Faculty

Table of Contents Affiliate-Based Faculty Full-Time Faculty Chapter VI: Research Environment Chapter IV: Faculty Search the Faculty Handbook

Faculty Handbook
Chapter V: Faculty Appointments and Promotions and Non-Faculty Titles

VOLUNTARY FACULTY AND VOLUNTARY FACULTY EMPLOYED PART-TIME

Voluntary faculty make a wide range of invaluable clinical, educational, administrative and research contributions to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. While they generally do not receive financial remuneration for their efforts, voluntary physicians do receive recognition through the faculty appointment and promotion system.

Voluntary physicians must be held to high academic standards when they are considered for faculty appointments or promotions. Measures of their accomplishments may differ in some ways from those used to evaluate full-time faculty. Scholarly achievement and clinical excellence among voluntary faculty may be evident through:

  1. Publications;
  2. Broad peer recognition;
  3. Research funding;
  4. Development of innovative procedures;
  5. Introduction of innovative procedures to the School and Hospital;
  6. Education of students and residents not only on-campus but also at private offices;
  7. Service on editorial boards for specialty journals;
  8. Participation and leadership within Mount Sinai and externally through professional organizations;
  9. Contributions to the literature, although not necessarily as first author;
  10. Participation in hospital and medical school administration and committees;
  11. Dissemination of scientific knowledge and clinical skills by teaching at meetings of general and specialty medical organizations and by invitations to teach at other academic and clinical institutions.

Faculty in the Voluntary Track are expected to possess doctoral degrees and to have completed their academic training.15

The following academic appointments are available to voluntary faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and its affiliated and allied institutions.

  1. Clinical Instructor

    Qualifications: Appointment at this level may be extended to individuals who possess excellent clinical skills and demonstratecommitment to the teaching of Mount Sinai students, residents and fellows.

    Appointment and Term: Appointment to this position will be at the discretion of the Department Chair.16 The term of appointment is one year.

    Prior to the end of each term, the Chair must decide whether to reappoint or not reappoint the individual. There is no limit on the number of reappointments permitted.

    Notification Requirements: In the event of non-reappointment of a Clinical Instructor, the Chair must provide written notice to the faculty member at least six months prior to the end of the current term.

    Promotion: The Department Chair may, at any time during the term of appointment, promote the individual to the rank of Assistant Clinical Professor.

  2. Assistant Clinical Professor

    Qualifications: Appointment at this level may be extended to individuals who possess Board certification or the equivalent.

    1. Clinical Care - Candidates must possess excellent clinical skills and will be perceived by other physicians in the institution and community as excellent caregivers.
    2. Teaching - Candidates must play an active role in the education of Mount Sinai students, residents and fellows.

    Appointment and Term: Appointment to this position is at the discretion of the Department Chair.17 The term of appointment is three years.

    Reappointment: Prior to the end of each term the Chair must decide whether to reappoint or not reappoint the individual. There is no limit on the number of reappointments permitted.

    Non-Reappointment: In the event of non-reappointment of an Assistant Clinical Professor, the Chair must provide written notice to the faculty member at least one year prior to the end of the current term of appointment.

    Promotion: The Chair may, at any time, recommend promotion to the rank of Associate Clinical Professor.

    Grandfathering Provisions: Implementation of the new appointment and promotion methodology will proceed in the following manner for Assistant Clinical Professors appointed under the old appointment and promotion methodology:

    1. Reappointment: If implementation of the new methodology occurs when less than six months remain in the current term, and the faculty member has not received notice of non-reappointment, he/she will automatically be reappointed for a one additional one-year term. Subsequent reappointments would be for three-year terms.

  3. Associate Clinical Professor

    Qualifications: Appointment at this level may be extended to excellent clinician/educators whose expertise is acknowledged at the local level. Individuals must possess Board certification or the equivalent. Candidates must show evidence of accomplishment that may include some or all of the following:

    1. Clinical Care - Candidates must possess excellent clinical skills and must be perceived by other physicians in the institution and community as excellent caregivers and important clinical resources. Candidates may be involved in clinical research at Mount Sinai.
    2. Teaching - Candidates must play an active role in the education of Mount Sinai students, residents and fellows. Their longevity in teaching should be valued by both trainees and peers. For new appointees, teaching expertise gained at other institutions will be considered.
    3. Service - Candidates should have a record of sustained administrative service at Mount Sinai that contributes to the success of educational and clinical program at the Medical Center.

