Experience of Being a Clinical Research Fellow

Dr Alexandria (Alex) Chung is a Clinical Research Fellow in Infectious Diseases. Alex has a keen interest in Public Health and Research. She is currently working with the Regional Infectious Diseases Unit (RIDU). She was kind enough to share her experiences of the Clinical Research Fellow role. 

What is your day-to-day like?

The core part of my role can be summarised as having clinical oversight of the clinical Infectious Diseases trials conducted in NHS Lothian. However, the overall job is quite flexible and I've been able to make what I want out of it. My schedule can be varied as a result of this. For example, on a typical day, this could include writing research papers, consenting patients for clinical trials and reviewing patients for adverse events. A particularly interesting area of research that I am involved in is the use of broadly neutralising antibodies (BNAbs) in the treatment of HIV of which there are promising results from the stage I clinical trial, RIO. 

The role also suits me a lot as it allows me to develop my project management skills. There are opportunities such as taking on the role of a Sub-Investigator with existing clinical trials, setting up initiatives in RIDU and supervising medical students on research and quality improvement projects. With my interest in Public Health, I also have scope to contribute to wider projects such as being a board member in the Young World Federation of Public Health Associations (Young WFPHA) working group and subsequently organising an event with them for Global Public Health Week. I also have scope to continue working with colleagues from the University of Edinburgh and the US Centres for Disease Control (US CDC) on Verbal Autopsy projects. 

Lastly, the role is quite flexible in terms of clinical time. Personally, I've chosen to not have regular clinical time in my schedule. Previous fellows have, however, made arrangements to do part-time clinical work. In addition to clinical commitments, fellows are expected to contribute to the department's medical student teaching. Along with another Clinical Research Fellow, we organise and deliver weekly teaching to Year 4 medical students. 

How did you apply for the role? 

I previously worked in the RIDU as an FY2 and I really enjoyed working with the department. I spoke to one of the consultants, who has oversight of the role, and expressed my interest. I was fortunate to get the role.  

Any take-home messages? 

If clinical medicine isn't quite what you're looking for but you're still keen to stay in the field of healthcare, I'd recommend considering a research fellowship. If you have an interest in Public Health, Global Health and promoting health equity, I’d recommend having a look at the Scottish Public Health Conference on 1st May in Glasgow and linking in with trainees from the field.  

This article was written by Dr Xinming Yu (Internal Medicine year 2 doctor) and Dr Mengye Li (Anaesthetics CT3 doctor)