February 2023

This year the Clifford Craig Foundation is facilitating a number of education initiatives aimed at increasing research interest and capability across the Launceston General Hospital.

Dr Sarah Young is leading the Registrar Research Training Program.

This includes a new Registrar Research Training Program, with a ‘Crash Course’ being offered in March for Advanced Trainees (AT) who need to complete research projects as part of their training.

The program is being facilitated by Senior Research Fellow Dr Sarah Young and comes in response to an identified need for research support for ATs and the consultants supervising them.

The course is being offered alongside a mentoring program for registrars completing research, and a monthly Community of Practise (CoP) monthly get together.

All initiatives have been designed with the aim of providing support, with the ongoing catch-ups designed to continue this engagement throughout the year.

Dr Young, who provides research support to LGH staff as part of a joint position with the University of Tasmania, said the program model is unique for a regional hospital like the LGH.

“We are hopeful that this program will facilitate Advanced Trainees to complete their research requirements more easily and efficiently than in the past, in a fun and supportive environment,” she said.

“The program may even entice trainees from interstate to come to the LGH. From what we know, this model is quite unique in regional Australia.

“While some of the larger, urban hospitals have research training opportunities, it is not common to find this kind of program in a regional hospital.

“Not every regional hospital is lucky enough to have financial support for research the way the LGH does.”

The Introduction to Research Course was first offered in 2021.

This year will also see the return of the Foundation’s Introduction to Research Course.

First offered in 2021, this new updated course is once again being led by gastroenterologist Professor Nicholas Shackel at the LGH and is aimed at encouraging and strengthening participation in health research at the hospital.

Commencing in May, the course will be offered to all clinical staff over six weekly sessions, and cover topics such as: research ethics and governance; design and theory; biostatistics; qualitative and quantitative research methods.

The Foundation is also pleased to announce it will once again offer Early Career Research scholarships to selected participants of this course.

The two $12,500 scholarships will enable two clinicians that are new to research to undertake a fully supported translational research study at the hospital.