Clinical Training Programmes
Senior Clinical Fellowship
This post is a full-time appointment by the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust. It is designed to complement the existing gastroenterology service and offers advanced training in inflammatory bowel disease and hepatobiliary medicine. The role of the current position will include the specialist inflammatory bowel disease clinic and the liver-hepatobiliary clinic, as well as general gastroenterology . Clinical activity will be under the supervision of Prof Simon Travis, Consultant Gastroenterologist, or nominated Consultant colleague. The successful applicant will be required to contribute to the Gastroenterology cover rota, which includes emergency endoscopy. The timetable depends upon demand within outpatients and endoscopy, but includes advanced training in inflammatory bowel disease, nutrition and hepatobiliary disease, as well as histopathology, radiology and teaching sessions. It is expected that the successful applicant will contribute to departmental research through the management of clinical trials and other research projects or audit, under appropriate guidance. It would suit a person wishing to extend their period of training (UK year 6 or equivalent), to develop a specialist interest in IBD or hepatobiliary disease beyond that acquired through general gastroenterology training. Please refer to the job desciption for more details.
Specialist Training Registrars (5 posts)
STRs are appointed to the Oxford Training Rotation through normal NHS channels. STRs usually come to Oxford in their 4th or 5th year, to take advantage of the more complex gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disease, and subspecialty experience available in Oxford. STRs on the Oxford Rotation are encouraged to start research projects with a view to doing a higher degree, see examples of clinical projects for STR's and the Unit's research interests. STRs rotate through luminal, hepatobiliary, nutrition and intestinal failure roles, with one rotation assigned to Year 6 Hepatology position). The organisation of the Clinical Service is shown in the Oxford Gut Doctors' Guide.
Foundation Years (3 posts)
House Officers and SHOs are appointed through normal NHS channels, but a particular interest is taken in clinical or academic projects for young doctors, to help career development and encourage sub-specialisation. Posts are often assigned to Academic F1 or F2s. The organisation of the Clinical Service is shown in the Oxford Gut Doctors' Guide.
Clinical attachments
Attachments from a few weeks to several months are often possible to arrange by direct contact between a senior clinician in the parent hospital and one of the Unit's senior clinicians. Funding has to be found at source, but can often be facilitated by application for Travel Awards (e.g. through ECCO, IOIBD, BASL and EASL or other sources). Clinicians on an attachment will usually have an assigned project and join ward rounds, teaching sessions, endoscopy and specialist outpatients (IBD and hepatobiliary disease). Direct clinical experience depends on their GMC registration status.
Hepatology clinical training
The clinical service is run by hepatologists Dr Roger Chapman (with a specific interest in autoimmune and biliary liver disease), Dr Jane Collier (interest in viral hepatitis) with support from Dr Tony Ellis (based in Banbury) and Dr Ellie Barnes (T cell immunology, and viral hepatitis). The unit receives secondary and tertiary referrals. Three ERCP lists/week and facilities for managing complex variceal bleeds (including TIPPS) and two endoscopic ultrasound lists (Dr Braden/Phillips-Hughes) support patient care at the John Radcliffe. There are two general Hepatology clinics/week, in addition to a three monthly co-infection (HIV/HCV) hepatitis clinic, haemophiliac viral hepatitis and a joint liver cystic fibrosis clinic. A weekly viral hepatitis clinic is supported by Jane Collier, Katie Jefferies, Paul Klenerman and Ellie Barnes in addition to two clinical nurse specialists and two research nurses in viral hepatitis. There is also a regular liver transplant clinic run with the Cambridge liver transplant team and shared care of other patients transplanted in other centres. Weekly multidisciplinary meetings occur with the radiologists, interventional radiology team and surgeons and there are also weekly liver specific histopathology meetings. A haemochromatosis venesection service is led by specialist nurses.
A regional viral hepatitis meeting occurs in Oxford 6 monthly. There are four specialist trainees in gastroenterology of which two at any one time are working in Hepatology. A 1 year clinical fellow in Hepatology is also available (6 clinics/endoscopy sessions and time for research).
One afternoon a week is devoted to specialist teaching in gastroenterology and hepatology, with consultant led tuition and case presentations.
Academic training in general
A number of potential pathways for entry into clinical academic training exist. Undergraduate and clinical students are encouraged to undertake projects in research labs. At Foundation level, a number of Academic Foundation posts exist which have 4 month periods of research embedded within them. Academic Clinical Fellowships exist, funded by the NIHR, which allow 9 months -1yr funding for research during core medical or specialist training. A similar programme funded locally is the Merck Oxford Academic Clinical Fellowship programme. The aim of these is to prepare individuals for a longer period of research, ideally through an independently funded training fellowship from the MRC or Wellcome Trust, as well as some locally funded BRC fellowships. For those with a PhD or MD already, Clinical lectureships exist to promote postdoctoral research combined with clinical training (4 years, 50% research time). Further information and advice on the academic career track is available at OUCAG's.
Academic Clinical Fellows
ACFs are designed for young doctors intending to pursue a career in Clinical Science and allow 25% of their time to be allocated to research, with the purpose of generating a basis from which to apply for competitive PhD funding. Gastroenterology bids for ACF positions in competition with other specialties. It helps for the Clinical Academics in the Unit (Dr Simmons, Dr Barnes, Dr Keshav, Dr Uhlig, Dr Leedham) to know of interest well in advance, so that a project can be planned in preparation for the application. If you interested in an ACF position please contact Dr. Alison Simmons or Dr. Ellie Barnes in the first instance.
Academic Clinical Lecturers
ACLs are designed for clinicians who have completed their PhD and remain committed to a career in academic clinical medicine, with 50% of their time allocated to research. Gastroenterology bids for ACL positions in competition with other specialties and direct contact with the Academics in the Unit (Dr Simmons, Dr Barnes, Dr Keshav, Dr Uhlig, Dr Leedham) is appropriate in preparation for the application.
Medical students
Gastroenterology welcomes medical students as part of the Firm, both as part of clinical teaching and through Special Study Modules. Medical students should read the representative details to find out more. For those who are interested, there may be an opportunity to contribute to clinical or research projects in the unit and there are two Prizes in Gastroenterology (the Truelove Prize in Gastroenterology and the L.J. Witts Prize in Haematology or Gastroenterology), awarded by competitive essay each year.