Getting Started at the IU School of Medicine

Preparing for promotion should start the day that you become a faculty member. This means determining what track you are on, what your area of excellence will be and how you will develop your own niche and meet the promotion criteria. Consultation with your Chair/section chief/ mentor will be critical for you to develop your career path that will ultimately lead to promotion.

How can I figure out if I am ready to be promoted?

Discuss your readiness for promotion with your department chair, division chief, center director or his/her designee, and/or a member of Faculty Affairs, Professional Development, and Diversity (FAPDD). It Is highly recommended to meet with a member of FAPDD within your first year to understand the criteria and expectations for successful advancement.

How do I decide what track to be on?

Tenured and tenure track faculty are evaluated on teaching, research and service activities for promotion and tenure. You must document excellence in one area and adequacy in the other two areas. Example of title: Professor of Anesthesia

Tenure Promotion Tenure Timeline

Tenure and Non Tenure Track Guidelines. Source: Indiana University School of Medicine

Clinical appointment contract and clinical track faculty are evaluated on teaching and service activities for promotion and appointment contract. You must document excellence in one area and adequacy in second. Example of title: Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery

Research or Scientist track faculty are evaluated on excellence in research for promotion. Examples of titles: Assistant Scientist in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology or Associate Research Professor of Cellular & Integrative

What does an “area of excellence” mean?

The area of excellence is the primary reason you were hired, for example, to conduct research or for a clinical niche (service). For the purpose of promotion and tenure, you must document excellence in one area (teaching, research or service) and adequacy in the other two areas.

Explore the Areas of Excellence in:

What should I be doing now to get promoted?

It is important to start early (within your first 6 months). Create electronic (or paper) folders to save your documentation. For example, in your Teaching folder you would save: teaching evaluations, peer review of teaching evaluations. In your Research folder you would save grant summary sheets, and in your Service folder: invitations to serve on committees, provide peer review of manuscripts etc. You should also begin writing a personal statement that will serve as a roadmap for your career path. This should discuss the problems/ issues/ questions that your work addresses, what you specifically accomplished, how you made that happen and your future plans. Review and revise this annually and seek feedback from peers. You should also attend FAPDD Promotion and Tenure Workshops.

How will I know when I have achieved enough to be promoted?

Every year during your annual review you should discuss your readiness for promotion with your department chair, division chief, or center director. Members of Faculty Affairs, Professional Development, and Diversity (FAPDD) are also available to review your materials (CV and Personal Statement) to help determine your readiness for promotion and to make plans for achieving readiness. It Is highly recommended that you attend an IU School of Medicine promotion workshop and/or meet with a member of FAPDD within your first year to understand the criteria and expectations for successful advancement.

For advancement to Associate Professor, you must be able to document/demonstrate an emerging national reputation as evidenced by invited talks, presentations at local and regional organizations, involvement in local/regional professional societies accompanied by a body of scholarship. For advancement to Professor, you must be able to document/demonstrate a sustained national reputation as evidenced by invited talks at major universities, presentations at national professional societies, memberships on editorial boards, grant reviews, and study sections, and the receipt of national awards accompanied by a robust body of scholarship. You will be required to submit a dossier supporting your activities and contributions.