Chair’s Column March 2025: On Becoming a Professor

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two months, I’ve been privileged to host three Professors’ Days honouring those faculty who were promoted to Professor at the University of Toronto in 2024. Later this year, we will also host events to recognize those promoted to Associate Professor. These traditions, introduced and sustained by former chairs Drs. Wendy Levinson and Gillian Hawker, are opportunities to recognize the tremendous accomplishments needed to be promoted to these levels and an occasion for the new professors to be celebrated in the presence of friends, family members, and colleagues.

I’ve spoken to many people over the years who express uncertainty about the value of seeking senior promotion. It doesn’t result in tangible benefits such as an increase in income (although some leadership positions are restricted to those above a certain academic rank), it takes time and effort to prepare and submit documents, it can be humbling to request testimonials from students, colleagues, and external referees, and the promotions standards at the University of Toronto are very high. But I can tell you that those who do go through senior promotion feel a profound – and often unexpected – sense of satisfaction in having their academic work recognized in this way. This is echoed in the pride and emotion I’ve seen expressed by family members, mentors, mentees, and peers at our Professors’ Days.

Our faculty really do make exceptional contributions to teaching, research, and creative professional activity, and promotion is an important way of acknowledging this. If you are wondering whether you might be a candidate for senior promotion, please visit the Department of Medicine website for details and speak to your Departmental Division Director or Physician-in-Chief when the next promotions cycle begins this spring.

Sincerely,
Moira

Dr. Moira Kapral
Sir John and Lady Eaton Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto