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Clinical Lecturer in Ophthalmology - Clinical Lecturer in Ophthalmology - Institute of Inflammation

Employer
University of Birmingham
Location
United Kingdom
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
Dec 5, 2022

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Position Details

Institute of Inflammation and Ageing - Medical and Dental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Clinical Salary - Must hold a current NTN (ST3 or above)

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to 4 years

Closing date: 5th December 2022

Background

Applicants are invited for the post of Clinical Lecturer (CL) in the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, part of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing. This post has been designed specifically to stimulate interest in the academic aspects of this subject and will provide excellent experience and training. It is intended for an individual who wishes to pursue a career in academia or a consultant post with research or teaching interest in a teaching hospital. The post may be up to 4 years but will depend on the expected date of CCT and subject to a rigorous 36-month probationary period and the successful completion of a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). The job plan sets aside 50% dedicated time to develop academic skills in teaching and research with the remaining 50% of the time will be for clinical training. The Lectureship is available for a maximum of four years and should enable the completion of clinical training, as well as the attainment of further support for research. A higher degree (MD/PhD) is desirable but not essential.

The Academic Unit of Ophthalmology is based at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre on the City Hospital Site of Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust , and forms part of the Centre for Translational Inflammation Resear ch that is housed in start-of-the-art laboratories at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital situated adjacent to the Medical School. The Academic Unit is regarded as being a relaxed and friendly environment, and comprises ten offices, two laboratories, a microscope room, a computer laboratory, seminar room and two clinical examination rooms. The unit is in close collaboration with other Schools in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences. Library facilities are available at the Postgraduate Medical Centre, City Hospital and the Barnes Library in the Medical School.

The appointee will be at a minimum level of an ST3 and be part of the Health Education England West Midlands Ophthalmology Specialist Training Programme. They will also take part in the on-call Specialty Trainee rota. Throughout the rotation close contact will be maintained with the Academic Unit. Applicants should have a good general training in Ophthalmology with a minimum two years' experience of Specialty Training in Ophthalmology and be eligible for ST3 training. The Postgraduate Dean has confirmed that all placements on the training programme have the required educational and staffing approval. Throughout the rotation close contact will be maintained with the Academic Unit. Applicants should have a good general training in Ophthalmology with a minimum of two years' experience of Specialty Training in Ophthalmology and eligible for ST3 training i.e. appropriate ARCP outcomes, possession of Part 1 FRCOphth and Refraction Certificate, and have full registration with the General Medical Council. Evidence of appropriate ST competencies with a minimum achievement of ST2 competencies in ophthalmology at time of appointment.

They should be research active with a strong research and teaching component to their curriculum vitae. The trainee will have a timetable that establishes protected time for research. The balance of clinical and academic training periods will be designed to meet overall training goals. The training will require the CL spending 50% of his/her time undergoing academic training combined with clinical training in the remaining 50%, ultimately leading to the award of CCT and registration on the Specialist Register. This will be accomplished with the full support of the Health Education England Postgraduate School of Ophthalmology. Wherever possible whole days rather than half days will be protected for research. Dependent on the level of clinical training, the successful candidate will transition into the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Curriculum 2024:

https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/training/ophthalmic-specialist-training/ost-curriculum/curriculum-2024/ . Specialty Interest Areas (SIA) in the new curriculum will be undertaken in the final 18 months. The School will be piloting the new e-Portfolio for one year starting August 2023 to test new assessment tools and confirm the suitability of training posts for the new curriculum.

It is expected that under the active guidance of the senior academics within the Unit, the successful applicant will we expect the Appointee to be actively engaged in academically led Early Phase Clinical Trials in collaboration with the Devices, Drugs, Diagnostics and Biomarkers (D3B) Trials Unit, and develop Principal Investigator status for their research (or Teaching Focus) evaluated yearly joint academic and clinical appraisal (ARCP) and Personal Development Review by the University.

Description of research component of programme

The Academic Unit of Ophthalmology is part of the Centre for Translational Inflammation Research, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences.

Academic Ophthalmology in Birmingham is ideally placed to act as a focus for translational clinical research, where a clear understanding of how immune cells behave in inflamed microenvironments is likely to be of critical importance for future translational medicine. We run a substantial ophthalmology research group comprising clinicians (Professors, Associate Professor, NIHR Clinical Lecturer, University Clinical Lecturer), research scientists (Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Postdoctoral research fellows), research (PhD, MSc, BMedSc) students, research associates/technicians and research nurses. We also have a PPI Leads, Clinical Immunosuppression Nurse and Clinical Nurse Specialist.

