Offer Letter
Standing Faculty -- Tenure Track
Physician Scientist
Associate Professor without tenure
[Date]
John Doe, M.D.
123 Park Place
Philadelphia, PA 12345
Dear __________:
On the basis of our recent conversations, I am pleased to offer you the position of Associate
Professor of (specify department) in the Standing Faculty - tenure track of the Perelman School of
Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Your appointment is subject to approval by the appropriate
Perelman School of Medicine committees, the Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and the
Provost’s Staff Conference of the University.
The Handbook for Faculty and Academic Administrators, which can be accessed at
http://provost.upenn.edu/policies/faculty-handbook, currently provides that there will be a mandatory
review for promotion in or before your fourth year. You should be aware of the University’s “Policy on
Extension of the Probationary Period,” Faculty Handbook Policy II.E.3 at
http://provost.upenn.edu/policies/faculty-handbook and timely filing requirements which provides
important information relating to specific circumstances under which your probationary period may be
extended.
The Faculty Affairs and Professional Development (FAPD) website, www.med.upenn.edu/fapd
contains faculty policies and related information which may be helpful to you. Within our department,
(insert name of faculty coordinator) is the faculty coordinator, (insert name of department coap chair) is
the chair of our department committee on appointments and promotions and (insert name of department
education officer) is the education officer and may also serve as a resource for you.
In order to prepare proactively for promotion, you must maintain records of your teaching efforts
and evaluative data. The Housestaff and Medical Student Teaching Evaluation Record (HAMSTER) is a
substantial online report of teaching information that will be available to you. It includes recorded
teaching activities and evaluations of faculty by medical students, residents, fellows and masters students
in the Perelman School of Medicine. You are responsible for collecting and submitting any qualitative
and quantitative data for teaching activities not captured in HAMSTER.
The Perelman School of Medicine encourages new faculty who will have teaching
responsibilities to complete The Digital Welcome, an online orientation that provides critical information
about teaching environments, standards, and expectations, as well as how your teaching will be
evaluated. When you have attained your PennKey, you will be able to access the Digital Welcome from
http://www.med.upenn.edu/fapd/professional/. It is recommended that you complete the Digital Welcome
within three months of your appointment.
I also encourage you to attend any of the other sessions offered through the Advance program
http://www.med.upenn.edu/fapd/professional/ in your role as either mentee or mentor. In addition to
attaining teaching excellence, these programs provide guidance in research, scientific writing, career
Name of Person Receiving Letter
Date
Page 2
development and achievement, leadership and management and technology training. Announcements
about these programs are also communicated through emails. You should feel free to contact FAPD
about any professional development needs or suggestions.
Attached you will find a statement regarding your compensation for the period (insert date).
(If applicable)
In support of the University’s sustainability goals and for the convenience of employees, we have
replaced University paper checks with electronic payment options:
 Direct deposit to your bank account (Direct Deposit) and
 The ADP ALINE Card, with courtesy checks, (ALINE Card)1
The ALINE Card is automatically issued to all new employees for purposes of receiving their pay or
reimbursements for travel or other business related expenses. An ALINE Card packet will be sent to you
directly from ADP. The packet will contain both the ALINE Card, which can be used like any debit card,
and courtesy checks, along with instructions on how to use them.
Your acceptance of employment and/or completion of your employment eligibility verification (Form
I-9) constitute consent to the University’s payroll methods, including the use of the ADP Aline Card.
You may choose to elect Direct Deposit at any time. If your Direct Deposit election is processed in time
for your first wage payment, Penn will attempt to prevent ALINE card issuance. If you receive your pay
via Direct Deposit, you do not have to activate the ALINE Card, and you can cancel a previously
activated card at any time.
For more information on both of these options, please visit the following website:
www.finance.upenn.edu/comptroller/payroll/receiving_your_pay.shtml
Further, in order to demonstrate our commitment to your work and to assist you in carrying out
your academic and clinical goals, the following arrangements are being made for you: (insert any details
regarding agreements)






office and/or lab space
equipment
technical support
start-up funding
moving expenses
computer
As we discussed, you will be expected to participate in the clinical, educational, and research
programs of the department. Your responsibilities will include (insert description).
Also enclosed are the “Guidelines for the Perelman School of Medicine Faculty Mentoring
Program.” In accordance with the Guidelines, you will be expected to make yourself available to faculty
colleagues who may need or request your assistance as a mentor. I encourage you to review the online
1
While the University’s’ options for receiving payments are designed to take advantage of the benefits of electronic methods, the ADP ALINE
Card with courtesy checks option enables payees to write and cash checks for the entire amount due to them. This functionally is equivalent to a
‘check only’ process but has the added benefits of being able to the use the debit card, electronic bill payment, and/or write checks for different
amounts. If you prefer the ALINE Card but require assistance in completing a written check due to an accommodation for a disability or other
reason, please contact the Disbursement Office- Payroll (215-898-6301 or payroll@exchange.upenn.edu).
Name of Person Receiving Letter
Date
Page 3
guide, “Shaping a Career in Academic Medicine: Guidelines for mentor/mentee conversations” at
www.med.upenn.edu/mentee.
As a member of the Perelman School of Medicine faculty conducting a clinical practice within
the University of Pennsylvania Health System, you must also be a member of the Clinical Practices of the
University of Pennsylvania (CPUP). Your execution of the CPUP member agreement is a condition of
this offer.
