Our NIHR funded clinical academic programme at Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry provides a unique opportunity for clinicians to develop as academics or medical educators alongside clinical training. Plymouth has a number of outstanding research laboratories, and the medical school has recently invested £15.5 million in the Derriford Research Facility, which opened in Autumn 2017. There are also termly clinical academic half-day meetings, which usually run from 10:00 to 16:00 with lunch included, and provide an opportunity for sharing ongoing experiences, challenges and solutions, including funding opportunities and discussions on career progression.