Faculty School: How to
Thrive in Academic Medicine
The Professional Mission
Statement:
Defining Your Career Goals
OSU COM Center for FAME Faculty
Workshop
11.15.13
William E. Smoyer MD/John D. Mahan MD
Chinese Proverb
If we don’t change our direction,
we are likely to end up where we are
headed!
Goals
Define and accomplish
your professional
success
Improve your
likelihood for academic
promotion
Enhance your
individual satisfaction
Objectives (at the end of this
presentation, the learner will be able to:)
Describe successful professional
development strategies
Develop a basic PMS and plan
Utilize the 4/20 Habits for Academic
Success

Identify your professional needs, academic
resources, value of collaboration, and
reasons for use of your faculty portfolio
Clarify your current activities in relation
to your PMS (Current Project Sheet)
Professional Development:
A 5 Part Strategy
Identify and
Utilize
Resources:
Colleagues,
networks,
training
Outline a
Realistic
Vision:
Personal
priorities,
opportunities
Develop
written plan
(PMS):
Review
with mentor
Achieve +
Document
Regularly,
Comprehensively
Dossier/Portfolio
Ensure
recognition:
Supervisor,
publications,
presentations,
P&T, marketing
Professional Development:
A 5 Part Strategy
Outline a
Realistic
Vision:
Personal
priorities,
opportunities
The Vision: Key to Defining
Your Professional Mission Statement
(PMS)
Identify personal goals and interests




What do you value?
What does the organization value?
Share with mentor and colleagues
Revisit often ? Post in office
Define desired rewards



Set priorities!
Ensure productivity – minimize surprises
Identify requirements for the next step
Case of Richard
MD now finishing 3rd yr as an Assistant Professor in the Tenure track
Graduated from a top tier fellowship program with excellent research
training and intense desire to continue research career
On service only 2 months a year - great reviews as teacher and clinician
Took longer than expected to get research enterprise (people, resources,
local collaborators) up and going – has only one local collaborator
Division Director expects him to focus on his research and publish, submit
a large national grant each year and present at national meetings
His productivity has been less than desired but he feels that he is getting
momentum now – he spends 8-12 hrs each weekend on his research
The Division Director calls him in and explains that he may not qualify for
additional internal support due to lack of publications and grant proposals
He needs to submit a NIH grant in the next 6 months – if he does not get
a competitive score, his research career will be in jeopardy!
Should he continue to work this hard on his research? What is wrong
here? What should he do now? What could have been done earlier?
Professional Development:
A 5 Part Strategy
Identify and
Utilize
Resources:
Colleagues,
networks,
training
Outline a
Realistic
Vision:
Personal
priorities,
opportunities
Identify and Utilize
Resources:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Colleagues
Networks
Organizations
Education
Training
Academic Career Success:
The Toolkit
Handout #4
Characteristics of
Successful
Academic Faculty
– 4/20 Habits
Handout #1
Define Your
Present Academic
Career Stage
Handout # 3
Define Your
Current Project
List
Handout #2
Your Professional
Mission
Statement
Handout # 5
Define Your
Priority Projects
Plan: Help define
your future
priorities
Professional Development:
A 5 Part Strategy and Toolkit
Handout #2
Your
Professional
Mission
Statement
Identify and
Utilize
resources:
Handout #1
Define Your
Present
Academic
Career Stage
Outline a
Realistic
Vision:
Personal
priorities,
opportunities
Colleagues,
networks,
training
Develop
written plan
(PMS):
Review
with mentor
Handout # 5
Define Your
Priority Projects
Plan: Help
define your
future priorities
Handout # 3
Define Your
Current
Project
List
Achieve +
Document
Regularly,
Comprehensively
Dossier/Portfolio
Handout #4
Characteristics
of Successful
Academic
Faculty – 4/20
Habits
Ensure
recognition:
Supervisor,
publications,
presentations,
P&T, marketing
Defining
Your
Professional
Mission
Statement
13
Professional Mission
Statement Draft (Handout #2)
Individual work
Individual revision
Small group share/critique
Final draft
PMS: undesirable examples
PMS: To be the best cardiologist I
can be
PMS: to be the best faculty
teacher of medical students
PMS: to be outstanding in
research, clinical care and
education
PMS: desirable examples
PMS: To become an expert in
incorporating patient/parent education
in improving care of children with sickle
cell disease
PMS: To be a leader in the field of
developing new anti-cancer compounds
for testing in patients with leukemia
PMS: To be a leader in developing
evidence based education in cardiology
training
Current Projects List
(Handout #3)
Self-Assessment
Individual work

