Clinical academics required to avert training crisis

I started my life in academic dentistry in 1982, when there was a crisis due to a dearth of young scientists coming into the career. Once again clinical academia is in crisis both in medicine and dentistry – and this time it is a global phenomenon. In 1982 the government's response was a New Blood lectureship scheme to attract young scientists into the academy. Of the three such posts in dentistry, all holders are now professors in UK dental schools. This initiative was a success by any standards but recruitment was small and the impact on staffing levels in universities limited.