Appointments and Promotions:Climbing the Ladder

Virginia C. Broudy, M.D.

7/15/09

Academic Pathways*

Physician/Scientist: ~ 80% research/20% clinical and teaching

Clinician/Teacher: ~ 80% clinical and teaching/20% scholarly activity

Research Faculty (often PhD) : 100% research

Clinician/Clinician: 100% clinical and teaching

* These ratios vary!

How can I find my way through this jungle?

Ask Yourself Some Questions

What are my strengths and unique abilities?

What do I enjoy?

How do my research/teaching/clinical skills fit into my Division and Department?

What are the criteria for appointment and promotion?

Map Goals

Short-term goal: Submit the paper by December 2009

Long-term goal: Obtain an American Cancer Society grant by 2011

Discuss goals with your mentor and your fellowship director or division head!

They want you to succeed!

Annual Conference with Your Fellowship Director or Division Head Comment on my publications – journals,

number, impact

Original research vs. reviews vs. case reports

How can I improve my teaching?

What should I do more/less of?

Am I on track for appointment/promotion?

In most divisions, original research published in a peer-reviewed journal, is the key.

The appointment and promotion process was revised in 2008-2009

Individual Faculty Member Unique professional profile with research,

teaching, clinical, and administrative responsibilities

Relative importance for promotion should reflect time devoted to each activity

Departmental expectations regarding faculty effort, criteria for promotion, and evaluation methods should be aligned

Individual Faculty Member

Recognition that we are not all running to the same finish line

– “How will you define success for me?”

– Department/Division expectation articulated in appointment letter, and reviewed and updated during the annual meeting (Assistant Professor) with your Division Head

“At the end of the day, the most important criterion for appointment or promotion is achieving excellence in whatever academic activity is your core activity.”

Steve Fihn, MD

Criteria for Promotion

Scholarship (discovery, integration, teaching)

“Work that has not been disseminated does not meet the definition of scholarship”

Teaching portfolio (trainee and peer evaluation of teaching effectiveness)

Clinical care (peer evaluation)

Scholarship Discovery: basic science, clinical,

epidemiology, health services

Integration: meta-analysis, book chapters.. (Steve McGee Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis, Jan Hirschmann’s work)

Teaching: educational websites…(Carey Jackson’s Ethnomed, David Spach’s AIDS Clinical Care website)

Teaching Portfolio

Responsibility of each faculty member

Allows more formal assessment of teaching contributions

Teaching Portfolio Development of curricula for a course, rotation, or clerkship

- Learning objectives, instructional materials

Leading a small group session for a HuBio Course

Teaching evaluations / thank you letters

Invited presentations at UW or elsewhere (include brochure if CME course)

Doug Paauw, MDProfessor of Medicine

Teaching Portfolio

Regional or national recognition (at Associate Professor or Professor level)

Administration (for those who have an administrative role)

Professionalism (for everyone)

Criteria for Promotion

Professionalism: A Core Academic Competence

“ A discussion of professionalism should be a component of the annual assessment.”

Paul Ramsey, MD

How can we assess professional behavior?

“I shall not today attempt to further define…pornography…but I know it when I see it.”

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart

1964

UCSF Approach (Maxine Papadakis)

Include “respect” questions in each attending evaluation form

“This attending treated me with respect”

“This attending treated others (students, residents, patients, nurses, pharmacists…) with respect”

The Research Lab “For faculty engaged in research,

intellectual integrity, diligent and unbiased acquisition, evaluation, and reporting of scientific information, adherence to university research regulations, and collegial and fair treatment of trainees and research staff at all levels are elements of professionalism.”

What metric can we use to evaluate professionalism for these faculty?

New Appointment and Promotion Criteria

The relative importance for promotion of research, teaching, clinical, and administrative activities should reflect the time devoted to each activity

Professional behavior is now included

Academic Ranks

Instructor

Assistant Professor

Associate Professor

Professor

“Acting” Appointments

One year appointments, renewed annually

Maximum 4 years in a single rank (Acting Instructor or Acting Assistant Professor), and 6 years overall

The Assistant Professor clock does not tick when you are “Acting” (this is a big advantage)

Instructor

“Appointment to the rank of instructor requires completion of professional training and the promise of a successful career in teaching and research”

UW Faculty HandbookChapter 24

www.washington.edu/faculty/facsenate/handbook/volume 2.html

Instructor

Very rare appointment in the Department of Medicine

Most are appointed as Acting Instructor (entry level faculty position)

Assistant Professor

“Appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor requires a demonstration of teaching and research ability beyond that ordinarily required of an Instructor”

UW Faculty Handbook

Assistant Professor

Requires a national search

– Position approved by Department Chair – Search Committee of local luminaries

– Ads in national journals

– Interviews

– Takes ~ 9 months (can be accomplished more quickly)

Assistant Professor

Two three-year appointments

“Up or Out” after 6 years

“Ask not for whom the clock ticks; it ticks for thee.”

Modified (more than slightly) from John Donne

Most people get promoted; this is not a pyramid. The process is selective, but at the point of hire.

Assistant Professor

Promotion process usually starts in the spring of your 5th year as Assistant Professor

Division Head is in charge of your promotion to Associate Professor

What if I work part time?Is the academic clock the same?

The first three-year appointment as Assistant Professor is the same.

The second three-year appointment is modified as follows:

90% time – 3 years

70-89% time – 4 years

60-69% time – 5 years

50-59% time – 6 years

Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor

Vote of senior Division members

Package of CV, key scientific papers, teaching reviews, letters from internal and external reviewers and cover letter is sent to the Department A&P Committee in the fall of your 6th year, then to the Dean

You are promoted at the start of your 7th year

Associate Professor

“Appointment to the rank of Associate Professor requires a record of substantial success in both teaching and research, except that in unusual cases an outstanding record in one of these activities may be considered sufficient”

The quality of your peer reviewed publications is a major factor, and regional recognition is important

Strategies for Success

Know the process

Have clear goals– Research (with publications)– Teaching portfolio– Fit with the mission of your Division

and Department– Professionalism part of process

Be Flexible – Life Changes!

The Academic Adventure is a Grand Adventure

Residents and Fellows who challenge your thinking

Thrill of discovery

Joy of longitudinal patient care

Travel