Reflections on the SPCR Trainees Event 2022

I was really looking forward to the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) Trainee Event at Keele University on the 21st and 22nd of September, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

The chance to network and talk to others in real life always offers such a great opportunity to learn about different research areas, build skills, confidence and practice articulating my own work.There is always so much to take back from every conversation and apply to my own research topic, whether it is methodology, an area of literature I hadn’t considered or an insight into the topic gained by hearing a new perspective.It is also just simply such great fun to spend time with other people in real life! Something important I think we have all missed very much over the past few years.

The event itself was extremely well organised and ran very smoothly, miraculously with zero technical problems and no discernible timing issues either – a very impressive feat in itself!

In terms of the content, personal highlights for me were the excellent session by Professor Katrina Turner which was thoughtful and showed remarkable insight into the needs and challenges we face as trainees in our early research careers. I also loved the final keynote session by Dr Jessica Watson which gave a really interesting insight into the journey through the fellowship scheme, against the backdrop of a really relevant and engaging research topic.

Personally, I felt the first keynote discussion on day 1 which centred on partnerships with industry would have benefittedfrom a more participatory style, perhaps allowing for a more nuanced and balanced discussion. However, the other sessions offered plenty of opportunity to engage meaningfully with the content, including the workshop sessions, panel discussions and time for questions to speakers at the end.

Finally, a thankyou to all at the SPCR who make us trainees feel so welcome, respected and valued. I always find the leadership team to be very inclusive, open to suggestions and learning in both directions. It makes for a very welcoming atmosphere and gives trainees the space to ask questions they might otherwise have felt uncomfortable with.

Oh and of course most importantly… the food was great!