Charting the Seven Cs of Clinical Education Careers

This article was born from a careers event for Clinical Teaching Fellows (doctors with a teaching role), which discussed the unclear career path for clinical educators with many feeling ‘at sea’ when planning their future career. Clinical educators include clinicians, healthcare professionals and scientists who contribute to the teaching design, delivery, assessment and support of learners in medical and health professions education, often alongside clinical or research roles. Many occupy hybrid identities, part-teacher, part-clinician, part-scholar, without a single clearly defined career ladder. Many occupy hybrid identities, part-teacher, part-clinician, part-scholar, without a single clearly defined career ladder. Unlike medical training, careers in medical education do not follow a distinct route with fixed coordinates. They are more like setting sail without a full map, navigating through conversations with curiosity and a dose of chance. Inspired by Launer's article on clinical supervision [1], with added nautical wordplay, we decided to write our own seven Cs for clinical educators. These are not strict rules, but markers to help you reflect and stay on course. They are written from our collective experience as educators, at different stages of our own educational journeys, working across undergraduate, postgraduate and professional development contexts and informed by conversations with colleagues navigating similar uncertainties (Figure 1). Being open to new experiences and prospects can lead to great things, so do not be afraid to seize chances. Start by considering what interests you most. Medical education encompasses a range of fields, so reflecting on your ‘niche’ or specialist area helps you to select opportunities effectively. For example, are you interested in curriculum development, assessment, quality assurance, student support or improving access for under-represented groups? If you are unsure, reflect on any previous experience you enjoyed and talk to others about their day-to-day work to clarify your interests. You can discover relevant opportunities through departmental contacts, institutional websites, job alerts, networking and seeking guidance from your community. If you are already in a clinical education role, ask your seniors about projects in areas of interest or CV gaps. For example, if you lack leadership experience, you could ask to lead on a quality improvement project related to your current work. You may wonder how you can take on new challenges and navigate your career with conviction. Start by looking at how far you have come—reflect on what you have learned and achieved so far in your clinical education journey. This applies to educators of all levels; reminding ourselves of our successes, big or small, can boost our confidence when approaching the next challenge. Several of us only recognised our growth when prompted to write fellowship or promotion applications, realising how much experience we had gained in our current and past roles. There can be moments in anyone's career where self-doubt can set in. We are often poor judges of our own competence, leading to a disconnect between our confidence level and true ability [3]. It is helpful to identify your triggers for self-doubt and strategies to mitigate them. For a quick confidence lift, consider Amy Cuddy's power posing technique [4]; striking a power pose has been shown to boost performance in stressful situations. It is also important to establish your boundaries. Have the courage to sometimes say no to additional requests, depending on whether you have the time or if it would be beneficial for your career. To chart a career in clinical education, formal qualifications are increasingly necessary. Clinical expertise alone is not enough; ‘transmission of knowledge’ as a teaching strategy is recognised as limited and outdated [5]. The need for doctors to understand pedagogy (the practice of teaching) and develop their teaching skills has been recognised in the United Kingdom for the past 30 years, catalysed by several key publications from the General Medical Council (GMC) and British Medical Association (BMA) [6-8]. Comparable expectations exist internationally, although the routes to acquiring credentials vary widely, from formal degrees to workplace-based faculty development programmes. The Academy of Medical Educators' (AoME) professional standards framework [9] was adopted by the GMC as the expected standards for medical educators in 2014 [10], alongside an explosion of medical and health professions education master's programmes to help clinicians to develop these skills [11]. Creativity can seem undervalued within clinical education, a field that foregrounds curricula and regulatory frameworks. It can, however, be invaluable for finding novel ways to engage learners and approach challenges. Our career paths are rarely linear, often portfolio-based and non-traditional, filled with secondments and informal opportunities. Being more creative may mean trying something new like engaging with a pedagogical framework that challenges dominant norms, such as queer pedagogy, which challenges hierarchies, binary thinking and the assumed norms of the classroom [12]. For others, it might mean bringing humour or music into sessions traditionally stuck on PowerPoint. Some of our most effective sessions emerged from trying something that initially felt risky or ‘unacademic’. Some of our most effective sessions