Please discuss the career progression options available to the different members of the research team.

groups » The Zambian Clinical Research Forum » Please discuss the career progression options available to the different members of the research team.

• The Editorial Team 2 Jun 2014

  Hello everybody, I thought that the new article here, with a free video series from Greg Martin about the breadth of jobs available for globla health researchers and how to find such jobs, might be interesting and useful: https://globalhealthtrials.tghn.org/articles/working-global-health-videos/

• Mwangana Mubita 31 May 2014

  Very interesting views expressed by everyone!
  One strategy that should be adopted is a paradigm shift in how Ministry of Health perceives its workforce i.e. work is exclusively clinical care. Work should be perceived to entail clinical practice, teaching and research.
  Teaching hospitals indicate a commitment to this aspect of work.
  I understand there is Directorate of Public health and research. However, how much funding it receives to support clinical research may be the big question. What the priority research areas for the Ministry are may also be unknown to those in clinical practice.
  To support clinical research locally, the start point should therefore be strengthening this Directorate( research component).
  There should be a deliberate policy with government support to create research teams within hospitals that can even access external funding for research.
  There is also need for stronger collaboration between those in academia and those in clinical practice.
  If this is implemented, it should be very easy to encourage career progression in clinical research as healthcare professionals can then take up further training in clinical research with certainty that their knowledge will be applied within the Ministry.
  

• mukomakalumba 27 May 2014

  Based on most of the points raised, what strategies can be employed to overcome the challenges experienced in developing our careers within a clinical research setting?

• ROBINSON OGWANG 26 May 2014

  Career growth and development requires continuous quality improvement, refresher and orientation studies which can be taken a long side official employment ( evening hours or weekend and/or online). One may take unpaid leave too.

• Bwalya Daka 23 May 2014

  
  its possible to pursue a career along side the usual work we have but this is not encouraged by our supervisors especially ministry of health. The ministry has a policy of career progression only in your field of work. Even if one had to manage their time and take on project management, chances that the supervisors will allow you to take on that research during work hours are very slim and if they did allow it, you won't be the principal investigator.

• Crecious Mutinta Muleya 23 May 2014

  I think it is about the passion you have for research. It also has to do with the way the research results re used. One thing that discourages people is the way the results have been used especially here in Zambia. Research should be able to direct clinical practice and not just being piled on the shelves.
  Sometimes the challenge is the amount of work someone is doing aside research. It is very difficult to progress in research when you have little time dedicated to research

• catherine ngoma 23 May 2014

  As an Academician, one is required to teach and conduct research. Research is one of requirements for promotion from one level to another. Therefore it is possible to manage or to coordinate a research project along other duties. As a clinician, it is also possible to do research. research will inform practice and evidence base clinical practice is now encourage.

• RUTH 23 May 2014

  Pursuing a career research alongside our usual work is possible as long as we are focused and know how to manage our time. I feel it may be even more motivating for clinicians to do so as their job entails direct patient care where one experiences the actual problems or issue encountered in clinical practice.

• Mutale Mubanga 22 May 2014

  There are great opportunities in clinical research. I think it calls for passion as it calls for creativity. Like Jimmy has said, though, the Ministry of Health is not as robust as universities with regard to research; it is service-oriented for the most part. But I think with a little more creativity, we can do ground-breaking research even within the confines of our MoH work. Being a laboratorian, I would like to involve myself on the biomedical side of clinical research. Another option I would love to pursue would be biostatistics. Not too infrequently, you come across very nice research data that was not analysed meaningfully and this changes the whole picture of findings. Usually its presented in an unconvincing manner, maybe deliberately to fix the conclusion. I would like to help people with their data analysis. Ultimately, I would like to be the principal investigator for most of the research I will involve myself in. Options are quite diverse.

• mukomakalumba 22 May 2014

  For those of us thinking about a career in clinical research, the link below provides an opportunity to take part in the Global Health Trials International Clinical Trials Day competition and win attendance to the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene three-day biennial meeting in Oxford. This is in celebration of International Clinical Trials Day and clinical research around the world.

  https://globalhealthtrials.tghn.org/community/blogs/post/383/2014/05/global-health-trials-international-clinical-tr/

• Jimmy Hangoma 22 May 2014

  Based on what i have just observed, it seems to be very difficult to progress in research if you are working as a clinician but may be easier if you are in academics. For instance, the University of Zambia has the union for research which helps individuals to progress in research.

• mukomakalumba 20 May 2014

  Is it possible to pursue a career in research such as a project manager, investigator, research coordinator alongside side our usual professions? What is the current trend in Zambia?