Everything you need to know about the RCGP’s Research Engagement Hub

What can the Royal College of GP’s engagement hub do for you and your practice?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Royal College of General Practicioners

The Royal College of General Practitioners is proud to re-launch the Research Engagement Hub, a platform created in collaboration with the National Institute for Health Research – School of General Practice to celebrate and highlight academic general practice.

The aim is to engage and inspire GPs to think about their futures and how research can further their careers. The hub is home to GP testimonials explaining how they became academic GPs, advice on how to get into academic research and what support is available.

The hub highlights that it is never too late to get involved in research. It has shaped the careers of many aspiring and trainee GPs and has added another dimension to the careers of experienced ones. GPs find that research involvement can complement their clinical work, creating a more exciting and varied working experience.

Involvement in high-quality primary care research has allowed academic GPs to improve the lives of millions across the country; they have found new ways to advance general practice, patient experiences and wellbeing.

If you, as a general practitioner, have a topic of interest, or you want to try to change something in general practice, then research may be for you. You have the freedom to choose your subject – which can cover topics from more clinical work on respiratory health and personalised care, to community setting projects on health advocacy. 

The remarkable thing about research is that you have control over your career direction; being introduced to general practice academia has allowed others to explore and find out more about the field.