Case study: Dipping my toes in research - David's Story

As a Junior Registrar, I’m quickly learning that many parts of Obstetrics are often light on reliable evidence. So I’ve been keen to get involved in research that will help make our practice more evidence-based. I have also been contemplating a career involving research, so becoming a local associate Principal Investigator (PI) on the BigBaby trial led by the Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, seemed like a good way to dip my toes in the water of clinical research and make a small contribution at the same time. 

Happily, it’s been a hugely gratifying experience. I have had a useful glimpse into what it takes to run a clinical trial, how the process of recruitment works, I’ve witnessed some participants' reticence to take part in research and the frustration of the low hit-rate of recruiting participants, despite the large number of eligible candidates. 

I’ve learnt about the legal and regulatory frameworks around clinical research, and been exposed to the huge amount of paperwork that goes into maintaining the compliance of a clinical trial.  All this and more have been valuable lessons for a future career in research. I am now contemplating doing a research degree and looking into projects and methods of funding. It’s still early days on my way to the world of clinical research, but the associate PI scheme has been a useful step in that direction.

David Cohen
Obstetrics & Gynaecology Specialist Registrar
Barnet Hospital