Becoming a registered research practitioner is an opportunity CRPs should embrace. Its benefits toward career progression may not be clearly laid out, but a lot can be achieved from being registered. I first looked into developing a clinical academic career in 2019, attended some conferences pre-pandemic in 2020 but professional registration was an essential requirement.

Since becoming a registered research practitioner in April 2021, I applied for a place in the ethnic minority clinical academic career training programme designed for registered non-medical professionals who would like to pursue a clinical academic career; and I was successful. This programme helps you prepare for fully funded HEE Internship Scheme and HEE/NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF) Scheme applications. These schemes help you develop a research proposal for an NIHR funded PhD. Professional registration is crucial to stepping into this career pathway.

I would really like to encourage CRPs who are eligible for registration to please go for it.