The impact of structured training on academic medicine in the UK

Introduction of structured training has been a recent event. The programmes have been modelled on curricula produced by the medical royal colleges. Re gular assessment throughout the training has helped to achieve the designed goals. This reform encourages research for up to 1 year. However, the rese arch year would not be funded by the normal National Health Service channel s. The period of research can be extended by a year without losing the nati onal training number. If the specialist registrars take this towards the en d of year 4 then they can continue in research and acquire the certificate of 'Completion of Specialist Training' yet continue with the research for a degree by thesis. Clinical competence needs new ways of measurement withou t adhering to time periods of training. This will enable clinicians not to turn away from academic medicine because of longer periods of training need ed prior to being appointed to a substantive academic post, compared with a colleague who is pursuing a clinical career.