The main clinical and research focus of the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology are based upon the inflammatory mechanisms in the ocular environment, including immunologically mediated ocular surface diseases (OSD), intraocular inflammation (uveitis), and biomaterial device/ novel drug impact on wound healing and scarring in ocular tissues; we also have translational themes in 'data and digital healthcare', extending from the ethics and governance of dataset creation to the evaluation and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) health technologies, and early phase clinical trials.

Our basic science studies have proved critically important in driving the clinical models that we investigate. One focus of our research is the regulation of ocular immunity, in particular intraocular inflammation (uveitis). The eye is a site of immune privilege and restriction of immune responses in the eye protects this vital organ from pathological damage. However, it is clear that these regulating mechanisms are insufficient in patients with uveitis, where significant sight-threatening inflammation can occur. The unit has set out to study the reasons for this failure, in the hope that we can identify new therapeutic targets for these conditions. The Unit is also evaluating pathways that lead to autoimmune ocular surface inflammation/scarring in rare-diseases conditions such as ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid, where inflammation persists and scarring progresses despite the apparent resolution of clinical signs of inflammation. We have established strong collaborations with Institute of Translational Medicine Health Technologies Institute, access to animal models/cell biology and pharmacology, and links in with the Ophthalmology NIHR BRC at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Business. There is recognised expertise in data and digital healthcare including INSIGHT - the Health Data Research UK Hub for Eye Health (with Moorfields Eye Hospitals NHSFT), tackling health data poverty and ensuring digital healthcare is inclusive (including avoiding AI bias) and AI safety. This has enabled several multimillion grants for first-into-human trials of medicines and devices, development of patient core outcome sets in inflammatory eye disease, research-to-policy framework for AI.

The Unit's research portfolio allows for a strong, focussed and consistent research output that is central to a strong and vibrant academic environment supported by our funders, that currently include the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, NIHR, Action Medical Research, Guide Dogs for the Blind and Fight for Sight. We have an active Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement programme including PEM Friends, The Eye Drops Patient Focus Group supporting patients with ocular surface disease, and PInGU, the Patient Involvement Group in Uveitis; as well as a successful Collaborative Ophthalmology Network for Clinical Effectiveness & Research by Trainees (CONCERT).

All this provides a motivational and stimulating research environment that encourages exchanges of ideas with the numerous clinical and basic science academic and research staff. This will allow the CL to develop their own post-doctoral research programme and acquire the abilities and maturity to become a team leader in their respected research area of interest. There will be mandatory attendance at the weekly Laboratory Group meetings and monthly Institute Seminars meeting. Presentation at national and international meetings and attending appropriate courses will be encouraged. There will be close academic supervision and mentorship. The academic component of the training period will also include postdoctoral research/educationalist career development with opportunities to develop an application for a postdoctoral training support (e.g. Clinician Scientist Award, project grant). The successful applicant will also be expected to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education in their first two years and register for a higher degree (if not already in possession of PhD/MD or equivalent).

Description of clinical training component of programme

The clinical training programme is of 4-year duration and is part of the West Midlands Deanery School of Ophthalmology continuum-training scheme. This comprises 6-monthly rotations, based at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC), City Hospital, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, although part of the time is likely to include other Trusts in Birmingham, plus the opportunity to rotate to other units (Coventry, Wolverhampton) in the West Midlands. This provides the clinical exposure required for the Academic Clinical Lecturer's training by rotation across the wide clinical sub-specialty areas offered by these units. The trainee will be assigned a clinical mentor (from among the Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturers) and an academic mentor.

There are 59 OSTs on the West Midlands rotation including 2 Medical Ophthalmology trainees, and this post will complement the present NIHR Clinical Lecturer (OST3-7), University Clinical Lecturer (OST3-7), and an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow (ST1).

