BOTTOM LINE: RESEARCH, PROMOTION AND TENURE

Nuts and Bolts Research Methods SymposiumSeptember 29, 2006

Billy S. Arant, Jr., M.D., FAAP

Professor of PediatricsChair, Committee on Academic Appointments and Promotions

UTCOM ChattanoogaMember, CAAP, UTHSC

ASH Specialist in Clinical HypertensionDiplomate, American Board of Clinical Lipidology

WHERE AM I ?

DECISION TREE

• RANK– Instructor– Assistant

Professor– Associate

Professor– Professor

• COMMITMENT– Fulltime

• Regular• Limited

– Part-time• Joint

– Administrative – Affiliated– Volunteer

• Adjunct• Clinical

•TRACKTenureNon-tenure

DECISION TREE

• RANK– Instructor– Assistant

Professor– Associate

Professor– Professor

• COMMITMENT– Fulltime

• Regular• Limited

– Part-time• Joint

– Administrative – Affiliated– Volunteer

• Adjunct• Clinical

•TRACKTenureNon-tenure

DECISION TREE

• RANK– Instructor– Assistant

Professor– Associate

Professor– Professor

• COMMITMENT– Fulltime

• Regular• Limited

– Part-time• Joint

– Administrative – Affiliated– Volunteer

• Adjunct• Clinical

•TRACKTenureNon-tenure

DECISION TREE

• RANK– Instructor– Assistant

Professor– Associate

Professor– Professor

• COMMITMENT– Fulltime

• Regular• Limited

– Part-time• Joint

– Administrative – Affiliated– Volunteer

• Adjunct• Clinical

•TRACKTenureNon-tenure

TENURE

• Faculty entitlement [job security]– Tenure track

• Achieve within 6 years– Does not depend on promotion [except Instructor]– Does depend of value of faculty member to the institution

• Teaching effectiveness [fair share of departmental load]• Funding ongoing• Publications [papers per year] • Trainees track record • Recognition of faculty member ~ institutional prestige• Political atmosphere in department

Department Chair Dean Chancellor– Tenure awarded by Board of Trustees and guaranteed

as long as program continues and positive performance

HOW DO I GET THERE ?

researchteaching

patient care

promotion and tenure

FACULTY RANK

• Instructor– Initial appointment usually– Completed training– Not yet board-certified in specialty/subspecialty– Excellent academic record– Not yet established independence– Interest in teaching and scholarly activities– Effective with students and colleagues

FACULTY RANK

• Assistant professor – Doctorate or terminal degree– Board-certified in specialty/subspecialty– Promise as a teacher *– Evidence of scholarly activity or promise *– Participate in other professional activities– Relate effectively to students/colleagues *

*[peer/student eval]

FACULTY RANK

• Associate professor – Doctorate or terminal degree– Board-certified in specialty/subspecialty– Reputation as an effective teacher *– Record of scholarly attainment * [5-7 prp]

– Participate in other professional activities– Relate effectively to students/colleagues *– Rank of assistant professor for 4 years– 2 letters recommendation associate prof+

*[peer/student eval]

FACULTY RANK

• Professor – Doctorate or terminal degree– Board-certified in specialty/subspecialty– Reputation as an excellent teacher *– Record of excellence in scholarly attainment*[12-15prp]

Participate in other professional activities [nat/inter]

– Relate effectively to students/colleagues *– Rank of associate professor for 5 years– 2 outside letters from professors attesting to

national/international recognition

*[peer/student eval]

WHAT IS TEACHING?

• Course design/syllabus/director• Lectures [students/residents/CME] How many?• Laboratory [supervision of students/trainees]• Conferences How Many?• Rounds How often?• Patient care supervision [when students present?]• Clinical skills preceptor• Directed reading plan• Evaluation of learning

What percent of total effort spent teaching? You say!How effective are you as a teacher? Others say!

WHAT IS TEACHING?

