Long-term Graduate Outcomes of the First Integrated Bachelor of Medicine (MB)/Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programme in Europe

BackgroundThe Cambridge Bachelor of Medicine (MB)/Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme was established in 1989 as Europes first integrated clinical -doctoral research training programme. Here we evaluate long-term outcomes of the programme 36 years after its introduction. MethodsTo track mature career choices, research productivity, group leader and senior authorship status, we analysed the career outcomes of graduates enrolling on the programme between 1989 and 2014. This was accomplished by scrutinising institutional pages, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and PubMed profiles of MB/PhD programme alumni. ResultsWe obtained data for 166 of 183 programme alumni (91%) who enrolled between 1989 and 2014, with a median follow up of 16 years. Among graduates, 139 (84%) remain in clinical practice and 27 (16%) transitioned to non-clinical careers. Clinical graduates entered medical (81%) and surgical (19%) specialties, with neurology and medical oncology most frequently chosen among the medical specialties. Neurosurgery and ophthalmology were the most favoured surgical specialties chosen. Research engagement remains high: 135 graduates (81%) have published research within the last five years and 28 (17%) hold group leadership positions. Of the the graduates no longer in clinical practice, most have taken up positions in industry (59%) and almost one fifth remain in academia. ConclusionsThe Cambridge MB/PhD programme has produced versatile graduates who contribute to the advancement of medicine within its complex professional ecosystem. Active research engagement (81%) and securement of group leadership positions among alumni (17%), attest to the ability of our graduates to sustain academic career choices within the context of contemporary clinical practice. That most graduates also continue to conduct research shows that the original goals of the programme have been met.