ABSTRACT

The completion of a research project can mean many things. One very attractive option for health professionals with a research degree is a return to professional practice, where the results of the research can ideally be applied. Many research students will at some stage look back and feel that the period of research was one of the more exciting and dynamic phases of their lives. Most research is conducted in the more established tradition of working from and contributing back to a body of shared knowledge that is 'owned' in the public interest by humanity. Research training can provide graduates with a set of useful and transferable generic skills that should be useful in professional practice, and can open up interesting career possibilities. Most health professionals who attain research degrees will continue to combine professional practice with some academic role, and may well have increased flexibility to shape their career.