Completing an intercalated research degree during medical undergraduate training: barriers, benefits and postgraduate career profiles.

Aim: To undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the intercalated research degree at the School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand and to ascertain the career profiles of Auckland medical graduates who completed the intercalated degree programme.

Method: A questionnaire was devised and mailed to all Auckland MBChB graduates (1972-2005) who completed an intercalated research degree during the undergraduate medical course.

Results: Among 50 graduates who met the inclusion criteria (mean of 1.