Career Support

SAPC is committed to supporting people to Get In and Get On in academic primary care.

There are a number of groups and teams described in this article. 

we describe the work we do to support academic primary care careers.

We have a number of groups working with different members of our discipline to identify and address their career support needs. Click on each heading to find out more.

Early Career Academics (ECAs)

Led by Dr Helen Atherton, this group includes both members of the SAPC executive committee, and external members, (including clinical and primary healthcare scientists, researchers and educationalists). The group works to ensure that SAPC addresses the challenges facing early career academics in primary care.

PHoCuS - Supporting Primary Health Care Scientists

APC derives its strength from its mutidisciplinary workforce. In 2012, the Society started work to understand and address the career development needs of our our members who don't come from a medically qualified background - our Primary Health Care Scientists. The result was the establishment of our PHoCuS group.Professor Christine Bond and Professor Sandra Eldridge now lead a team of PHoCuS members developing a range of support for our members.

Academic GPs (aGPs)

Academic GPs play an essential role in the NHS, providing key activiity and leadership in education, research, clinical practice and service development. Protecting and building this key workforce is a priority for SAPC, the NIHR School for Primary Care Research, the Royal College of GPs (in Objective 6 of the 2022 vision), and the wider primary care community. Our academic GP group works closely with all these partners on initiatives to support GPs in entering into, and floursihing in a career in, academic General Practice.

GPs with extended roles that include scholarship (eGPs)

In addition to academic GPs with University contract), there is a larger group of GPs who include scholarship activities within their portfolio of work. These are GPs with education and research leadership and management roles on top of their clinical activities  - a growing group of GPs whose work is integral to innovation and quality within the primary care service. The academic support needs for this emerging workforce is, as yet, underrecognised and undescribed. SAPC, working with colleagues from across the international academic primary care community together with the Royal College of GPs, is leading work to understand and address these needs.

Mentorship

Members at all career stages have highlighted the importance of mentorship in supporting their career. A number of mentorship schemes for academic practice are available, including from the Academy of Medical Sciences and for members of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. Having identified a lack of mentorship opportunities for Primary Health Care Scientists, SAPC established a scheme for our PHoCuS colleagues. The succcessful programme is now being extended to support early career academic GPs (notably Academic Clinical Fellows). For more information on our scheme, please contact Professor Christine Bond or Sandra Eldridge (PHoCuS members) or Dr Greg Irving (academic GPs).

SAPC Ambassadors

In 2016, we are offering new opporunities to become an SAPC Ambassador. Ambassadors will work with the Exec team to develop and deliver aspects of the Society's work. The first planned SAPC Ambassador roles include a Departmental liaison role, and awebteam membership role. Each role/team member is supported by a member of the Exec. Full resources and any necessary training will be provided. Becoming an SAPC Ambassador will provide opportunities both to add to your skills and your CV, and to make a difference within the Academic Primary Care community. For more information, contact Joanne.

Prizes

Receiving a prize means many things. It demonstrates the value and importance that others place on your work. It can be an important marker of distinction and success on your CV. And it is an opportunity for celebration and congratulation. SAPC recognises the value of prizes in supporting your career, and so regularly supports a number of awards which are listed on our prizes page.