Academic Position Descriptions
Introduction
Teaching and Education
Scholarship (Research, Creative Professional Activities and Sustained Excellence in Teaching)
Professionalism
Department of Medicine Academic Position Descriptions
The Academic Plan
Introduction
Academic position descriptions (aka academic job descriptions) are a University requirement for all full-time and part-time clinical faculty academic appointees. They are department-specific and intended to clarify: The amount of time the individual will devote to each of scholarship, teaching (formal and informal), clinical activities and administrative service and thus how much of their time will be protected for scholarship (time distribution); and the focus of the individual's scholarly work. Details of our academic position descriptions are summarized below, in the Table.
Teaching and Education
The Department of Medicine (DoM) at the University of Toronto is committed to delivering the highest quality medical education across the learning continuum.
- All faculty members are expected to teach within the context of their provision of clinical care and to engage in formal, scheduled teaching outside of clinical care delivery. However, teaching scope and intensity will vary by faculty member’s academic position description (see the Table)
All faculty members are expected to:
- Demonstrate competence in teaching, and to strive for excellence in teaching
- Be receptive to feedback on their teaching
- Engage in faculty development and/or mentorship around teaching as required
- All faculty members are expected to engage in scholarly activities. However, the scope and intensity will vary by faculty member’s academic position description (see the Table).
More information regarding teaching activities and expectations can be found here.
Scholarship (Research, Creative Professional Activities and Sustained Excellence in Teaching)
Scholarship through Research:
Research productivity is generally demonstrated through traditional metrics: peer reviewed publications, operating and salary support awards; graduate teaching supervision and the success of one’s trainees; receipt of research awards and honours; invitations to speak at national and international research symposia; invited professorships; membership on research advisory boards and grant panels, etc.
The department is also interested in demonstration that the research has had, or has potential to have, an impact – direct or indirect - on the health of the population.
The criteria for senior promotion based on Excellence in Research may be found here.
Scholarship through Creative Professional Activities (CPA):
The DoM recognizes that scholarship comes in many forms and recognizes CPA as an important contribution of academic physicians.
CPA is a broad term that refers to: 1. Contributions to the Development of Professional Practices, e.g., health policy development, regulatory committees, setting of standards; 2. Exemplary Professional Practice, e.g., teaching techniques, educational innovations, curriculum development, models of care innovations (e.g. role of EMR prompts, standardized pathways, pre-printed patient ‘order sets’, on quality and safety of inpatient care or resident experience); leadership in development of professional practice (e.g. tools to enhance physician communication, professionalism); and 3. Professional Innovation and Creative Excellence, e.g., patient videos, curriculum innovations, use of digital technologies or other devices to improve care and outcomes.
NOTE: CPA does NOT need to be described under the above three headings. Rather, the University has provided these headings as examples of the types of activities that CPA would encompass.
The impact of CPA outside of the local environment may be demonstrated many ways. These include awards and honours, invited presentations, testimonials/letters of recognition provided by recognized leaders, invitations to consult/advise (e.g., with a quality improvement project or educational curriculum at another institution), appointment to decision making bodies, advisory committees, or task forces related to the focus of one’s CPA.
Importantly, to have impact through CPA, an individual’s CPA activities should have a thematic connection. For example, if a faculty member has as his/her focus, “addressing low value care" (i.e., something related to Choosing Wisely he/she might list a publication describing a project on this theme, membership on a national committee for her specialty related to Choosing Wisely, teaching on this topic, and some invited presentations in other provinces). In total, these activities can provide a substantive picture of impact under CPA because they have a clear thematic connection.
The criteria for senior promotion based on Excellence in CPA may be found here.
NOTE: The DoM recognizes that healthcare is funded and delivered at the provincial level. Thus, scholarly activities (Research and CPA) focused on impacting quality of care may require a greater concentration of one’s efforts at the provincial level – e.g., working with the MOHLTC, Health Quality Ontario or other important health-related provincial bodies - than with national bodies, and this will factor in at faculty review.
Scholarship through Sustained Excellence in Teaching:
The DoM at U of T values the contributions of our master clinician-teachers. Sustained excellence in teaching is also considered a scholary contribution. Sustained Excellence in Teaching may be demonstrated through a critical mass of: teaching evaluations that provide comparisons against peer teachers; student testimonials; a breadth and depth of teaching, e.g. across different trainee level and/or training environments; and receipt of teaching awards and honours.
