NIHR scheme inspires obstetrics and gynaecology trainee doctor to follow career in research

An aspiring researcher is encouraging other health and care professionals to be part of a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) development programme which has inspired her to become a Principal Investigator (PI).

Dr Cherry Chan is a Specialty Trainee Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, based at Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and recently completed the NIHR’s Associate Principal Investigator (API) Scheme.

This is a six month in-work training opportunity which provides practical experience for healthcare professionals starting their research career.

The API Scheme provides the opportunity to lead on and deliver an NIHR portfolio trial under the mentorship of an enthusiastic Local Principal Investigator. Dr Chan was mentored by Dr Ursula Winters, Consultant Gynaecologist at Saint Mary’s Hospital.

She was allocated to work on the PEARLS study, which focused on her special interest in vulval lichen sclerosus, a long-term, itchy and often distressing condition affecting vulval skin (the skin around the outside of the vagina).

The skin condition has no cure and needs ongoing treatment with steroid creams to manage flare-ups of symptoms.

The API Scheme was Dr Chan’s first significant involvement in research. It enabled her to screen and recruit participants and follow-up with them over the course of the trial, which is looking at treatment options.

Her overall experience, and seeing how participants savoured the opportunity to be involved, has inspired her to champion the API Scheme in the North West and follow a career in research.

Dr Chan said: “When I spoke to patients and explained the research question to them and what is involved, I heard about their personal journey, sometimes over years, and how the condition has affected them. Those stories really showed the value of research and this trial. I think it is a very good research question that we are answering and very meaningful to many women.

“The participants have all been very happy to get involved and I think it is that interaction with the patient that really touches me. The trial I was involved in on API involved six follow-up appointments, so you get to see the participants again. The trial helps to show they are not alone in dealing with that problem. Vulval lichen sclerosus is something we rarely talk about and it’s not often in the news. Having the opportunity for open discussion with the patient has been a fantastic experience. The research opportunity means a lot to them.”

While providing health care professionals with the independence to lead on a trial at their site, the API Scheme also provides candidates with support every step of the way. Dr Chan has now volunteered to help promote the scheme regionally in partnership with NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network.

She said: “Being on the scheme has deepened my clinical understanding and it helps me to do what I need to do for my training. I have a really supportive research team and Local PI, and I always find it easy to liaise with them. If I’ve got any questions, I can ask them and I can go back to the sponsor with anything, so that takes away any worries about whether I am doing something right or wrong. You never feel isolated.

“It has allowed me to get involved in a field that I really want to develop in. I feel very lucky to have been on the scheme. Many people don’t know about it, and I am sure there are other trainees, doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals that would benefit from getting involved.”

Dr Ursula Winters, Consultant Gynaecologist at Saint Mary’s Hospital, who mentored Dr Chan, said: “I think the API Scheme is a wonderful opportunity for trainees to really get involved in research in a meaningful way. They get to be a pivotal part of a quality research project while being supported in their learning at the same time.”

Interested in the scheme?

Anyone interested in the NIHR Associate Principal Investigator Scheme can apply on the NIHR website. Candidates in the North West can contact Dr Cherry Chan and the NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network Workforce Learning and Development Team.