The Student Psychiatry Audit and Research Collaborative (SPARC)

The Student Psychiatry Audit and Research Collaborative (SPARC) is a nationwide, student-led initiative. 

Its primary aim is to enable medical students to undertake high-quality audit and research in psychiatry. A secondary aim is to encourage medical students to consider careers in psychiatry and academic psychiatry.

Founded in 2017 by medical students and psychiatry trainees in Cardiff, we have already conducted two national projects, producing several publications. We operate a similar medical student and trainee-led model to STARSurg, the surgical student research organisation.

You can get involved in SPARC if you are an undergraduate medical student or a psychiatry trainee.

We have opportunities for medical students:

• who wish to get some hands-on experience of a research project (as a Data Collector)
• who can take on responsibility for leading data collection at a specific site (as a Site Lead)
• who can help design, coordinate, analyse and publish research (as a member of the SPARC Steering Group).

We have openings for psychiatry trainees who can help support and advise medical students (as a Clinical Academic Advisor on the Steering Group).

Opportunities for new Data Collectors and Site Leads are invited for each project.

Opportunities for new Steering Group members are available every 1-2 years.