Academic Advancement As A Clinician
Educator
Donald W. Reynolds Foundation Grantee 2010
Annual Meeting
Daniel Swagerty , MD , MPH
Professor, Departments of Family Medicine and
Internal Medicine
Associate Chair for Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care,
Department of Family Medicine
Associate Director for Medical Education,
Landon Center on Aging
Director of Clinical Geriatrics,
University of Kansas School of Medicine
Objectives
 Understand school of medicine faculty
ranks and academic tracks
 Identify barriers and strategies for success
in academic promotion for geriatric faculty
 List crucial issues for geriatric medicine
faculty members in selecting and
advancing in tenure-and non-tenure track
positions
 Define how to manage a productive
academic career through mentorship
General Outline of Academic
Promotion
 Regular fixed cycle with deadlines
 Formal hierarchical system
 Promotion depends on documentation
 Criteria usually based on achievements (quality
and quantity) in all or some combination of
education, scholarship, service.
 Definitions of education, scholarship and
service, plus the relative influence of each may
vary considerably by school, track, committee
or individual.
Ranks and Tracks
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Rank
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Track
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Assigned with a title when hired
Defined by institution
Unmodified or modified (descriptor)
 Clinical
 Research
Tenured vs Non-Tenure
Chair Decision

Approved by Dean and Vice Chancellor
Rank
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Instructor
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
Professor
Track
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Defines Job Responsibilities
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Teaching
Scholarship
Professional Service
Academic Service
Criteria for Promotion and Tenure
Specific Professional and Academic Expections
Tenure Track

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Deadlines
 Mandatory Tenure Date - 5 Years
 Probationary Period – 7 Years
Renewed Annually
Expectations for Promotion to Associate Professor
 Achieve mid-level productivity in all 4 areas by
mandatory tenure date
 Dismissal can occur if tenure not acheived within
probationary period
Non-Tenure Track

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No specific time line for promotion
Tenure not an issue
No consequence of dismissal if
promotion not achieved
Expectations for Promotion to Associate
Professor
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Vary by track
Clinical Scholars Track

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Full-time faculty
Unmodified title
Rotating or fixed term (1-3 years)
Responsibilities – Patient Care, Teaching and
Scholarship
Two Career Pathways


Clinician Educator
Clinician Investigator
Clinical Scholars Track Promotion to Associate Professor

Clinician Educator


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Mid-career acheivements in professional service,
academic service, and teaching
Early-career acheivement in scholarship
Clinician Investigator
 Mid-career acheivements in professional service,

academic service, and scholarship
Early-career acheivement in teaching
Developing a Successful
Program of Scholarship
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Scholarship = Intellectual Activity + Peer
Validation + Public Dissemination
School guidelines may specify type and
quantity of scholarship
Derived from your own strengths, interests
and routine activities
Be aggressive and realistic in activity and
documentation
Developing a Successful
Program of Scholarship

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Conduct scholarship that counts
Seek meaningful peer evaluation and
outcomes of teaching
Select meaningful and time-efficient
service commitments
Seek colleagues and activities outside
department and school
Developing a Successful
Program of Scholarship
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Understand the process, regulations and
guidelines
Research how these are actually interpreted
and implemented
Values of P&T reviewers
Seek regular evaluation by departmental
chair/division chief, departmental P&T
committee chair, and mentor
Seek written assessment and feedback
Developing a Successful
Program of Scholarship
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Rules of the Process
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The school makes the rules !
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If it’s not written down, it wasn’t done.
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Deadlines are real !
Strategies for Success
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Start Early
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Take it Seriously
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Get Help
Barriers to a Successful
Program of Scholarship
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Status of Geriatrics
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“ We have a faculty for Geriatrics ? ”
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“ We are not worthy. ”
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Service Commitments
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Highly Active with Low Productivity
Mentorship
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A FACULTY MEMBER'S CAREER IS HIS OR HER
RESPONSIBILITY
MENTORING IS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU BECOME
SUCCESSFUL IN MAKING THE APPROPRIATE DECISIONS
TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER.
MERIT, ADVANCEMENT AND/OR PROMOTION ARE
ASSESSED ACCORDING TO THE MISSION CRITERIA OF
EACH ACADEMIC TRACK IN THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Mentorship – 4 Critical Goals

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Managing a productive academic career
 Support your own academic career needs and goals, while
 Supporting the department’s and institution’s missions and
goals.
Understanding the formal (and informal/implicit) values, policies
and operating procedures in academic medicine, including
 Criteria for advancement and recognition in your field
 How the merit and promotion system works
Developing and sustaining a network of professional colleagues
within and outside of your department and institution.
Learning where to go for advice, help and training.
Mentoring
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Definition - "Mentoring" comes in all forms and varies
based on the philosophy of who you ask. The style of
mentoring is a personal preference.
Purpose - Guide junior faculty to be successful
academicians and ultimately to be promoted
Types - Informal and Formal
Mentoring - Informal

Project/problem Oriented
 “On the Fly”
 Address a concern, problem, "how-to" solution
 Discuss immediate needs
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Get answers
Solve problems
Assists with reaching project goals
Promotion is supported through project assistance
Mentoring – Formal
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Career Oriented
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Formalized relationship with a senior colleague
Regularly scheduled meetings
 Frequency deemed helpful by both parties
Overall and Ongoing Career Assessment
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Determine if daily activities support career goals
Assess progress regarding promotion
 Teaching
 Scholarship
 Professional Service
 Academic Service
Conclusions : Developing a
Successful Academic Career
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Know the system
Start early
Ask the right people
Mentorship – Formal and Informal
Conclusions : Developing a
Successful Academic Career
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Document everything
Communicate uniqueness and
value
Work hard but also work smart
Beware of paranoia, myths, and
verbal promises or reassurances