Early-career Academic Clinicians at the Intersection of Medicine, Research and Policy - Lessons Learned from the COVID Pandemic

The COVID pandemic enforced unprecedented pressure upon the academic clinician workforce globally. While in some aspects this has been a time of opportunity for academic clinicians, it has also exposed the vulnerabilities of this career path and the challenges early-career academic clinicians face. These challenges include the lack of dedicated training programmes, obstacles to international recognition of their career paths, and the remuneration gap between academic clinicians and their clinical counterparts. Addressing these issues will require a concerted effort from policymakers, funding agencies, and the medical community. However, investing in increasing the pool of academic clinicians in the long term is essential to advancing medical knowledge and improving the wellbeing of all of society.