The impact of research intercalation during medical school on post-graduate career progression

Antony K Sorial,Morgan Harrison-Holland,Helen S Young

doi:10.1186/s12909-020-02478-7

Antony K Sorial, Morgan Harrison-Holland + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02478-7

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Abstract

BackgroundMedical students at The University of Manchester have the option of research intercalation on the Master of Research programme. There is a paucity of evidence for the benefits of research intercalation. However, we hypothesised that research intercalation would accelerate post-graduate career progression and aimed to objectively measure the career enhancing impact, quantify the benefits and determine the alumni perception of research intercalation.MethodsData was collected retrospectively by electronic questionnaire (in 2018) from those commencing research intercalation between 2005 and 2012.ResultsParticipants (n=52) returned questionnaires (68% response), demonstrating that the cohort had completed 67 postgraduate qualifications, published 304 manuscripts (median 3 publications per person (PP); range: 0–53) and made 430 presentations (median 7 PP; range: 0–37). Alumni had been awarded 49 research grants; funding disclosed on 43% totalled £823,000. Career progression of 73% of alumni had taken the minimum number of years; 27% took longer due to time spent working abroad or to gain additional experience prior to specialty training. Fifty-five publications and 71 presentations were directly related to MRes projects.ConclusionResearch intercalation provides graduates with an opportunity to learn valuable transferrable skills, contribute to translational research, and objectively enhances medical career progression.

Highlights

Medical students at The University of Manchester have the option of research intercalation on the Master of Research programme
Other advantages offered by intercalation include acquiring a portfolio of new skills, having access to research opportunities which offer an increased likelihood of having papers published and gaining research grants. During their clinical undergraduate training 244 intercalating medical students from Bristol and Sheffield Universities published 54 papers prior to graduation in medicine. Those intercalators with clinical academic supervisors performed significantly better across a number of academic metrics [11]
Demographics Seventy-seven individuals expressed their interest in participating by contacting the study team for further information, from a total of 142 MRes alumni

Summary

Introduction

Medical students at The University of Manchester have the option of research intercalation on the Master of Research programme. Intercalation involves taking time out of the medicine undergraduate programme in order to complete a separate but (usually) related degree [1]. It is widely encouraged at many Medical Schools and incorporated into the undergraduate curricula in some institutions [1]. The focus of MMC was to improve patient care through the provision of a transparent and efficient career path for doctors (8–10 years for specialty training and 5 years for general practice) supported by high quality medical education [3]. MMC in combination with the restrictions of the European Working Time Directive, resulted in a real-time reduction in the length of training

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