As a full-time Associate Professor you will be eligible to participate in the generous benefits
package offered by the University of Pennsylvania. After your arrival, a benefits packet will be mailed to
you by the Penn Benefits Center. If you have any questions about this packet, you should contact the
Benefits Center at 1-888-736-6236. You should also arrange to meet with (insert name of department
administrator and title) who can be reached at (insert phone number).
In addition, as a CPUP member, you also will be eligible to participate in benefits offered to
CPUP members, which currently include life and disability insurance. If you have any benefits issues you
wish to discuss while you are considering this offer, you should contact a Senior Benefits Specialist at
CPUP or (insert other CPUP contact).
Both the University and CPUP retain the right to modify or rescind any portion of their fringe
benefits packages at any time. You will be eligible for benefits according to the terms of applicable plans,
as they may exist from time to time.
As a full-time University employee and CPUP member, you will be subject to all applicable
University, Penn Medicine and CPUP policies, as well as policies applicable to UPHS medical staff.
These policies, which are subject to amendment from time to time, currently include, though are not
limited to, “Principles of Responsible Conduct” www.upenn.edu/audit/oacp_principles.htm), “Conflict of
Interest” as described in Faculty Handbook Policy II.E.10 (http://provost.upenn.edu/policies/facultyhandbook), in related policies and procedures at www.med.upenn.edu/fapd and the enclosed policies
and procedures concerning patent and tangible research property
(http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v57/n01/pdf_n01/Patentpolicy.pdf). You must read and sign
the Participation Agreement included with the patent policy.
You will not be authorized to enter into any outside contracts or agreements on behalf of the
University without formal University approval for which you should apply through me.
This offer is predicated on your not having entered into any type of restrictive covenant or noncompete that could interfere with your performing the services contemplated. The offer is also
predicated on your not having any preexisting or anticipated conflicts of interest with respect to your
proposed position at the University of Pennsylvania. If you believe you may have a restrictive covenant,
non-compete or conflict of interest, please contact me to immediately discuss this matter.
In addition to your academic review, the following must be completed prior to providing patient
care at any one of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) facilities. The Pennsylvania
medical licensure and a DEA(s) registered in the State of Pennsylvania may take anywhere from three to
four months to obtain, so please allow adequate time for processing. Please go to the website below and
apply for your license immediately. Once the license is granted, you will then need to follow up with the
state-specific DEA as described below.
Name of Person Receiving Letter
Date
Page 4
While your paperwork for licensure and DEA are being processed, (insert name of Medical
Affairs Coordinator) will submit an application request for your credentials, privileges and health plan
enrollment (as applicable) at one or more of the UPHS facilities. Once your application request has been
submitted, reviewed and processed by the Office of Medical Affairs, you will receive a letter from the
Application Team with instructions on the next steps in the process. In order to ensure that your
credentialing, privileging and enrollment are completed in time for you to provide patient care by your
requested start date, it is imperative that you follow the instructions, respond to requests, and supply the
required documentation in a timely manner. It is crucial that the correct contact information is given to
your Department Coordinator so you receive the mailed materials without incident. Some of the
documents/information you will be asked to supply are:
•
Copy of medical school diploma (required for Medicare enrollment)
•
Medical license numbers for Pennsylvania and/or New Jersey (as applicable to your UPHS
practice), and DEA and CDS numbers, if applicable.
•
Pennsylvania medical license application
(http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/state_board_of_medicine/12512/licensure_info
rmation/599413#forms)
•
State-specific DEA registration - The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Managed Care
Division, requires that you hold a current DEA registration with a Pennsylvania address on it if you
practice in that state (with the exception of Pathologists and Non-Interventional Radiologists). If you
currently hold a DEA in another state, once you have a Pennsylvania medical license you should
immediately either:
o
Apply for an additional DEA registration number for the state in which you will be
practicing (Pennsylvania/New Jersey) as soon as you have a medical license in that state
(https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/webforms/jsp/regapps/common/newAppLogin.jsp) or
o
Transfer the address on your DEA current registration to the state in which you will be
practicing (Pennsylvania/New Jersey)
(https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/webforms/jsp/regapps/common/updateLogin.jsp)
•
Copy of Social Security card or W-2 form. (Required for Pennsylvania Medicaid
enrollment)
•
National Provider Identifier (NPI) Number
(FOR FOREIGN CANDIDATES) This offer is contingent upon your having authorization to
work and it is your responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) policies. Please contact the University’s International Student and
Scholar Services (ISSS) Office at (215-898-4661) or access http://global.upenn.edu/isss immediately
so that any visa issues may be addressed before you join us. Appointment and payroll documentation
cannot be processed until you have presented ISSS approval.
If you agree with the terms of this offer, please sign below and return the signed offer to me by
(insert date). Also return the signed CPUP Member Agreement and Patent Policy Participation
Name of Person Receiving Letter
Date
Page 5
Agreement. As we discussed, assuming the faculty appointment is approved as we expect, your
appointment will commence as of (insert date). Please respond promptly to requests for information or
documentation. Failure to do so could result in delay of your appointment and inability to participate in
particular benefits programs, such as pension and long-term disability.
All of us who have met you in the department are extremely enthusiastic about your coming to
the University of Pennsylvania and anticipate that you will have a highly successful and enjoyable career.
I personally look forward to working with you and to helping you develop your career.
Sincerely,
_______________________________
Chair of Department
I accept this offer as outlined above:
_____________________________
Date
cc:
_____________________________
Name of Candidate
Signature
Department BA
Attachments:
Mentoring Guidelines
Professional Development Teaching Requirement
Patent Policy and Participation Agreement
CPUP Member Agreement