BMEC is the hub for the Training Rotation and is the principle tertiary regional centre for ophthalmology in the Midlands providing a superb patient base for clinical training and research. Formerly the Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital founded in 1823, BMEC has been purpose built for ophthalmology and opened in March 1996 and is based at the City Hospital site. The Eye Centre includes the following; Academic Unit, Accident and Emergency Department, Out-patient Suites, 5 operating theatres (including one in the Behçet's Centre and one in the Birmingham Treatment Centre), Cataract Unit, Medical Photography (widefield imaging, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, anterior segment digital photography) Visual Function Department (visual fields, electrodiagnostics, ultrasound, HRT and OCT), Orthoptic Department, Refraction Service (including contact lenses, low vision aids, and dispensing services), Artificial Eye Service, Ophthalmic Ward (the only dedicated ophthalmology ward in the West Midlands) with 10 in-patient beds, a day surgery bay and a Paediatric Wing with 5 beds. It also houses the Centre for Inflammatory Eye Disease and the Behçet's National Centre of Excellence.

There are 32 substantive Consultant Ophthalmologists and five locum appointments. The current Group Director is Mr S Roy and Clinical Director is Mr M Nessim. As the second largest eye unit in the UK, there is ample opportunity for the trainee to be given an excellent training in general and specialist ophthalmology.

Clinical training comprises outpatient clinics (general and special), theatre, eye accident and emergency, and ward work that will enable completion of the leaning outcomes of the RCOphth OST curriculum (curriculum.rcophth.ac.uk) required to obtain a CCT in ophthalmology. There will be regular work-based assessments, including clinical rating scales (modified CEX), case-based discussions (CbD), direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS), objective assessment of surgical and technical skills (OSATS), and multi-source feedback (mini-PAT or equivalent). In accordance with Curriculum 2024, the CL will be expected to undertake focussed training (Specialty Interest Area (SIA)) in their desired sub-speciality interests will take place in the final 18 months of training.

Regional clinical teaching takes place on 15 whole days per year hosted by the major rotational units covering a curriculum led programme. Currently all teaching is on a virtual platform. It is envisaged that that most teaching will be retained as virtual with social distancing hands on simulation for the next academic year. This involves journal clubs, case presentations, audit, talks by Birmingham Consultants, basic scientists, and guest speakers including Consultants in related specialties, and is mapped to the learning outcomes of the OST curriculum. The CL will also be encouraged to attend courses/meetings in their specific sub-specialty interest.

The Academic Unit is responsible for the delivery of undergraduate ophthalmology teaching for the University of Birmingham MBChB degree and it is envisaged the post holder will take an active role in these teaching duties and in the development of online resources. There are about 350 medical students/year with their main clinical teaching in Year 4 although are contributions throughout the course including tutorials, small and large group lectures and SSMs. The Clinical Associate Professor (Mr R. Barry) is the Year 4 MBChB Lead.

The West Midlands Postgraduate School of Ophthalmology will externally audit academic and clinical competencies. Regular Academic and Clinical ARCPs are undertaken, and the review arrangements for clinical training programmes will be explicitly extended to include the research training arrangements. If the assessment panel determine that a trainee has not made satisfactory progress, it may be necessary to organise a period of intensive training, with more frequent reviews or the trainee may be required to repeat the year, up to a maximum of two years. The University will also undertake a yearly Professional Development Review.

They will also take part in the on-call Specialist Trainee rota - the intensity of this commitment being dependent on the duties of the post but will not exceed the limits defined in the Terms and Conditions of Service paragraph 20. On-call will be the same as for other Specialty Trainees Years 3-7. Throughout the rotation close contact will be maintained with the Academic Unit.

The Academic Supervisor for this UoB CL is Professor Saaeha Rauz and Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology is Professor Philip Murray. The Director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing (University of Birmingham) is Professor Elizabeth Sapey. The Head of the West Midlands School of Ophthalmology is Mrs Niro Narendran and Mr Arijit Mitra is the Programme Director. Educational Supervisors will be allocated according to clinical placement.

The UoB Clinical Lectureship will end at the Completion of Clinical Training (CCT) or 4-years, whichever is the soonest. If the CL period ends before CCT then the trainee will revert back to Specialty Trainee status.

West Midlands School of Ophthalmology Rotations

Years 3 - 7 of the Continuum:

Birmingham

Hospitals in this rotation are:
  • The Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre
  • University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Good Hope, Heartlands & Solihull Hospitals,
  • Birmingham Children's Hospital

Informal enquires to Lisa Powell, email: l.h.powell@bham.ac.uk

Further particulars can be found here

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