Compare to PMS
Discussion
Characteristics of Successful
Academic Faculty
4/20 Habits (Handout #4)
Complete Work Sheet

Complete on Your Own
Review Each Year
Outline and Execute Plan to
Improve Each Year
Academic Assets (Professional
Account)
Your asset check list

Used by highly effective faculty 4/20
(20 habits in 4 areas of activity of
successful academic faculty):
Colleagues
 Environment
 Personal style/self management
 Citizenship

Colleagues
Associate and collaborate with
distinguished colleagues
Network: seniors, peers, admin. and
staff
Collaborate: writing, teaching, research
and administration
Regular contact inside and outside
institution
Borrow and offer resources
Environment
Local peers academically productive
Supportive work climate / resources
>10% protected time for academics
Institution supports pursuit of topics
you deeply value
Chair appreciates and values your work
Successful Style
Be productive in first 5 years
Work in small bursts
Attack several projects simultaneously
Pursue topics of personal interest,
consistent with your values and mission
Work with some degree of perceived
autonomy
Take risks
Citizenship
National - Regularly attend national
meetings
Regional - Active in regional and
national programs
Local - Active on medical school /
hospital committees, working groups
curriculum committees
Network with other good citizens to
drive your agenda (or their agenda)
Priority Projects Plan
(Handout #5)
Create Your
Own Priority
Projects Plan
Professional Development:
A 5 Part Strategy and Toolkit
Handout #2
Your
Professional
Mission
Statement
Identify and
Utilize
resources:
Handout #1
Define Your
Present
Academic
Career Stage
Outline a
Realistic
Vision:
Personal
priorities,
opportunities
Colleagues,
networks,
training
Develop
written plan
(PMS):
Review
with mentor
Handout # 5
Define Your
Priority Projects
Plan: Help define
your future
priorities
Handout # 3
Define Your
Current
Project
List
Achieve +
Document
Regularly,
Comprehensively
Dossier/Portfolio
Handout #4
Characteristics
of Successful
Academic
Faculty – 4/20
Habits
Ensure
recognition:
Supervisor,
publications,
presentations,
P&T, marketing
Academic Portfolio Document Your
Accomplishments
Statement of philosophy on teaching
Teaching/Learner evaluations
Representative syllabi/course materials
Every new committee, work group,
assignment
Every journal you review
Every publication, abstract, invited
presentation
Every grant
Academic Portfolio In total the Portfolio is
Your Career!
Homework
Develop and refine your PMS


Develop your PMS with input from your
Mentor/Supervisor
Re-visit your PMS with your Mentor/Supervisor at least
yearly
Re-visit your PMS (quarterly?) as a junior
faculty; at least every 6 months as senior faculty

Share concerns with your supervisor
Revisit your 4/20 Habits at least yearly


Intentionally increase your assets
Share with your mentor/Supervisor
Create/use your Priority Projects List

Guidepost/Map
Live your plan
Thanks
Deborah Simpson, Ph.D. Professor,
Family and Community Medicine,
Associate Dean for Educational Support
and Evaluation Medical College of
Wisconsin
Lewis R. First, M.D. Professor and
Chair, Pediatrics, University of Vermont
School of Medicine
Ed Zalneraitis, MD. Pediatric Program
Director, Professor and Associate Dean,
University of Connecticut
“Plans are
only good
intentions
unless they
immediately
degenerate
into hard
work.”
Peter Drucker
“Plans are nothing;
planning is everything.”
Dwight Eisenhower
References
Simpson DE, Fincher RM. Making a case for the teaching
scholar. Acad Med. 1999 Dec;74(12):1296-9.
Umiker W. Developing a mission statement for self and
family. Health Care Superv. 1998 Dec;17(2):39-44.
McCurdy FA. Marcdante K. Setting a personal career
direction. J Cardiovasc Manag. 2003 Mar-Apr;14(2):1821.
Rojas-Guyler L, Murnan J, Cottrell RR. Networking for
career-long success: a powerful strategy for health
education professionals. Health Promot Pract. 2007
Jul;8(3):229-33.
Overview
Background
Case of Richard
Academic Career Planning – 5 Key Steps
PMS Draft (#2)
Break
Current Projects List (#3)

Self-Assessment
Characteristics of Successful Academic Faculty
– 4/20 Habits

Define Your Habits (#4)
Priority Projects Plan (#5)
Portfolio discussion
Wrap-up