I'm a lecturer in a vocational healthcare subject and do not currently have a PhD, in some institutions it is an essential requirement but in others it is understood that those with a traditional PhD often lack the significant clinical and practice experience. I am however looking forward and to progress a doctorate would certainly help.

I am being given mixed messages about the way to go, specifically a DProf or PhD. My thoughts are that a traditional PhD, although still the gold standard will essentially take me away from teaching for 4-5 year, even with a NIHR fellowship I will essentially be down to 2 days per week of teaching.

A DProf however could allows me to essentially use the day job to gain the doctorate, this would most likely have to be more pedogogical research than I would do through a PhD.

Any advice. Some colleagues are telling me DProfs are a waste of time, others that they are the best thing for me to do.

Other option is through publication, I will have 1 shortly and I am fairly confident I can produce another every 18 months, just feel this would take a long time and I don't know how many I would realistically need.

Surely the reason for requiring a PhD for posts is that it provides evidence of achieving key skills. A DProf does not necessarily give you those skills. I wouldn't shortlist a DProf if criteria was PhD unless really desperate to fill post.

PhD by published work requires 5-6 publications of a decent standard with a coherent theme. They are targetted at people who already have publications- i.e. Essentionally a form of accreditation of prior learning.

BTW- you will not be competitive for an NIHR doctoral fellowship with that publication record!

I think you generally need a PhD to progress in academia because you may need to supervise PhD students and this might be difficult if you don't have that research background.