Investigating Barriers to Clinical Academic Careers Amongst Undergraduate Medical Students

There is a critical shortage of academic clinicians in the UK, particularly amongst minority ethnic groups. This study aimed to identify students' perceived barriers to engagement in research, and evaluate whether demographic characteristics influenced these perceptions, in order to identify opportunities to improve training and promote clinical academic careers.

A 59-item structured survey was distributed between November 2023-January 2024 to medical students at the University of Cambridge. It incorporated 45 questions using a five-point Likert scale to measure knowledge of research types, confidence with research skills, and understanding of academic careers, producing a total (global) score of 45-225.

One hundred and twenty-six students responded. One in four students reported a poor understanding of the clinical academic career pathway. Few students felt confident performing core research steps, such as designing a study (n=23, 18.3%), analysing data (n=27, 21.4%), and writing it as a full research manuscript (n=16, 12.7%). On multivariable analysis, Caucasian ethnicity and year of study were independently associated with increased global scores (betas of 26.4 and 12.5 respectively, both p<0.05), but not sex (beta -0.92, p=0.88). Consequently, students from non-Caucasian backgrounds reported 11.8% less confidence in their understanding of research and clinical academic careers.

Students perceive that insufficient understanding, skills and opportunities inhibit their engagement in research. These feelings are heightened in those at early stages of their training and those of non-Caucasian ethnicity. Thus, there is a need for dedicated training delivered early in medical training to increase representation and inclusivity in clinical academia.