• A teacher hasn’t taught until there is evidence that the student has learned!

WHAT IS SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY?

• Are you asking questions?– Challenging dogma– Rethinking mechanisms– Confronting doubt/dilemma– New/different approach– Quality improvement

Push the envelope!

EVIDENCE FOR SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY?

• Research – clinical or laboratory

• Funding – institutional or extramural

• Productivity– Abstracts presented regional/national/internat– Peer-reviewed journals

• Original research• Reviews

– Book chapters

EVIDENCE FOR SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY?

• Research – clinical or laboratory• Funding – institutional or extramural• Productivity [after training]

– Abstracts presented at regional/national/internat– Peer-reviewed journals

• Original research• Reviews

– Books– Book chapters

WHAT REALLY COUNTS?

• Original research• Extramural funding• Peer-reviewed journal

– Reputation of journal in the field

• Who dunnit?– Arant B, Smith J, Doe J, Jones Z, Black T,

Gray S, Green M, Brown G, Carson J, Wayne J, Clark R, Andrews T: A cost effective cure for cancer. Nature 23:1478-1512, 2006.

WHAT REALLY COUNTS?

• Original research• Extramural funding• Peer-reviewed journal

– Reputation of journal in the field

• Who dunnit?– Arant B, Smith J, Doe J, Jones Z, Black T,

Gray S, Green M, Brown G, Carson J, Wayne J, Clark R, Andrews T: A cost effective cure for cancer. Nature 23:1478-1512, 2006.

WHAT REALLY COUNTS?

• Original research• Extramural funding• Peer-reviewed journal

– Reputation of journal in the field

• Who dunnit?– Arant B, Smith J, Doe J, Jones Z, Black T,

Gray S, Green M, Brown G, Carson J, Wayne J, Clark R, Andrews T: A cost effective cure for cancer. Nature 23:1478-1512, 2006.

WHAT REALLY COUNTS?

• Original research• Extramural funding• Peer-reviewed journal

– Reputation of journal in the field

• Who dunnit?– Arant B, Smith J, Doe J, Jones Z, Black T,

Gray S, Green M, Brown G, Carson J, Wayne J, Clark R, Andrews T: A cost effective cure for cancer. Nature 23:1478-1512, 2006.

WHAT REALLY COUNTS?

• Original research• Extramural funding• Peer-reviewed journal

– Reputation of journal in the field

• Who dunnit?– Arant B, Smith J, Doe J, Jones Z, Black T,

Gray S, Green M, Brown G, Carson J, Wayne J, Clark R, Andrews T: A cost effective cure for cancer. Nature 23:1478-1512, 2006.

WHAT REALLY COUNTS?

• Original research• Extramural funding• Peer-reviewed journal

– Reputation of journal in the field

• Who dunnit?– Arant B, Smith J, Doe J, Jones Z, Black T,

Gray S, Green M, Brown G, Carson J, Wayne J, Clark R, Andrews T: A cost effective cure for cancer. Nature 23:1478-1512, 2006.

WHAT REALLY COUNTS?

• Original research• Extramural funding• Peer-reviewed journal

– Reputation of journal in the field

• Who dunnit?– Arant B, Smith J, Doe J, Jones Z, Black T,

Gray S, Green M, Brown G, Carson J, Wayne J, Clark R, Andrews T: A cost effective cure for cancer. Nature 23:1478-1512, 2006.

PROCESS FOR PROMOTION

• Ask yourself, “Do I meet the criteria?”• Meet with departmental chair

– Updated c.v. in UT format– Accomplishment and goals

• Chair requests letters of recommendation– Academic affiliation and rank of authors clearly stated

• Chair writes letter to dean [really important] December• Reviewed by CAAP January• CAAP recommends [or doesn’t] to Dean February• Dean recommends to Executive Dean March• Executive Dean recommends to Chancellor April• Chancellor recommends to Board of Trustees June• Promotion effective July

THANK YOU