    Appointment and Term: Appointment to this position is upon recommendation by the Department Chair, with subsequent approval by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. The term of appointment is five years.

    Reappointment: Prior to the end of each term, the Chair must whether or not to recommend reappointment of the individual. Recommendation for reappointment entails rigorous review by both the Department and the institutional Committee on Appointments and Promotions; the level of achievement that led to the initial appointment to this rank must be sustained or surpassed. In the event of reappointment, the individual will be informed of his/her status within the department and will be advised of the department's expectations. There is no limit on the number of reappointments permitted.

    Non-Reappointment: In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair must provide written notice to the faculty member at least one year prior to the end of the term.

    Tenure: In exceptional circumstances an outstanding Associate Clinical Professor may be recommended for Tenure for Title. This may occur when the physician has made an unusual commitment to the School and has demonstrated superlative clinical skills as well as significant teaching and/or research and/or administrative accomplishments. In such cases, when there is strong promise for continued superior productivity and leadership in his/her field, yet the candidate does not meet the criteria for promotion to the rank of Clinical Professor, a recommendation for Associate Clinical Professor with Tenure for Title may be made.

  4. Clinical Professor

    Qualifications: Appointment at this level may be extended to outstanding clinician-teachers who have significant leadership roles in clinical care as well as in teaching and/or scholarship and/or administration. Individuals must posses Board certification or the equivalent.

    1. Clinical Care - Candidates should be recognized locally and regionally as outstanding Master Clinician role models. Candidates should be clearly recognized as significant caregivers within their specific clinical areas.
    2. Teaching - Candidates should have a strong ability to serve as role models and mentors to young faculty who are striving to become Master Clinicians. Candidates having a long-term relationship with Mount Sinai should be known as committed educators. Those who are new to Mount Sinai may have educational expertise gained at other academic centers or from professional societies.
    3. Service - Strong involvement in departmental, institutional, community and/or professional organizations, with leadership roles in some or all, is desirable.
    4. Scholarship - Evidence of scholarship will be viewed positively. Scholarship may be evidenced through a wide variety of venues: journal publications; textbook contributions; editorial service; presentations; clinical summaries; published standards of care; new teaching methods; program development for MSSM or in other professional medical organizations; program organization.

    Appointment and Term: Appointment to this position is upon recommendation by the Department Chair, with subsequent approval by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. The term of appointment five years.

    Reappointment: Prior to the end of each term, the Chair must whether or not to recommend reappointment of the individual. Recommendation for reappointment entails rigorous review by both the Department and the institutional Committee on Appointments and Promotions; the level of achievement that led to the initial appointment to this rank must be sustained or surpassed. In the event of reappointment, the individual will be informed of his/her status within the department and will be advised of the department's expectations. There is no limit on the number of reappointments permitted.

    Non-Reappointment: In the event of non-reappointment of a Clinical Professor, the Chair must provide written notice to the faculty member at least two years prior to the end of the term.

    Tenure: Clinical Professors in the Voluntary Track are eligible to be considered for Tenure for Title at any time, including at the time of appointment/promotion to this rank. Eminently qualified faculty should be considered for tenure at the earliest possible time.

    Consideration for tenure requires not only that candidates fulfill all of the requirements for Clinical Professor, but also that they demonstrate the ability for continued superior productivity and leadership in their field, as well as demonstrable excellence in the dissemination of knowledge.

Footnotes

15. Doctoral degrees include Doctor of Medicine, Dentistry, Podiatric Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Osteopathy, Jurisprudence, Public Health, Science, Social Work, and Philosophy (Ph.D.). Under exceptional circumstances, the Department Chairperson may recommend individuals for appointment who lack doctoral degrees but otherwise fulfill the qualifications for such appointments. Any recommendation by a Department Chairperson of an individual without a doctoral degree for appointment to the position of Instructor or higher ranks will be subject to the approval of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions.

16. All appointments and promotions made at the discretion of the Department Chair will require verification and written documentation of credentials by the Department Chair.

17. All appointments and promotions made at the discretion of the Department Chair will require verification and written documentation of credentials by the Department Chair.
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