Empowering registrars: Practical strategies for completing and publishing research

In November 2010, the Subcommittee for Postgraduate Education and Training (Medical) under the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) implemented new regulations requiring the completion of a research component as a condition for specialist registration. The registrar–consultant relationship is central to the success of this research training (research assignment). To achieve sustainable, high-quality outputs, this dynamic must evolve from a traditional gatekeeping role, focused on oversight and control, to an innovation-driven mentorship model. Despite regulatory stipulations of ~600 notional hours for Master of Medicine (MMed) research, evidence suggests registrars face significant barriers, including inadequate supervision, time constraints and limited research experience. In this perspective, we reflect on the second part of a clinical research supervision workshop aimed at enhancing supervision capacity for registrar research, with a focus on Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in supervisory agreements and mentorship strategies to strengthen research oversight (the first part of this workshop was previously published in the Journal of the College of Medicine South Africa). By addressing these areas, we seek to improve research quality across South African institutions and help develop a new generation of skilled clinician-researchers. Clinicians as supervisors, play a pivotal role in guiding registrars through their academic and professional journeys. Best practices include fostering open communication, setting clear expectations, and providing consistent feedback, supported by institutional resources and training to enhance supervisory skills.