Staff specialists have many competing roles including patient care, teaching and administration with research often being placed on the backburner or in the ‘too hard’ basket. Involvement in research is an essential part of a staff specialist’s role, particularly in a teaching hospital, even if working part-time. Clinical trial work is interesting, very personally satisfying, raises the academic standard within a unit and builds collaborations within rheumatology and with other specialties. Commercial clinical trials are a very productive way of doing research within the role of patient care and are an important adjunct to investigator-initiated trials, allowing patients to have access to the latest treatments and keeping the clinician at the cutting edge of advances in treatment.