Professionalsim
Professionalism is a core value in the Department of Medicine. Faculty members are expected to behave in accordance with relevant policies on professionalism:
- Standards of behaviour for medical clinical faculty
- Standards of behaviour for medical clinical faculty regarding relations with industry
More details and resources on professionalism can be found here.
Department of Medicine Academic Position Descriptions
- DoM Clinician-Teacher (CT) Academic Position Description
- DoM Academic Clinician (AC) Academic Position Description
- DoM Clinician in Quality & Innovation (CQI) Academic Position Description
- DoM Clinician Educator (CE) Academic Position Description
- DoM Clinician Investigator (CI) Academic Position Description
- DoM Clinician Scientist (CS) Academic Position Description
- DoM Clinician Administrator (CA) Academic Position Description
- Adjunct Faculty Academic Position Description
Table: DoM Academic Position Descriptions
Recommended time-frames: 10% time = one half day = four - five hours = 0.5 ER shifts
| Characteristics | Academic Focus (Excellence in...) | Percent DoM full-time faculty (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician-teacher (CT) | Teaching and clinical care | 35% |
| Clinician in Quality & Innovation (CQI) | Teaching and CPA in quality and innovation activities, broadly defined as Quality Improvement, Patient Safety and other forms of healthcare innovation | 5% |
| Clinician-educator (CE) | Education scholarship OR education leadership and administration | 8% |
| Clinician-investigator (CI-R, CI-QI) | Research and related CPA OR CPA and related research | 22% |
| Clinician-scientist (CS) | Research (all types) |
25% |
| Clinician-administrator (CA) | Senior leadership role at Faculty, University or hospital level | 3% |
| Research Scientist (RS) | Research (these are non-physicians) |
2% |
| Clinical Activities | Clinician-teacher (CT) |
AcademicClinician (AC) |
Clinician in Quality & Innovation (CQI) | Clinician-educator (CE) | Clinician-investigator (CI-R, CI-QI) | Clinician-scientist (CS) | Clinician-administrator (CA) | Research Scientist (RS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of professional time spent in clinical care | 60-75% | 70-90% | 60-75% | 30-50% | 30-50% | 10-25% | 0-25% | NA |
| Teaching (formal and informal)* | Formal Teaching (teaching outside of clinical care) | Examples of formal teaching activities appropriate to this position description |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician-teacher (CT) | 40-50 hours per year; multiple teaching levels; significant presence in undergraduate (UG) medical education | Pre-clerkship and clerkship teaching and seminars, lectures and participation and examinations; Focused participation in the CBD implementation, participation in academic half-day/other educational programs; Continuing education |
| Clinician in Quality & Innovation (CQI) | 15-30 hours per year; multiple teaching levels | All QI-related teaching activities, e.g. morbidity and mortality rounds; MD seminars, lectures and examinations; participation in PG academic half-day; supervision of learner research projects; CE |
| Clinician-educator (CE) | 15-30 hours per year; most participate in continuing education or faculty development and supervise trainee projects | All types of graduate teaching; MD seminars, lectures and examinations; participation in PG academic half-day; supervision of learner research projects; CE |
| Clinician-investigator (CI-R, CI-QI) | 15-30 hours per year; supervision of trainee projects | All types of graduate teaching; member graduate thesis committee; UG and MD seminars, lectures and examinations; supervision of resident research projects |
| Clinician-scientist (CS) | Research supervision of trainees and graduate students and course instruction | All types of graduate teaching and supervision; supervision of learner research projects; PG academic half-day/ other educational programs; CE |
| Clinician-administrator (CA) | N/A | N/A |
| Research Scientist (RS) | University UG or graduate level | All types of graduate teaching and supervision; UG Arts and Science or MD seminars & lectures |
| Scholarly Activities (CPA and Research) | Percent of professional time protected for scholarly activities (not involved in clinical activities or teaching) | Examples of scholarship appropriate to this position description |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician-teacher (CT) | 5-20% | Contributions to CPA and/or education (e.g. curriculum development) |
| Clinician in Quality & Innovation (CQI) | 20-30% | Leadership role in at least one QI-related project every three years, with evidence of impact outside local setting (see CPA note above); if not lead role, then intellectual contribution to several QI-related projects over three years |
