Promotion to Professor, Non-Tenure Clinician Investigator Pathway

The KU School of Medicine provides the faculty with numerous online resources regarding Promotion and Tenure (P&T). The purpose of this section is to provide an abridged version of the documents found online so that a faculty member can see at a glance the highlights of expectations detailed in the official SOM guidelines document for promotion from their current Rank and Track. This abridge version is offered as a helpful tool for planning ahead, however when a faculty member is in the process of submitting their information and going up for promotion (with or without tenure), it is imperative that the official Guidelines For Academic Promotion and the Award of Tenure document, as well as the SOM Promotion and Tenure website are followed closely as they are the definitive resources.

The Abridged Edition: Promotion to Professor on the Non-Tenure Clinical Scholar Track - Clinician-Investigator Pathway

Requires sustained contributions and achievements in all three domains with documentation of:

1. Established-Career Level in professional (clinical) service and, academic service.
2. Established-Career Level in research/scholarship.
3. Mid-Career Level in teaching.

Established-Career Level in professional (clinical) service

Professional service at the Established Career Level requires demonstration of significant, prestigious activities at the national or international level such as:

• active participation in professional medical organizations
• recognition as national leader in area of clinical expertise
• chair/leadership role on committee developing national standards in area of expertise
• leadership role in national or international professional medical organization

Established-Career Level in academic service

Examples of Academic Service include but are not limited to:

• responsibility for scientific program
• scientific consulting on a national or international basis
• review of manuscripts for professional journals and books
• member of an editorial board of a major scientific publication
• service on a national committee, study section or advisory group that substantially impacts health/scientific issues.
• participation/leadership of professional organizations
• activities related to faculty governance
• service on task forces, committees, and other groups of the School of Medicine and the University
• administrative responsibilities for departments, units or the
• organizational responsibility for student or resident organizations (including Academic Societies and specialty groups)
• mentoring of learners or colleagues

At the Mid and Established Career Levels, evidence of leadership, initiative, and substantial contributions to the work of groups or conduct of an important facet of academic organization should be demonstrated.

Established Career Level in Scholarship and Research

Evidence is expected of national or international recognition for scholarship in terms of a significant portfolio of high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarly products demonstrating major contributions to a field of study.   This evidence could include:

• substantial and significant published papers in medicine or the related sciences
• authorship of major books or other text or electronic formats relevant to medicine and the related sciences
• invited presentations to prestigious gatherings
• regular oral or poster presentations at prestigious (competitive) national conferences
• consistent success in obtaining extramural grants or contracts that are peer-reviewed and depend on scientific excellence
• significant contributions to the development of other scholars and researchers
• contributing editor or regular writer for a major scientific publication

Mid-Career Level in Teaching

Faculty members with more significant teaching responsibilities or experience (Mid-Career Level) should demonstrate proficiency in activities such as:

• developing and participating in teaching of major components of courses (medical student, graduate student, resident, fellow, or CME courses)
• supervising graduate students and participating on dissertation committees
• sustained and substantial teaching in patient care settings
• developing significant educational and curricular materials (e.g. syllabi, curricular objectives, teaching cases, software)
• developing significant evaluation techniques (e.g. examinations, surveys, software, standardized patients)
• advising, mentoring and/or providing career guidance to significant numbers of earners.