I took time out of my higher surgical (SpR) training programme to undertake a PhD looking at the role of microRNAs in kidney ischaemia reperfusion injury. I had completed my ST3 and half of St4 (in General Surgery) at the time and took 3 years out of programme (OOPR) to undertake this research. Overall, these 3 years were probably the best of my years since graduation and I would thoroughly recommend anyone interested in doing a higher degree (especially if you are embarking  on a career in Surgery) to seriously consider this.

Pros

• Still maintained a 1 in 5 on-call rota which equated to 50% banded salary, so no pay cut!
• Managed to “keep my hand in” on the clinical side; by the end of my 3 years, I was able to independently construct AV fistulas, insert PD catheters and perform a kidney transplant!
• Briliant supervisors, great lab atmosphere

Cons

• Balancing the research with clinical commitments was challenging at times