Academic Position Descriptions

Introduction
Teaching and Education
Scholarship (Research, Creative Professional Activities and Sustained Excellence in Teaching)
Administrative Service
Professionalism
Department of Medicine Academic Position Descriptions
Summary of Teaching Experience form
Academic Activities Document for Adjunct and Part-time Clinical Faculty Appointments

Introduction

Academic position descriptions are a university requirement for all 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 as well as 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 the provision of clinical care and to engage in formal, scheduled teaching outside of clinical care delivery, although teaching scope and intensity will vary by faculty member’s academic position description. Please refer to the following documents for details regarding the expectations of faculty members with respect to teaching and education:

• Optimizing Teaching Effectiveness and the Learner Experience
• Standard for Supervision of Learners by DoM Physicians

As outlined in these documents, all faculty members are expected to:

• Demonstrate competence in teaching, striving for excellence.
• Be receptive to feedback on their teaching; and,
• Engage in faculty development and/or mentorship around teaching as required.

Scholarship (Research, Creative Professional Activities and Sustained Excellence in Teaching)

All faculty members are expected to engage in scholarly activities. However, the scope and intensity will vary by faculty member’s academic position description. 

Scholarship through Research:

Research excellence is demonstrated through traditional metrics, e.g., peer-reviewed publications and operating grants, graduate teaching supervision, the success of one’s trainees, receipt of research awards and honours, and invitations to speak at national and international research symposia. Excellence in research is also demonstrated by the impact the research has or has potential to have – 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): 

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. The criteria for senior promotion based on Excellence in CPA may be found here. 

Scholarship through Sustained Excellence in Teaching:

The DoM at U of T values the contributions of our teachers. Sustained Excellence in Teaching may be demonstrated through a breadth and depth of teaching, e.g., across different trainee levels and/or training environments, with consistent receipt of positive teaching scores and comments, student testimonials, and nomination or receipt of teaching awards and honours. The criteria for senior promotion based on Sustained Excellence in Teaching may be found here. 

Administrative Service

Provision of administrative services is required for continuing faculty appointment and senior promotion, but in and of itself, is insufficient for either. All faculty members are expected to provide 5% of their professional time to administrative service. Administrative service means serving as members of hospital or university committees pertaining to clinical care, quality, research, education, or administration. At the hospital level, this might include serving on the Research Ethics Board or other hospital committees. At the Divisional level, it may be serving as a site lead for residents or fellows or participation in your specialty interview and match process. At the university level, it might include sitting on a departmental committee, e.g., department appointments or continuing faculty appointment, holding a leadership role, or serving on a committee of Temerty Medicine. 

Professionalism

Professionalism is a core value in the department. Professional conduct is taken into consideration at re-appointment, continuing faculty appointment review, senior promotion, and in selection of candidates for leadership positions and awards.

Faculty members are expected to behave in accordance with the following policies:

• Standards of Professional Behaviour for Clinical (MD) Faculty
• CPSO Professional Responsibilities in Medical Education
• Standards of behaviour for medical clinical faculty regarding relations with industry
• Optimizing Teaching Effectiveness & the Learner Experience
• Standards for Supervision of Learners by DoM Faculty
• More details and resources on professionalism can be found here

Department of Medicine Academic Position Descriptions

• DoM Clinician-Teacher (CT)
• DoM Academic Clinician (AC) - only for full-time faculty
• DoM Clinician in Quality & Innovation (CQI)
• DoM Clinician Educator (CE)
• DoM Clinician Investigator (CI)
• DoM Clinician Scientist (CS)
• DoM Clinician Administrator (CA)
• DoM Research Scientist (RS)

Table 1: DoM Academic Position Descriptions

Table 2: Distribution of Professional Time by Academic Position Description 

Table 3: Formal Teaching Expectations by Academic Position Description

Formal Teaching refers to teaching that is provided outside of the context of provision of clinical care.

Table 4: Expectations Regarding Scholarly Productivity by Academic Position Description