Anna Berenguera: “It is necessary to give time and motivation to primary care professionals to do research”

The first PhD Day of IDIAPJGol, held on March 15, aims to promote the doctorate among professionals at the first level of healthcare and to share the doctoral thesis projects that are being carried out. We have spoken with the Deputy Director of IDIAPJGol to find out what this conference will consist of.

Which is the aim of the celebration of this first IDIAPJGol PhD Day?

We are very happy with this initiative. This is the first conference we dedicate to doctoral students and probably one of the first held in our country that focuses exclusively on the doctorate at the Primary Care. The conference has several objectives. The first is to create a community of doctoral students who promote research at the first care level and to know their projects. From that community we will be able to build a learning group. During the day we will also provide them information, knowledge and tools that will allow them to improve both their research capacity and techniques to improve people’s quality of life. The second objective is to identify research projects to attract future PhD students, and the third is to be able to recruit professionals who will mentor, a very valuable figure to guide support and offer advice to the professionals who are carrying out their theses.

Which activities are planned during the activity?

The program consists of several thematic blocks that will help to better understand the doctoral process, conducted by Dr. Jaume Alijotas, director of the Medicine Program at the UAB. We will also offer recommendations and important aspects to consider in the doctoral research process with Dr. Rafel Ramos, coordinator of the Research Support Unit of Girona and professor at the University of Girona. During the coffee break, research projects will be presented to attract potential Primary Care professionals who want to perform a doctorate. The core of the day will be the quick presentations, of five minutes maximum, of the doctoral thesis projects that are being carried out in the Primary Care, which we will be grouped by areas or lines. The best presentation will be awarded with the financing of a publication in an open access journal for its thesis article. The day will be closed by Dr. Andrés Martín, who will offer a workshop to learn about strategies to manage stress during the process of completing the doctoral thesis.

Who is this conference aimed at?

The conference is aimed at the entire research community, people who want to do a doctorate but don’t know where to start. In this sense, several projects will be presented to which people who want to do the thesis can join. The session is also aimed at people who are doing their doctoral thesis and at research professionals of all levels of experience.

This event is part of IDIAPJGol’s desire to promote the doctorate among health professionals working at the Primary Care. What other actions is the Institute taking in this sense?

The IDIAPJGol promotes the realization of the doctorate based on its internal aids, the predoc grants. The Institute also offers methodological advice and accompanies the Primary Care professionals to make the doctorate process easier and more friendly.

Why is the doctorate important in the field of health sciences?

Having a doctorate is a learning experience that allows entering the world of research, knowing and executing first-hand all the phases of research. But, in addition, it allows to start a research career to get projects in competitive calls and open up knowledge in a certain line or area of research. It is an evolutionary process, in which you go from completing the thesis to the post-doc and then to a more senior position in which you can lead a research group that contributes to building scientific evidence for improvement and welfare of the population.

Is there sufficient awareness of this importance among primary care professionals?

Primary care professionals devote all their time to care, and they must be offered time and motivation to dedicate themselves to research. Many people want to do it, but they do it during their personal time. IDIAPJGol promotes releases of up to 50 % of the time to be able to develop research practice, through its research grants.

What advice would you give to professionals who are interested in doing their doctoral thesis?

 

To come to the conference. They will receive a lot of advice to enter the doctorate or continue in the world of research. In addition, they will meet many professionals who are doing it. Getting a doctorate is possible!