Perspectives on Academic Training in Clinical Oncology in the United Kingdom: A National Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Abstract

Aims: There are longstanding concerns relating to clinical academic training pipelines, with evidence for multiple barriers and enablers to clinical academic career progression. We sought to assess the extent to which these and other factors apply to academic training in clinical oncology in the United Kingdom.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken using a bespoke, pre-piloted online electronic questionnaire that was distributed to clinical oncology specialty trainees and consultants who had at any point between January 2013-January 2024 commenced an academic post whilst in training. Collated information included demographic data, location and stage of training, research experience and ambitions, research skill confidence and academic career progression.

Results: Seventy eligible responses were included, representing 84% (n = 16/19) of UK training deaneries. Thirty-seven (53%) of the respondents had obtained their certificate of completion of training (CCT) whilst 11% (n = 8/70) and 40% (n = 28/70) were at specialty trainee level and respectively pre- or within-/post-doctoral studies. Of 34 post-CCT respondents, 58% (n = 20) had ongoing research commitments but this reached 30% of their overall activity for just 30% (n = 10). Barriers to academic progression included clinical training requirements, post availability and limited mentorship. Most (60%; n = 35/58) undertook doctoral studies in their final two training years. A majority of respondents lacked confidence in radiation oncology (RO) skills relevant to their career ambitions, with 60%, 40% and 30%, respectively, confident in RO clinical research outcome evaluation, in vitro radiation analyses and using RO animal models.

Conclusion: These data provide a granular, long-term analysis of academic clinical oncology training at a national level; identifying poor progression to research independence underlined by limited confidence in RO research skills and multiple barriers to academic career progression. These data provide areas in which policy makers, research funders and training programmes can focus to improve academic training in clinical oncology.