A clinical academic is a qualified healthcare professional who also works in a university, usually in research, teaching or both.
Clinical academics balance their time between caring for patients, conducting research that advances their field and training the next generation of clinicians. Every clinical academic role is different, shaped by the person’s specialty, experience and interests.
Most clinical academics work for both the NHS and a university, splitting their time between the two. Some will perform the research component of their role for private companies, such as those in the pharmaceutical industry. Many find that their dual role gives them greater career flexibility and an exciting and varied workload. There is a huge array of clinical academic careers on offer across a diverse range of specialties, making every clinical academic post unique.
What clinical academics have in common is a passion for advancing our understanding of healthcare and driving new innovations in cutting-edge clinical practice. The research they carry out leads to safer and more effective evidence-based treatments for their patients and their teaching improves the care future healthcare professionals provide to patients.
