ASSOCIATED PROJECTS

Environmentally sustainable healthcare

PATHWAY TO A CLINICAL LECTURESHIP

I have always enjoyed research, and as a medical student here in Oxford I sought extra opportunities, such as a summer visit to a lab at the University of Sydney. I then started work as an Academic Foundation Programme doctor at King’s College Hospital, and after a year out of training I returned to Oxford as an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow. I obtained MRC funding for my DPhil during my ST3 Medical Oncology year and went out of programme. After a year back in training post-DPhil, I started my NIHR Clinical Lectureship.

WHAT HAS THE WORK INVOLVED?

In my CL I’ve transitioned into a new research field. My DPhil was in cancer genetics and risk prediction, and I am now focusing on environmentally sustainable healthcare, which has been an amazing opportunity to work in an area I feel deeply passionate about. My current work focuses on the social and ethical issues associated with reducing the environmental impact of healthcare, and I’m developing qualitative research skills to completement my quantitative background. I also teach and examine medical students and master’s degree students, and co-supervise a PhD student.

I have extremely supportive clinical and academic supervisors, which has enabled me to flex my working pattern depending on clinical training requirements and academic needs. For much of my CL I’ve split my week between clinical and academic work, which has been great for continuity on both sides, but I have also done blocks of more intensive clinical or academic time.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING A CL?

I’ll start with cons...

• Balancing family/clinical/academic commitments is quite a juggle, and I’m perpetually quite tired!
• Doing two lots of mandatory training and dealing with paperwork from two workplaces is a slog.

The pros outweigh the cons…

• I love developing research questions and working towards an answer.
• I meet and learn from brilliant academics from hugely varied backgrounds, which has encouraged me to think in a more interdisciplinary way.
• I’ve had lots of development opportunities, such leadership and mentoring skills through local, NIHR, and AMS training schemes, and grant reviewing through the NIHR committee member development scheme.

I am still committed to a research career, and will be applying for fellowships in the next year with my fingers tightly crossed…

WHY OXFORD?

I’m very familiar with Oxford, having been a medical student here. I always loved Oxford and was drawn back, after some time in London and abroad, by the opportunity to work with excellent colleagues in a beautiful city. I also knew that the support for clinical academics here was outstanding, and the OUCAGS team have made a huge difference to my career opportunities and progression.

November 2025