| Clinician-educator (CE) | ~ 50% | CPA and/or at least one first- or senior-authored peer reviewed paper and two-three co-authored papers over a three-year period + demonstrated impact - local, national, international |
| Clinician-investigator (CI-R, CI-QI) | ~ 50% | At least one first- or senior-authored peer reviewed paper per year over a three-year period and other CPA showing evidence of impact outside local setting |
| Clinician-scientist (CS) | 70-80% | PI on at least one peer reviewed operating grant and = two first- or senior-authored peer reviewed manuscripts per year over a three-year period + evidence of research impact - local, national, international |
| Clinician-administrator (CA) | N/A | Success as a leader as evaluated through annual and formal external and internal reviews |
| Research Scientist (RS) | 80% | See CS |
| Administrative Service (hospital, department, university) | Percent of professional time protected for scholarly activities (not involved in clinical activities or teaching) | Examples of scholarship appropriate to this position description |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician-teacher (CT) | 5-20% | Prior to Continuing Faculty Appointment Review (CFAR): not required and not recommended, except when directly relevant to scholarly or teaching interests. Post CFAR: clinical faculty members are expected to contribute five to 10% of their time to service to the hospital, department and/or University. Service to the University includes activities such as serving on grant review panels, work with national societies or the Royal College, etc.) that does not directly benefit the individual. -CFAR neither applies to part-time nor adjunct clinical faculty. |
| Clinician in Quality & Innovation (CQI) | 20-30% | Prior to Continuing Faculty Appointment Review (CFAR): not required and not recommended, except when directly relevant to scholarly or teaching interests. Post CFAR: clinical faculty members are expected to contribute five to 10% of their time to service to the hospital, department and/or University. Service to the University includes activities such as serving on grant review panels, work with national societies or the Royal College, etc.) that does not directly benefit the individual. -CFAR neither applies to part-time nor adjunct clinical faculty. |
| Clinician-educator (CE) | ~ 50% | Prior to Continuing Faculty Appointment Review (CFAR): not required and not recommended, except when directly relevant to scholarly or teaching interests. Post CFAR: clinical faculty members are expected to contribute five to 10% of their time to service to the hospital, department and/or University. Service to the University includes activities such as serving on grant review panels, work with national societies or the Royal College, etc.) that does not directly benefit the individual. -CFAR neither applies to part-time nor adjunct clinical faculty. |
| Clinician-investigator (CI-R, CI-QI) | ~ 50% | Prior to Continuing Faculty Appointment Review (CFAR): not required and not recommended, except when directly relevant to scholarly or teaching interests. Post CFAR: clinical faculty members are expected to contribute five to 10% of their time to service to the hospital, department and/or University. Service to the University includes activities such as serving on grant review panels, work with national societies or the Royal College, etc.) that does not directly benefit the individual. -CFAR neither applies to part-time nor adjunct clinical faculty. |
| Clinician-scientist (CS) | 70-80% | Prior to Continuing Faculty Appointment Review (CFAR): not required and not recommended, except when directly relevant to scholarly or teaching interests. Post CFAR: clinical faculty members are expected to contribute five to 10% of their time to service to the hospital, department and/or University. Service to the University includes activities such as serving on grant review panels, work with national societies or the Royal College, etc.) that does not directly benefit the individual. CFAR neither applies to part-time nor adjunct clinical faculty. |
| Clinician-administrator (CA) | N/A | N/A |
| Research Scientist (RS) | 80% | Beyond first three years on faculty, research scientists are expected to contribute five to 10% of their time to service to the department and/or University. |
* Informal Teaching = teaching in the context of clinical care is expected of all faculty members. For additional examples of teaching activities by learner level and scope see here.
Please visit Junior Promotion and Senior Promoion pages for information on promotion citeria.
The Academic Plan
Completion of an Academic Plan is required for all full-time appointments to the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Mentor selection is a key part of the Academic Plan. More information on Mentorship can be found on the Mentorship page.
Part-time clinical appointments must be accompanied by a similar document called an Academic Activities form.