Promotion to Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School

1. Promotion to Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School Maureen T. Connelly, MD, MPH McLean Hospital February 3, 2010

2. Characteristics of HMS Faculty • 10,316 Faculty members • 7849 full time • 2467 part time • HMS promotions in 2008-9 • 50 Professors • 384 Assistant and Associate Professors

3. Appointments at HMS

4. Institution Departmental Process HMS Department Executive Committee HMS Submission to Faculty Affairs Review by P&R Committee University Review by the Dean Review by the Provost Governing Boards Assistant and Associate Professor Promotion Process

5. What arrives at the Medical School? • Letter from the Department Chair • Educational background and training • Contributions as a researcher, teacher, clinician, administrative leader • Approval of the Department Executive Committee • CV in the Harvard format • Letters of evaluation/support • Obtained by the Division Chief or Department Chair • Five self-selected best scholarly contributions (e.g., papers)

6. Review in the Office for Faculty Affairs • HMS sends a letter to the faculty member • Promotion material has been received • Expected timeline for review • Review of the CV to be sure the format is correct and the essential information is present and clear • Department is contacted if changes needed • Search material present if needed • Confirm the number/ types of letters are appropriate • Each packet must have an impartial letter from someone who has not been the candidate’s mentor, close colleague (co-author) or supervisor

7. P&R Process for Review of Candidates • Two reviewers from a different department and institution • Primary reviewer • Secondary reviewer • Comments by the Department Representative • Committee discussion and vote • Recommendation advisory to the Dean

8. Final Steps • Sent to the Provost for review • Once approved by the Provost (generally 4-6 weeks following P&R meeting), the Department Head is notified • Department notifies the candidate • Letter from the University

9. Faculty Ranks at HMS • Instructor: “Promise” • Assistant Professor: “Demonstrated Promise” • Reputation may be “within the walls” of HMS and the local community only • Associate Professor: “Promise Realized” • Broader reputation outside the local area (usually national) • Significant accomplishments since promotion to assistant professor • Evidence of independence in role • Professor: “Extraordinary Accomplishment”

10. Creating a Promotion Profile

11. Objectives of the Promotion Criteria • Recognize the broad range of activities performed by our faculty, including those not previously rewarded with promotion • Allow consideration of the specific combination of activities and achievements of each faculty member • Allow the sum total of an individual’s achievements to contribute to his/her promotion • Recognize and reward participation in multidisciplinary, collaborative research • Increase the emphasis on teaching • Expand the definition of scholarship • Provide specific metrics to inform discussions of eligibility for promotion

12. Areas of Excellence Teaching and Educational Leadership Examples • Assistant Professor • Local roles and recognition, e.g., assistant course director or residency director • Development of teaching material that is adopted locally • Associate Professor • Innovation in or novel application of teaching methods with adoption regionally and, in some cases, nationally • Development of educational materials that are adopted regionally or nationally • Service and often leadership role on national committees developing educational guidelines • Scholarship about education

13. Areas of Excellence Clinical Expertise and Innovation Examples • Assistant Professor • Key role in development or local adoption of innovative approaches to diagnosis or treatment or prevention of disease • Associate Professor • Development of innovative approaches to diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease, that influence care at a regional, and most often national, level, such as development of a clinical care model, practice guidelines or an innovative application of an existing technology

14. Areas of Excellence InvestigationExamples • Assistant Professor • Scholarship in collaboration with mentor, usually first author • Usually some funding to conduct research, e.g., Career Development Award • Associate Professor • Scholarship since last promotion increasingly as senior author, not involving mentor unless role of providing unique or critical expertise to the biomedical research team • Independent funding unless role of providing unique or critical expertise to the biomedical research team • Independent recognition on national level, e.g., roles on study section, editorial boards

18. Promotion to Associate Clinical Professor: Academic Part Time Criteria • Professional activities outside Harvard or affiliated institutions for more than 20% of one’s time • Ongoing involvement in teaching, recognized by students and peers for excellence • High level of clinical competence • May have administrative role • Regional and often national reputation and leadership roles • Continued scholarship in the clinical field since prior appointment

19. One man’s story….. John Enders (1897-1985) • Joined the HMS faculty in 1930 as an instructor • In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery that polio virus could be grown in a variety of tissues, laying the groundwork for development of the polio vaccine • In 1956, he was promoted to Professor at Harvard Medical School

20. Resources • Website: www.hms.harvard.edu/fa/promotion.htm • Create “customized” criteria for their rank and activities • Dedicated e-mail and phone line for questions • Phone: 617-432-7112 • E-mail: OFA_Promotions@hms.harvard.edu • Office for Faculty Development, McLean Hospital • 617-855-3145