Faculty Tenure Track

This is the rank appropriate to a person who has demonstrated competence in teaching and scholarly activity but has yet to achieve exceptional status as a teacher or regional/national recognition in their professional field. Persons who have begun to publish scholarly work and show evidence of trajectory of obtaining external research funding. May have had teaching responsibilities (e.g., seminars, bedside instruction, small group interactions and/or didactic activities) before their initial faculty appointment, and may begin their faculty careers at the rank of assistant professor.

Appointment to associate professor is given only to persons of well-established professional position and demonstrated scholarly ability who positively impact their field. Those promoted or appointed to this rank must have achieved national recognition for scholarly accomplishment and service of significance as evidenced by evaluations from independent national leaders in their field, national lectureships, memberships on editorial boards and peer review committees, significant involvement in peer organizations beyond membership, and scholarship.

Scholarly independence or a strong independent contribution to collaborative scientific team effort is typical for associate professors. Usually, this is evidenced by peer-reviewed publications published over the previous five years. For those with clinical or laboratory research, a sustained independent level of external research funding typically from federal sources is the norm. Additional factors such as scholarly focus and funding environment may be taken into consideration when a casebook is reviewed. An associate professor must have demonstrated a significant contribution to the educational missions of this school or another medical school. 

Appointment to professor is given only to persons of nationally and internationally established professional reputation and demonstrated scholarly ability. This title is our highest academic rank. All of the expectations for the associate rank pertain in equivalent or greater measure for the professor. The difference between the ranks of professor and associate professor is primarily one of ongoing achievement, usually over a period of five-to-ten years; promotion to professor is not automatic after a certain time in rank as associate professor.

A person appointed to the rank of professor must have demonstrated continued scholarship, productive research, contributions to the teaching mission, organizational service, and clinical care when relevant to career. This ongoing achievement is roughly equivalent in quantity to the accomplishments that gained the previous promotional step. Continued scholarship requires national and international impact of the individual’s work and consistent contributions to an area of knowledge, and extramural funding. This may be accomplished as an individual or, in the case of leaders, through mentorship and contributions to others that lead to funding, scholarship, and wide impact. It is expected that the case for promotion to the professorial rank may reference the work done to achieve the rank of associate professor but will be based largely on new work accomplished since the last promotional review.