emerged from trying something that initially felt risky or ‘unacademic’. In clinical education, where there can be a high pressure to conform, spaces that encourage curiosity and innovation are essential. Creative practice may begin with one bold idea, but it is sustained through collective encouragement and shared risk-taking. Curiosity supports creativity, allowing you to evolve and keep your teaching relevant and engaging. However, it is important to temper this with critical thinking—do not be tempted to just jump on the latest educational bandwagon. Think about the pedagogy first, will this help your learners to understand and develop better? What is the evidence or supporting theory? When can you use a new creative idea and when would it be better not to? If you are running a small group face-to-face session, will you use an online tool like Mentimeter or Padlet to collect ideas, or handwritten sticky notes on a flip chart? Why? What influences your choice? Another example is the current trend for using AI—as educators we need to understand how and when to use it. As well as understanding the benefits, we also need to be aware of the limitations and other factors such as environmental impact, particularly with detailed AI-generated imagery or videos. The diagram in this article was made with the help of the AI-powered tool Napkin AI [2], but importantly, the output was reviewed and refined by the authors. Working together on this article has emphasised to us the value of community and collaboration. These are cornerstones of a career in clinical education. Talking to other educators can both provide a source of inspiration and open pathways to collaborate. Collaboration could be in many forms, across different areas of clinical education or different institutions. When several medical educators in our institution were informally asked about their careers, a common theme in responses was that of being presented with unexpected career opportunities by others; this has also been described as ‘serendipity’ in medical education [13]. For an early clinical educator, this answer may feel frustrating, as said opportunities may feel rare or unattainable. However, building a sense of community can start with smaller steps, such as attending a medical education event, and then progress onto collaborating on research or designing initiatives together. Building professional relationships not only provides opportunities for professional development but can also be a source of emotional support. Finding your way in clinical education can be daunting and lonely, so having colleagues to lean on can be invaluable. At our institution, we have wellbeing support for staff, offering regular networking and social activities. You could ask your colleague to observe your teaching and engage in meaningful peer dialogue. Finally, utilising your community to find a mentor, formal or informal, could help you to identify your career goals and develop your communication and reflective practice; mentoring has been aptly described as ‘a developmental anchor throughout one's career’ [14]. Mentoring has been aptly described as ‘a developmental anchor throughout one's career’. Careers in clinical education are full of challenges, from institutional barriers to rejected papers and critical feedback. These setbacks are all part of the process but rarely discussed openly. We often celebrate success without acknowledging the preceding struggle. It is important to normalise these moments as an integral part of a meaningful academic career. An unsuccessful pilot project, pushback from students or institutional resistance to change is not a sign of failure but evidence of engagement. Facing these headwinds means you are on the move. Keep a log of your roles and projects, noting your strengths and how you overcame challenges. These reflections are invaluable for applications and interviews. Success is not limited to the visible milestones like publications or promotions; it is in the smaller, everyday victories: the teaching session that sparked unexpected conversation or the colleague you supported in a new role. Celebrating achievements boosts morale, fosters a culture of support and reminds us of the value of the work we do. Success isn't limited to the visible milestones like publications or promotions, it is in the smaller, everyday victories: the teaching session that sparked unexpected conversation or the colleague you supported in a new role. Charting a career in clinical education can feel unpredictable, but these seven Cs offer guiding markers for clinical educators across diverse contexts. They are not fixed rules but anchors to help you navigate the inevitable uncertainty, setbacks and opportunities. Whether you are just starting out or further along, keeping sight of these principles may help you steer a purposeful and fulfilling course. These seven Cs offer guiding markers for clinical educators across diverse contexts. They are not fixed rules but anchors to help you navigate the inevitable uncertainty, setbacks and opportunities. Emma Kelley: conceptualisation, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing. Katie Wardle: conceptualisation, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing. Sethu Jayakumar: conceptualisation, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing. Kerry Calvo: conceptualisation, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing. The authors have nothing to report. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.