Planning and Managing your Academic Career: Deciding Where to Go and How to Get There Iain Young MD, CM, FRCPC Professor, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine School of Medicine, Queen’s University August 2017

Session Objectives Enhance your understanding of: The breadth of career paths available to the academic physician Key success factors for academic advancement The importance of proactive management of one’s academic career The annual review process for clinical faculty and its relationship to Queen’s and SEAMO Reappointment, promotion and tenure application processes

A Traditional Academic Career Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor

The Academic Physician’s Career: A Modern Paradigm Hospital executive leadership External roles Deanery Centre director External leadership UGME/PGME leadership Program management Medical leadership Clinical Service Education Admin Research

Academic Career Planning: Important Generalizations A successful academic career can be based on a wide range of themes: Expert clinical care Education Research Management and leadership Being a very good clinician and a committed teacher are minimum expectations of the academic physician Progress through the academic ranks requires performance that exceeds these baselines

Academic Career Paths: Important Generalizations The range of academic career paths: Clinician scholar Clinical care-predominant role description Educator scholar Major educational responsibilities Research scholar Significant expectations for research productivity, usually linked to acquisition of external funding Scholarship is a common element to all career paths that are associated with academic advancement and promotion

Paths to Promotion to Associate Professor: 2009-14

Paths to Promotion to Professor: 2009-14

A Proactive Approach to Managing One’s Academic Career Pursue opportunities for scholarship Clinical/Administrative Educational/Administrative Maintain a teaching dossier Generate outputs in your administrative roles Engage with external stakeholders/agencies; contribute outside the AHSC Set personal objectives and manage your progress Utilize mentors and coaches

Mentors are Enablers of Success Self-made successes are very rare A mentor provides experience, knowledge, views and wisdom in order to encourage and facilitate an individual’s growth and development Mentoring relationships vary in type and duration depending on their purpose, for example: Informal long term source of advice and support Structured, short term coaching around establishing a research program

Identifying Mentors The Department Head plays an integral role Defining the purpose of the mentoring relationship is the critical first step Match the assets of potential mentors to your needs from the relationship The most effective mentoring relationships are mutually beneficial

Purposes of the Annual Review Provide an annual performance assessment that will: Recognize faculty contributions and achievement Enable monitoring of professional growth, professional development and career planning Provide an opportunity to adjust professional role descriptions as appropriate to individual faculty member’s circumstances Report professional activity that is relevant to accountability management in SEAMO and the determination of departmental funding

Clinical Faculty Annual Report Standardized electronic format Details clinical, educational, research and administrative activity Covers the calendar year Submission to Department Head required in January Completeness is very important

Annual Review Process: Overview Written review by Department Head, taking into account the information provided on the Annual Report Faculty member meets with Head to discuss performance and activity, objectives for the upcoming year, any potential changes to role description and career planning Copies of the annual report and review are maintained in the member’s Official File and the Dean’s office

Annual Review Process: Relation to Compensation The annual review process is not linked to a Queen’s merit allocation system that affects compensation Compensation is determined by departmental practice plans that are established by individual departments within a SEAMO framework Each department’s SEAMO funding is determined by the aggregate activity of its members; therefore, complete reporting of individual activity is critically important

Promotion, Reappointment and Tenure Processes Elected departmental committees are the initial level of review of applications for reappointment, promotion and tenure PRT Committee makes recommendation to the Department Head who makes a separate evaluation and recommendation to the Dean who in turn makes a recommendation to the Provost Applications for reappointment must follow established timelines but application for promotion/tenure is at discretion of candidate The process is governed by the Queen’s Senate policies for Geographically Full-Time (GFT) appointees

Renewal of Appointment Application for the first renewed appointment occurs during the third year of the initial appointment. The duration of the first renewed appointment is usually three years. Subsequent applications for renewal may be for five years or more, depending on performance. If performance is not meeting expectations then renewed appointments may be for less than three years.

Applications for Tenure Timing of application is at candidate’s discretion. Criteria for tenure are very similar to those for promotion to Associate Professor. The benefits of tenure: Sense of professional accomplishment and prestige Reputational benefit to the Department and University Obviates need for subsequent reappointment processes Potential financial benefit that is limited to that part of income originating from Queen’s base budget The risk of application: Denial results in a one-year terminal appointment

Last Words Your academic career is a very important project so manage it with commitment and conviction Integrate scholarship into whatever career path you choose Seek out mentors and coaches and take advantage of their experience and good nature