Faculty Administration

Scientist Scholars

Instructor

Basic Requirements

This rank may be awarded to individuals who have met the minimal requirements for faculty membership. It is intended for individuals who are completing their training or acquiring essential experience while simultaneously serving a faculty role.

  1. Education: A doctoral degree (M.D., Ph.D. or other terminal professional degree) from an accredited institution of higher learning, and promise of a productive academic career.
  2. In Clinical Departments: Individuals who will provide clinical care to patients should have completed the residency training normally required for board certification in that specialty. Faculty members who will not provide clinical care should have a minimum of two years of postdoctoral training and/or experience.
  3. In Basic Science Departments: At least two years of postdoctoral training and/or experience.

Assistant Professor

Basic Requirements

The individual should have a doctoral degree (M.D., Ph.D., or other terminal professional degree) with a minimum of three years of postdoctoral experience plus some demonstrated evidence of scientific productivity in the form of published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. The individual should be board certified, if it is possible to attain certification within his/her specialty without practice requirements. Should his/her specialty have practice requirements, board certification can be waived temporarily, but should be attained within two rounds of eligibility.

  1. Teaching: Using teaching schedules, evaluations or other materials the individual:
    • Should show a commitment to teaching. Some examples of this commitment are:
      1. Lecturing to students.
      2. Conducting teaching rounds or small group sessions.
      3. Preparing syllabus materials.
    • Should interact with trainees one-on-one in a positive way.
    • Should have a demonstrated ability to develop and present a well-organized lecture or seminar.
    • Should demonstrate the desire to develop as an educator.
  2. Administration: The individual: 
    • Should be capable of directing specific research projects and/or programs.
    • Should be able to set up, budget, and run a research laboratory.
    • Should be willing to serve on departmental, School of Medicine, hospital or institutional committees.
  3. Clinical: If involved in patient care the individual should be recognized by peers and immediate supervisors as having good to excellent clinical skills and performance. Some examples of this recognition are:
    • Peer judgment of the competence and promise of excellence in clinical or professional work.
    • Directing a clinical program.
  4. Scholarship: The individual:
    • Should have a demonstrated ability to conduct basic, applied, or clinical research. Evidence of this criterion will be derived from the applicant's publication record and from solicited letters from mentors and colleagues. In evaluating an individuals scholarly attainments an emphasis will be placed on peer-reviewed, hypothesis-testing manuscripts of a basic or clinical nature.
    • Should have demonstrated ability to prepare grant applications seeking research funding.

Associate Professor

Basic Requirements

The major criterion for appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor is the demonstration of independence in the areas of research and teaching. Promotion should be based on performance rather than time in previous rank. Usually, however, a time period of five years in rank as an Instructor or Assistant Professor is required to attain the necessary level of achievement (i.e., review for promotion will take place in the sixth year).

  1. Teaching: Using teaching schedules, evaluations or other materials the individual:
    • Should demonstrate a continuing commitment to teaching. Some examples of this commitment are:
      1. Mentoring medical students, other students, residents and post-doctoral fellows.
      2. Lecturing in the medical student curriculum and/or other academic programs.
      3. Lecturing at grand rounds and other local teaching sessions.
      4. Developing/directing regional postgraduate course.
    • Should interact with trainees one-on-one in a positive way.
    • Should have demonstrated success in teaching as shown by resident and student teaching evaluations. Some examples of this success are:
      1.  Achieving above average teaching evaluations.
      2. Winning a teaching award.
      3. Serving as a visiting professor at other institutions.
  2. Administration: The individual:
    • Should be an independent director of a research laboratory and be capable of administering a total project or program of a basic science, applied science, or clinical nature.
    • Should have competently discharged assignments on departmental, School of Medicine, hospital or institutional committees.
  3. Clinical: If involved in patient care the individual should be recognized by peers, immediate supervisors and community physicians as having excellent clinical skills and performance. Some examples of this recognition are:
    • Acting as a consulting physician.
    • Devising a new method or procedure.
  4. Scholarship: The individual:
    • Should have demonstrated evidence of being an independent investigator with a focused area of expertise.
    • Should have a national reputation for research, attested by reference letters from outside the institution.
    • Should have high quality research manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals. Evidence of quality will be derived from the applicant's publication record and from solicited letters from mentors and colleagues. In evaluating an individuals scholarly attainments an emphasis will be placed on peer-reviewed, hypothesis-testing manuscripts of a basic or clinical nature.
    • Should be a Principal Investigator on a research grant, preferably with an external source of support (e.g., NIH, ACS, NSF).
    •  Should provide evidence of continuing research productivity.

Professor

Basic Requirements

Individuals advanced to the rank of Professor should be recognized nationally and internationally for achievements made in scholarly activities, and must also be dedicated academicians. Promotion to this rank should be based on continuing achievement, but five years in rank as Associate Professor is usually required to reach the necessary levels of excellence in teaching, research, and administration.

  1. Teaching: Using teaching schedules, evaluations or other materials the individual:
    • Should demonstrate a continuing commitment to teaching. Some examples of this commitment are:
      1. Mentoring medical students, other students, residents and post-doctoral fellows.
      2. Lecturing in the medical student curriculum and/or other academic programs.
      3. Lecturing at grand rounds and other local teaching sessions.
      4. Lecturing at regional or national meetings.
    • Should interact with trainees one-on-one in a positive way.
    • Should be an accomplished teacher as shown by resident and student teaching evaluations. Some examples of this accomplishment are:
      1. Achieving above average teaching evaluations.
      2. Winning a local or national teaching award.
      3. Serving as a visiting professor at other institutions.
      4. Supervising a training program.
  2. Administration: The individual:
    • Should be capable of directing multi-centered research projects.
    • Should have participated in departmental and school policy making by serving on departmental, School of Medicine or institutional committees.
  3. Clinical: If involved in patient care the individual should be recognized as an authority within his/her specialty. Some examples of this recognition are:
    1. Being known regionally or nationally as an expert clinician.
    2. Attracting patients from a regional or national area.
    3. Serving as a clinical consultant on a regional or national level.
  4. Scholarship: The individual:
    • Should be a leading research investigator in the field with a national or international reputation.
    • Should have high quality research manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals. Evidence of quality will be derived from the applicant's publication record and from solicited letters from mentors and colleagues. In evaluating an individuals scholarly attainments an emphasis will be placed on peer-reviewed, hypothesis-testing manuscripts of a basic or clinical nature.
    • Should provide evidence of continuing research productivity, independence and focus.
    • Should demonstrate a continuing level of external support for research program preferably from external sources (e.g., NIH, NSF). 

Approved by School of Medicine January 29, 2002