How to become a researcher and the role of the academic specialist registrar

This article outlines the recent changes to the academic clinical training pathway and provides insights from the direct experiences of two academic surgeons, at different stages of their careers. The role of academic surgeons is to bridge the gap between research and/or teaching and clinical practice, with the ability to translate challenges from the bedside into meaningful research that informs practice. Surgery remains a craft speciality and undoubtedly the critical challenge remains the need to balance academia with developing the specific skills required of surgeons. This is often offset by the opportunity for training with greater continuity, resulting from longer periods in a specialist department. The practical nature of surgery creates great opportunities in translational research and technological innovation. Changes to research funding and academic clinical training have formalized the opportunities available at every stage, and the benefits of a career in academic surgery are vast.