The clinical academic workforce

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The Medical and Dental Clinical Academic Survey

The Medical and Dental Clinical Academic Survey is a way for institutions such as universities, hospitals and research funders to understand the current pool of clinical academics. With this information they can better plan for the future of clinical academia, ensuring that it continues to benefit patient care.

Historically this information was not collected in a coordinated way, so recognising shortfalls in particular specialities was difficult. The first medical clinical academic survey was undertaken in 2000 and the Medical Schools Council assumed responsibility for the survey in 2003, after which it has been undertaken annually. Over the same period, the Dental Schools Council has conducted a survey into the numbers of dental clinical academics.

Since 2018, the data has taken the form of an interactive tool which includes both the latest and all historical data. 

Other health professions (also known as NMAHPs)

Informed by the Council of Deans of Health report: Nursing, midwifery and allied health clinical
academic research careers in the UK 

Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health Professional (referred to as Other health professions but formerly known as NMAHPs) academic careers form less than 0.1% of the workforce.

By contrast, clinical academics make up around 4.6% of the medical consultant workforce of the UK. Research conducted by the Medical Research Council also shows that fellowships are concentrated in a small number of geographical clusters, particularly pre-doctoral and post-doctoral awards for nurses and midwives. Fellowships held by AHPs are spread over a wider range of geographical locations.