36 MD-PhDs). The transfer rate from MD-Masters to MD-PhD is 28% supporting our original aim.Many challenges remain for the future of the program. These challenges are underpinned by a culture that values clinician-scientists as crucial to ensuring that high quality health and medical research is undertaken and translated to patient care, but lags behind in establishing an infrastructure to develop and maintain a new generation of this vital workforce. A future challenge is to develop a coordinated approach to a supported Australian MD-PhD pathway for our most talented and committed students beginning in the undergraduate Bachelor's degree into the medical degree and throughout specialty training. Shared responsibility is necessary between institutions and stakeholders to support and nurture newly trained MD-PhDs into the post-graduate years. Flexibility across this medical training continuum that allows integration of both degrees will help ensure students make the most meaningful connections between the research and the medicine. What is paramount will be acknowledging the career expectations of an emerging cohort of medical students, in particular females, wishing to pursue research. Without these considerations we risk losing our next generation of potential clinician-scientists

The ethical rap

Here are some tips to keep in mind And others you may simply find Essential to your research design Whether it’s RCT or double blind The ethical considerations you must ponder Ethical considerations Are not mere exaggerations Or NHMRC machinations Designed to prompt procrastination Or slow your application Because we know there is little time at your disposal — for work on your proposal Above all: Be sure your patients are content To give to you informed consent There is no need to reinvent Reasons to cause malcontent You’re just required to present Any unclear danger or event That may be considered torment Or cause harm and discomfort to your participants And: Speaking of those who comprise your experimental troupe Always consider those of a vulnerable group This is of prime importance and not just another hoop For you to jump through Now: Is it possible I ask? Multi-institution review will be a thing of the past? Best not to speculate — or move too fast Remember the adage that good things don’t last Indeed the number of review boards is beyond belief So if multi-site approval is giving you grief Be joyous and thankful — there is a portent of relief Just get on the website and fill out the NEAF Also keep in mind: It’s sad but true That expedited review is for only a few Of those of us who knew Exactly what to do To construe the application With minimal frustration And get it through administration Without submitting 15 hard copies . . . And remember: Maintaining confidentiality Is not merely a formality But involves matters of morality Not to mention of legality So choose your methods carefully So all your risks are plain to see The bottom line is: To obtain ethical clearance Takes skill and perseverance And it’s not just for appearance But proof of your adherence To all ethical considerations in your research -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHMRC = National Health and Medical Research Council. NEAF = National Ethics Application Form

Building a teaching-research nexus in a research intensive university: rejuvenating the recruitment and training of the clinician scientist

Background: The continuing decline in clinician scientists is a global concern. This paper reports on a two-fold rationale to address this decline by increasing the number of students on a formal pathway to an academic research career, and building a 'teaching-research nexus' using the research intensive environment at our University