Darbyshire Daniel, Baker Paul, Agius Steven, McAleer Sean
Emergency Department, Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Whinney Heys Road, Blackpool FY3 8NR, UK,
Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 2019 Mar;49(1):43-51. doi: 10.4997/JRCPE.2019.111.
The Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) is often the initial step along the Integrated Academic Training pathway in the UK. It is relatively new and research as to its effectiveness is limited. Our objective was to evaluate the AFP in terms of its impact on academic career aspirations and to explore trainees' expectations and experience of the programme and investigate the enablers and barriers to success.
Seven supervisors of Academic Foundation trainees were interviewed over a 5-month period in 2014. AFP trainees' views were sought by way of an online questionnaire that covered six areas: demographics, expectations, academic time, experience, research and achievements.
Thirty-four trainees completed online questionnaires. The majority of trainees (94%) did not proceed directly along the Integrated Academic Training pathway to complete Academic Clinical Fellowships, but those who applied to do so were often successful (nine applicants, six successful). Free-text comments revealed an expectation of a more course-like structure to the programme, this is in contrast to the authentic experience of clinical academia, along with its associated challenges, that some of the supervisors reported. The importance of planning and preparation for success was a recurring theme from the supervisor interviews.
The programme is achieving some success in encouraging academic careers. There are several areas that can be improved. Improving the availability of information and guidance for supervisors and facilitating Academic Foundation Doctors to network are both feasible changes that could lead to improvement.
学术基础课程（AFP）通常是英国综合学术培训路径的第一步。它相对较新，关于其有效性的研究有限。我们的目标是评估AFP对学术职业抱负的影响，探索学员对该课程的期望和体验，并调查成功的促进因素和障碍。
2014年，在5个月的时间里，对7名学术基础培训学员的导师进行了访谈。通过在线问卷的方式征求AFP学员的意见，问卷涵盖六个方面：人口统计学、期望、学术时间、体验、研究和成就。
34名学员完成了在线问卷。大多数学员（94%）没有直接沿着综合学术培训路径完成学术临床研究员培训，但那些申请的人往往会成功（9名申请人，6名成功）。自由文本评论显示，学员期望该课程有更像课程的结构，这与一些导师所报告的临床学术界的真实体验及其相关挑战形成对比。成功的规划和准备的重要性是导师访谈中反复出现的主题。
该课程在鼓励学术职业方面取得了一些成功。有几个方面可以改进。提高为导师提供信息和指导的可用性，以及促进学术基础医生建立人际关系网络，都是可行的改进措施。
