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The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for action to halt the decline in the number of UK doctors pursuing careers in teaching and research.

The move has been prompted by fears that medical education will suffer because there are too few academics to teach a growing numbers of medical students. Research published this year shows that the numbers of junior medical academics has fallen by almost a quarter between 2000 and 2003.

Under plans submitted by the BMA's Medical Academic Staff Committee to the government, doctors would be exposed to research and teaching opportunities at an earlier stage of their careers. At least a fifth of places on the new 'foundation programmes' at the start of doctors' careers would be reserved for trainees with an interest in academic medicine. On completion of the programme, doctors could be issued with a ‘certificate of research training’. All foundation programmes would incorporate training in basic research skills and there would also be an option to undertake four month "research taster" modules as part of the second year training programme.

Professor Michael Rees, chairman of the BMA's Medical Academic Staff Committee, said: "Unless we get more doctors interested in teaching and research, academic medicine could disappear altogether. We know that many juniors don't consider academic careers simply because they aren't aware of the opportunities. Exposing them to greater experience at an earlier stage would allow us to demystify academia as a medical specialty – regardless of the career choices they make, they will have gained skills that they will need as a doctor.

"This initiative is part of a number of measures the BMA is taking to promote medical research and education and to produce attractive life long careers which will enable them to utilise more fully the skills and experience of doctors to develop new treatments and to educate the next generation of doctors."

More information available in Education & Training