The Insider’s guide to the
Academic Foundation Programme!
Amelia Holme
Mike Ambler
Academic F2 Doctors
Bristol Royal Infirmary/UoB/NBT
Introduction
• A bit about us and how we ended up doing an
Academic Foundation Programme
• What we did for our research projects
• A week in the life of an AF2
• The best and worst things about being an AF2
• Top tips + Questions
Mike
• Physiology & Psychology MA (2004)
• Graduated MBBS (2009) UCL
• F1 Year NBT
Surgery/Care of the Elderly/Short-stay Medicine
• AF2 Year NBT:
Laboratory science/ITU/GP
Career Intentions
• Year abroad in South Africa
• Applying for ACCS (Acute Care Common Stem)
• Plan to do intensive care and a PhD in medical
physiology – Cardiff WCAT
My research
• Working in physiology department with Tony
Pickering looking at the use of viral vectors in
brainstem neurophysiology
ECG
Laser
input
aCSF
Expected Outcomes
• Still in process of collecting data
• Will be submitting an abstract for Experimental
Biology 2011 in Boston
Amelia
• Intercalated BSc in Public Health &
Epidemiology
• Graduated 2009 University of Birmingham
MBChB
• Doing “Child Health” AF2
• F1: Gastroenterology/Cardiology/Surgery
• F2: Paeds renal/Research/Psychiatry
My Research
• Interested in paediatrics and public health
• Chose Bristol as very good community child
health department and ALSPAC
My Research
• Data from ALSPAC
• Brilliant because:
 Ethics approval already obtained
 Data already collected
 All I had to do was analyse the data and write up
the paper
My Research
• Psychological and educational outcomes of
growth faltering in infancy in the Avon
Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
• Submitting abstract to BACCH in april
• Paper drafted and will be submitted to
Pediatrics in a few weeks time
Career intentions
• Not really sure
• Year out next year
• Potentially will apply for ACF in Paediatrics in
Severn
A week in the life of an AF2
Monday
Research Post
(4 months)
Lab
Clinical Postx2
(4 months)
Hospital
Tuesday
Teaching
Hospital
Wednesday
Hospital
Lab
Thursday
Lab
Hospital
Friday
Lab
Hospital
Purpose of AF2
• Walport report identified lack of structure for
clinical academic training.
• Introduction to research in early career
• Provision of generic research skills
• Preparation for ACF
Career Structure
The best things about AF2
• Great experience in research that
other F2’s don’t have
• Dedicated academic teaching
programme
• Great for the CV – will get
publications/posters/presentations
etc
• Can do other qualifications eg.
STATA course, teaching courses
etc
The best things about AF2
• Flexible in what you do your project in (some)
• Prestigious – competitive entry as
undergraduate
• Good hours so can revise for membership
exams (not officially supposed to!)
• Social
• Advantage at CT/ST Training applications
The worst things about AF2
• Got to achieve same clinical competencies as
non-academic colleagues in 2/3 of the time
• Reduced clinical exposure
• “Slackademics” – reputation
• Some jobs unbanded and odd combinations
The worst things about AF2
• Research component can be lonely/frustrating
• For the surgeons: placements all quite
medically biased, only one surgical AF2 post
• For unfortunate few – projects don’t take off, too
big to do in 4 months, ethics approval issues
etc.
Top Tips
• BSc not vital: can demonstrate academic
potential via ranking/distinctions/publications
etc
• Think carefully about how it fits in with your
career intentions
• Surgeons may want to look at other deaneries
• Research what the deanery offers AF2s
• Prepare for the interview
• Good luck!
Questions