Medical research ‘in trouble’ as early-career clinical academic numbers fall sharply

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By Emma Wilkinson

The number of early-career doctors who are also working in research at universities in the UK has fallen sharply in a year, figures from the Medical Schools Council suggest.

In 2025, there were 105 full-time equivalent (FTE) clinical academics under the age of 36 years, down from 140 the year before – a drop of 25%.

The figures raise deep concerns about the sustainability of the future clinical academic workforce, the council said.

And although the overall number of clinical academics increased slightly in 2025, growth has not kept pace with NHS workforce expansion and was driven by senior doctors, with the pipeline of new clinical academics “under increasing pressure”.

More than one-third (36.4%) of clinical academic FTE posts are now accounted for by individuals aged over 55, while the proportion held by professors has increased from 63.7% in 2024 to 65.5% in 2025.

The figures also reflect a broader decline in the relative position of clinical academics within the medical workforce, the Medical Schools Council said.