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!
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?
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.
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
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?
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?
It’s really hard to answer questions like these because deaneries have different scoring processes and demand; and obviously I’ve not been in a position to judge others’ applications so my scope of what’s a top / bottom application is limited to anecdotes. It sounds to me like you have quite a few achievements under your belt which will probably get you an interview in most deaneries provided you give a good white-space question answer; and once you get an interview there’s then lots of opportunities to discuss your research skills beyond the numbers game. But you may struggle to get into more competitive places (e.g. London) where other candidates will have a bulky CV. My recommendation is to email around the academic leads in the deaneries you’re interested in, enquire a bit about their research and just be blunt about wanting to know what your chances are realistically. I did this in AFP and most were very good about giving me a ballpark of where they think I’d land. If you already have a program in mind (sounds like you do) then arrange a meeting with the supervisor / academic lead and have a chat. Sometimes it might be that if they really want you they could create a research post for you in the future, though this needs a lot of advanced planning (1 year+).
@@KittyWongHF That's great advice thank you! So regarding the "shortlisting criteria" there's only one point difference between having publications and having a first author publication. Do all deaneries use this criteria? If they do, my impression is that I have a reasonable chance of getting an interview? Then, as you say, how I am judged for not having a fist author publication will vary from deanery to deanery? Is that a fair take?
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
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!
