DEMYSTIFYING
PROMOTIONS:
A GUIDE FOR JUNIOR FACULTY AND THEIR
MENTORS
Eva Aagaard, M.D.
Director of Faculty Development
DGIM
With Thanks to Harley Rotbart, MD Pediatrics
WHAT ARE YOUR
QUESTIONS ABOUT
PROMOTIONS?
Instructor
Assistant
Professor
Sr. Instructor
Sr. Instructor w/
Distinction
Associate
Professor
Associate
Professor of
Clinical Practice
Professor of
Clinical Practice
TENURE
Professor of
Clinical Practice
GOAL FOR AN ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR
 Become an Associate Professor
THE 3-LEGGED STOOL
 Teaching
 Research /
Scholarship
 Clinical / Service
THE CAREER PIE CHART
Faculty Percent Effort
1-5%
Administrative/Service
10%
Teaching.
Secondary
Focus
5-30%
Primary
Focus
50-80%
Primary
Areas
of Focus :
Secondary
• Clinical Care
Teaching
• Education and
Admin/Service
Training
• Research
• Administration/
Service
• Advocacy
THE GOLDEN RULES FOR
PROMOTION TO ASSOCIATE
PROFESSOR
 Make career decisions that lead to career fulfillment
 Don’t make career decisions solely because they’re
“good for promotion”
 Promotion will follow
STOOL MEETS PIE CHART
Faculty Percent Effort
1-5%
Administrative/Service
10%
Teaching.
Secondary
Focus
5-30%
Primary
Focus
50-80%
Primary
Areas
of Focus :
Secondary
• Clinical Care
Teaching
• Education and
Admin/Service
Training
• Research
• Administration/
Service
• Advocacy
THE MATRIX RELOADED
REGULAR FACULTY SERIES
EXCELLENCE in one:
Teaching
Research
Clinical Activity
MERITORIOUS in all:
Teaching
Scholarly Activity
Clinical Activity/Service
CLINICAL PRACTICE SERIES
 Faculty members whose duties are focused
primarily in direct patient care
 Not tenure eligible
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF
CLINICAL PRACTICE
EXCELLENCE IN:
 Clinical care
AT LEAST MERITORIOUS IN:
 Teaching
AND
 Local (hospital or university) or regional
reputation for clinical excellence
THE 12 STEP PROCESS
1. Appointment as Assistant Professor
2. Annual DOMINO Review
3. Mid-point review
4. Nomination promotion - early summer
5. Solicitation of letters - late summer
6. Submission of portfolio - early fall
*Departmental Promotions Committee
THE 12 STEP PROCESS
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Portfolio review and vote (DPC)
Modifications of portfolio
Re-review of portfolio (DPC)
Submission to SOM - December
Review by SOM Promotions Comm
Approval by SOM Executive Comm
TIMELINE TO ASSOCIATE
 Year
 Year
 Year
 Year
 Year
 Year
 Year
 Year
0 – appointment
1 – annual review
2 – annual review
3 – annual review
4 – mid-point review
5 – annual review
6 – annual review
7 – promotion
ROLE OF DEPARTMENT/
DIVISION
Appointment letter – true expectations
Mentoring – assign mentor ( & co-mentor) and
oversee process
Annual reviews –
1.
2.
3.


? On track for promotion
Documentation appropriately gathered
Mid-point reviews by Department
4.



?On track for promotion
Documentation appropriately gathered
Proposed timing for promotion
ROLE OF THE DIVISION/ DEPT
5.
Promotion preparation
•
•
•
•
•
Solicitation of reference letters
Guidance on portfolio preparation
Review portfolio, suggest improvements
Vote on candidacy
Submit portfolio with summary letter
HOW TO FIND A MENTOR
 Mentoring Guides
 Annual DOMINO Review
 Peer-referral
 Self-referral
MENTORING GUIDES DGIM
Research
Jean
Kutner
Education
Eva
Aagaard
Clinical
David
Tanaka
DEPT. MENTORING
 Primary Mentor
 Responsible for guidance (facilitating, advocating, and
counseling) towards faculty member’s career development and
promotion
 Assist faculty member in finding a Co-Mentor if appropriate
DEPT. MENTORING
 Co-Mentor – if appropriate
 In most cases, this is the faculty member’s “content” mentor
 may be same person as Primary Mentor
 Responsible for guidance (facilitating, advocating, and
counseling) of the faculty member toward success in his/her
research, clinical, teaching, and/or scholarly activities
 Provides regular feedback to Primary Mentor
DEPT. MENTORING
 Faculty Member
 Ultimately responsible for his/her own career development,
with the guidance of Primary Mentor
 Ultimately responsible for his/her own research, clinical,
teaching, scholarly activity with the guidance of Co-Mentor if
appropriate
NEITHER
ROLE OF THE FACULTY
MEMBER
1. Conscientiously work with mentor
2. Maintain real-time portfolio
A. Teaching - see SOM portfolio template
a. log of teaching activity
b. teaching evaluations - piles and piles
c. teaching awards
ROLE OF THE FACULTY
MEMBER
B. Clinical
a. see SOM portfolio template
b. log of clinical activity
c. clinical testimonials/evaluations
d. clinical honors
ROLE OF THE FACULTY
MEMBER
3. Documentation of Research/Scholarship
A. Accurate and up-to-date CV
B. Thoughtful approach to scholarship
4. Documentation of Service
A. Accurate and up-to-date CV
B. Letters of gratitude for service
5. Careful attention to submission deadlines
TOP 10 MISTAKES
On The Way To Promotion
10. THE NOBEL PRIZE
WINNER MENTALITY
Or the “I’ve been here18 months, am I eligible
for promotion?” syndrome
 Rules state that “when you’re ready, you’re ready”
 BUT,
 RARE that someone is promoted after 4 years
 uncommon after 5
 More often after 6,
 Most common after 7
9. THE “I KNOW I’M ON TRACK”
Or “Mentoring is for the Other Guys” syndrome
Leading cause of disappointments at promotion time and of
the need to request extensions
8. THE MY MENTOR ATE MY
HOMEWORK SYNDROME
Responsibility for fulfilling the Criteria, and meeting
the deadlines, for promotion are yours alone
7. PROMOTION COMMITTEE =
CONVENIENCE STORE
If you miss deadlines, you may have to wait
another year.
6. FAILURE TO LAUNCH
 Scholarship
 Outside letters
5. THE LOST IN TRANSLATION
SYNDROME
Or, Falsely Assuming The DOM Or SOM
Promotion Committee Knows What You Do
For A Living
 Only 1-2 members of your department on the SOM PC
 Few if any know you
 YOUR MISSION is to produce a portfolio that speaks
their language
4. ASSUMING SIZE DOESN’T
MATTER
 Quality of your work
 Quantity of your work
 Teaching evaluations, publications, clinical documentation, etc.
should be as complete as possible without including fluff.
 Particularly true for documenting “alternative forms of
scholarship”
3. BELIEVING IN THE
“EVALUATIONS TOOTH
FAIRY”
Or the “Someone must be collecting my
teaching evaluations for me” syndrome
2. ASSUMING THAT ALL TEACHING
OCCURS IN LECTURE HALLS
Don’t overlook:
 Bedside
 Research
 Morning report
 Journal club
 M&M conferences
 Mentoring/ Advising
 log your hours and number of trainees and collect evaluations.
1. SPENDING TOO MUCH
TIME IN THE UNPRODUCTIVE
STAGES OF THE KUBLERROSS GRIEF REACTION
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
WE CAN HELP