There is a pressing need for more clinicians to get involved in clinically-relevant research as clinical academics or researchers in the NHS.
Combining research with clinical work can make for a very rewarding and varied career. UCL offers a pathway for clinicians wishing to train as mental health researchers, the MSc in Mental Health Sciences Research in the Division of Psychiatry. This provides a very practical research training and has been a route for many into a career in which research is a major element.
The biggest group of UCL’s students have been trainee psychiatrists, but it also has graduates from a full range of professional backgrounds. .
The MSc offers core modules in research methods together with a wide variety of optional modules, focused on areas including neuroscience, social and global aspects of mental health, evaluation in mental health and epidemiology. You can also take modules from across UCL. You finish by completing a research project with UCL’s support, writing it up in a format suitable for journal publication, and many of these papers are published: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/study/postgraduate-study/student-publications-based-research-projects-and-research-placements.
The structure is very flexible, allowing the 12 modules to be taken over up to 5 years with payment as modules are taken. People have started the course at a wide variety of stages, from CT3 to ST6 - earlier is often better if you are considering an academic career.
Some further details and a link for applications (closing 30 June) may be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/mental-health-sciences-research-msc.
Noclor Research Support Services also provide some funding for ELFT clinicians to undertake this. You may also be eligible for financial support from the UK Government Postgraduate Loans Scheme (and some people do also manage to use some study leave funding towards the course). Details of the scholarships, closing on 30 July are here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/news/2022/feb/msc-scholarships-available-north-london-clinical-staff-2022-applications.
If you have questions or wish to discuss the course and these scholarships Sonia Johnson, UCL Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry/Director of Education is more than happy to be contacted at s.johnson@ucl.ac.uk, or for general enquiries about the MSc and the scholarships please contact dop.msc.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk.