Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) - Interview Tips

The NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) provides UK doctors in training with 25% of academic time for research or education. Earlier this year, I was successfully appointed to a Vascular Surgery ACF ST1 post to start in August 2022. In this video, I will cover some tips for the ACF interview and how I prepared for this competitive process.
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🔗 Useful links:
Overview of the ACF application process - • Academic Clinical Fell...
Critical Appraisal for the AFP - • The Academic Interview...
NIHR ACF 2022 Guidance - www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/nihr...
NIHR ACF 2022 Allocated Posts - www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/nihr...
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:29 ACF Interview Overview
02:22 Critical Appraisal
04:47 Academic & Research Experience
06:43 ACF Post & Specialty Knowledge
08:30 Breadth of Research Knowledge
10:53 Balancing Clinical & Academic Work
12:02 Summary & Top Tips
📌 Playlists:
Productivity & Study Tips - • Productivity & Study Tips
Medicine - • Medicine
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[@Celeb132]

Update: I got the ACF I applied for! Thank you so much again!

[@Celeb132]

Thank you so much for your videos on the ACF applications and your critical appraisal video. It helped me streamline my preparation massively because I was given 5 days notice before my haematology ACF interview! As stressful as the preparation was, this made it massively easier. Thank you, and you are a great teacher as well if you ever want to go into that!

[@naomitaylor8887]

Hi Kitty, I am really interested in watching the video but when I try to play it it has really distracting music in the background that makes it hard if you struggle with hearing. Do you do a version without the background music?

[@samuelodogwu9122]

Can we then conclude that the ACF posts are solely for those with research experience? An IMT with little or publications should just forget about ACF posts, right?

[@MangoJuice8]

Hi Kitty. Great video. How can you find out who is going be on the interview panel?

[@KittyWongHF]

Email the host institution and they may or may not disclose to you. I was told when preparing for the ACF by the head of academic school to ask as the policy here was more transparent; but may be different elsewhere.

[@GenerallyGodLike]

Hi Kitty. This is a great video thanks for posting! I have good research experience (intercalated degree, current SFP, lots of presentations/posters etc) BUT I don't have a first author publication yet, only a couple of 2nd/3rd author publications. I've been unlucky. The research group I'm currently in as a SFP has said they'd be happy for me to come back as an ACF. How disadvantaged will I be by not having a first author publication?

[@marinelailieva4235]

Kitty I have an interview in a few days and it is for an academic clinical genetics and histopathology post. In terms of clinical questions, what can they ask? Would it still be surgical/medical emergencies as these don’t sound relevant to these posts? Thanks

[@KittyWongHF]

I’ve had no clinical questions as part of my interview, it was all academic for 30 minutes. My understanding is that whilst they could ask clinical questions if they wanted to, most units do not as they know you will go/have gone through the relevant clinical benchmarking interview (IMT or CST or ST3). I guess never say never - but I can’t offer any insights there!

[@harshanaperera3627]

Great video, thanks What sort of statistical questions they might provide you, like a forest plot, abstract paper, anything else?

[@KittyWongHF]

Anecdotally the following have come up - Abstract paper for crit appraisal (usually accompanied by one of the below, rarely alone) - Some sort of graph eg forest plot, survival KM curves - Key methodological things, eg CONSORT diagram for an RCT - Results table eg with odds / risks ratios / hazard ratios / p-values etc - Shortened manuscript with redacted bits to an appropriate length

[@harshanaperera3627]

Thank you Kitty