A Department Chair’s Perspective on Success in Academia: Is There An “I” in Team?

Steven J. Martin, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FCCM Professor and Chairman Department of Pharmacy Practice The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy A Department Chair’s Perspective on Success in Academia: Is There An “I” in Team?

Overview • Today’s higher education landscape • Faculty recruitment • Development as a clinician-educator • Success strategies and things to consider

Higher Education LandscapeChronicle of Higher Education 2010 Public Colleges Turn to Tuition Increases to Offset Budget Squeezes Budget Cuts Intensify Crisis at Washington’s Flagship Campus U. Of Southern Mississippi Plans to Cut Programs and 29 Faculty Jobs

Higher Education LandscapeChronicle of Higher Education 2010 As Pension Costs Rise, Public Colleges Pay the Price The Profession: More Pressure on Faculty Members, From Every Direction Rutgers Cancels Raises and Freezes Pay, Citing “Fiscal Crisis”

Higher Education Landscape • Funding shortages • Budget cuts (public vs private) • Efficiencies • Partnerships UT/MUO Merger Brings Upgraded Bond RatingWall Street has reacted positively to the July merger of the University of Toledo and the Medical University of Ohio. Toledo Blade; October 03, 2006

Higher Education Landscape • Revenue Generation • Practice • Research • Entrepreneurialism The Professorial Entrepreneur Chronicle of Higher Education August 2007

Higher Education Landscape • More schools • 115 as of July 2010 (+5 in pre-candidate status) • Fewer faculty candidates

Recruitment Tenure Track Non-tenure Track • PGY2- 3 training • Research agenda • Experience • Strong recommendations • Teaching philosophy • Residency • Specialty (PGY2) desired • Experience • Strong recommendations • Teaching philosophy

Career Development • Teaching is why we’re here • Study teaching concepts and techniques • Practice, reflect, refine • Assess efficacy, refine • Report (publish or present) your results

Career Development • Find focus • Work with your chairperson and mentor • Develop expertise in your focus area • Understand promotion and tenure requirements • Establish goals and performance metrics • 1 year • 5-6 years

Career Development • Be a good corporate citizen • Meet and greet the entire faculty and staff • Participate in life@work • Develop a work-life as an academic, not just a pharmacist • Understand the university • Join and serve on committees • Department • College • University

Things You May Not Think Of • It takes time to start a new practice • Negotiate plenty of time; create metrics to measure progress and performance • Plan your practice to incorporate students • IPPE and APPE (don’t forget residents) • Plan for times when you are away from the site • Classroom or lab teaching • Meetings • Vacation, etc.

Things You May Not Think Of • Think revenue generation • Don’t give your work away for free • How can your work return value? • Review the economics with your chairperson • Create goals and performance metrics Think of your job as “You, Inc.”

Things You May Not Think Of • You may be a content expert… …but first, you’re a pharmacist • You can teach in any subject, embrace this rather than fight it • Look for niche areas of need (teaching or practice)

Things You May Not Think Of • Consider student interactions • They are why we’re in business • They are people too • They have lives outside of school

Things You May Not Think Of • A few thoughts about saying no… • Why • When • How

A Department Chair’s Perspective on Success in Academia: Is There An “I” in Team?