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Research project: Research career development internships for podiatrists: an outline proposal for developing AHP research and researchers in rheumatology and musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Currently Active: 
Yes

The aim of the arthritis research UK-funded (podiatry) internship programme has been to develop an annual series of competitive research based internships with specific focus on foot and ankle research and closely identified with the Arthritis Research UK. The internships have provided a growing pool of excellent young podiatry graduates with extended research training, and begun to develop a network to help the interns maximise their research career potential.

The key aspect of the internships is that the best young podiatry graduates are identified early and exposed to a professional research environment. That contact is maintained so that after 12 to 18 months consolidation of clinical skills, re-entry to education and research training is facilitated. The existing project has achieved well against the specified aims:

A recruitment framework has now been established that identifies outstanding new graduates and has attracted the best to apply for the arc graduate research internship.

A short, intensive postgraduate research training program has been developed, run and refined. The new graduates have had an opportunity to work alongside active researchers in musculoskeletal medicine. They have been exposed to research design, conduct, governance, and analysis and dissemination activities in a range of disciplines.

All arc funded interns have published abstracts and presented at BSR.

The support network has developed well. Interns from the pre-arc period as well as arc funded interns have attended the internship-specific summer meetings and the group has also come together at the BSR (British Society for Rheumatologists) and SCP (Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists) meetings in 2006, 2007 and 2008 providing an ongoing mechanism for contact and support.

Project team

Bowen C, Arden N , Helliwell P,  Redmond A.

Associated research groups

Rehabilitation and Health Technologies, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton

MRC epidemiology resource centre, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital

The Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds

Funder

Arthritis Research UK

 

Associated research themes

AHP / Podiatry education
AHP / Podiatry research training
AHP rheumatology practice

Related research groups

Active Living and Rehabilitation

Conferences and events associated with this project:

Highly Commended Award in the Achieving Excellence in learning, teaching, development or mentorship category at the DOH Advancing Health Care awards 2010.

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