1. Academic Promotion at Harvard Medical School
Mount Auburn Hospital
February 16, 2012
Maureen T. Connelly, MD, MPH Dean for Faculty Affairs
Harvard Medical School

2. Overview Why get promoted? How can you prepare yourself for promotion?
How do you know you are ready for promotion?
How does the process work?
What are the success rates?
What are common reasons that candidates don’t succeed?
Are there alternative paths to promotion?

3. Why seek promotion?
Increase opportunities and effectiveness locally and outside Harvard
Serve as a role model for students and trainees
Obtain official recognition for accomplishment from the University
Become a voting member of the faculty
Increase the term of your appointment
Possibly increase compensation

4. How can you prepare for promotion?
Two schools of thought: - If you love the work, promotion can be incidental - Plan to be promoted – be strategic
Seek information from others about the process
Consider how the criteria apply in your situation
Understand who the decision makers are
Keep your CV up to date

5. How do you know you are ready for promotion?
No magic number of papers, talks, teaching activities
Clarify expectations from year to year
Seek advice from peers, mentors
Ultimately a decision by leadership
Several levels of feedback before final promotion review

6. 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”

7. Recommended to the Dean by
Appointments at HMS
Appointment Title
Length of Appointment
Recommended to the Dean by
Instructor
One year
Department Head
Assistant Professor
Three-year term
Promotions, Reappointments and Appointments Committee (P&R)
Associate Professor
Five-year term
Professor
Permanent
Subcommittee of Professors (SOP)

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

9. 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
If considered by P&R, two (asst) or five (asso) self-selected best scholarly contributions (e.g., papers)

10. Review in the Office for Faculty Affairs
Starting in March, 2012, HMS will send an to each candidate and department head
Promotion material has been received
Expected timeline for review
Promotion status can be tracked on a confidential website
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

12. Milestones

13. Promotion to Assistant Professor: Longer Service Criteria
Committee established in 1999
Promotion for faculty who have been instructors for at least 10 years
Evidence of substantial contributions and growth as a Clinician-Teacher
Teaching
Clinical practice and care
Citizenship/Leadership
No requirement for written scholarship
No requirement for external letters of evaluation (need 3 internal or external)

14. Longer Service Promotion History

15. Teaching requirements
Teaching a critical component of review for all faculty
HMS expectation of ~ 50 hrs/year of teaching broadly defined to include:
Students Residents Clinical and Research fellows Peers
Anticipate increased role in teaching with higher rank
To be clarified in coming year:
Guidelines for listing “formally supervised trainees”
CV will include section for role in Scholars of Medicine

16. Review Process Committee meets 6 times a year
Each case is reviewed by a member who is not in the candidate’s department or hospital
Committee discussion focuses on teaching and other contributions
Vote by secret ballot is advisory to the Dean
Final review by Provost typically 2 months after meeting

17. Creating a Promotion Profile

18. P&R Process for Review of Candidates
Associate Professors: two reviewers from a different department and institution
Primary reviewer
Secondary reviewer
Assistant Professor: pre-review by three reviewers
Comments by the Department Representative
Committee discussion and vote
All proceedings of the meeting are confidential

19. Most Common Reasons for Not Succeeding
Assistant Professor
Insufficient scholarship
Lack of recent scholarship
For investigators, no clear path to independence
Associate Professor – all of the above plus
Lack of a national reputation
Lack of independence from mentors
Insufficient teaching
Lack of innovation

20. 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
Local, regional and often national reputation and leadership roles
Scholarship in the clinical field

24.
P&R Orientation 9/20/11

25. Templates

26. 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
Dr. Enders was a virologist won the nobel prize in 1954 jointly with Drs. Frederick Robbins and Thomas Weller for discovering that poliomyelitis virus could be grown in culture in a variety of tissues. Dr. Enders work formed the basis for the development of the polio vaccine. This allowed production of the virus on a larger scale needed for study. Did not develop polio vaccines but did develop other vaccines
Dr. John Enders joined the HMS faculty in 1930 as an instructor, was promoted to assistant professor in 1935 and to associate professor in 1942.

27. Resources Website: www.hms.harvard.edu/fa/promotion.htm
Create “customized” criteria for their rank and activities
Dedicated and phone line for questions
Phone: