Clinical academic position descriptions

A faculty member with major clinical responsibilities that facilitates the research, teaching and education by others and who is personally engaged in teaching, educational activities and/or research.

Recognition of high levels of clinical competence by peers is an important aspect of the faculty appointment.

Teaching may be done concurrently with clinical care or in organized educational programs. 

• Time distribution: Engaged in academic activities, as outlined above, for at least 80% of his/her professional time. 
• Clinical activities: Since academic contribution is in the context of clinical care in most circumstances, the type of activity varies according to specialty and location of practice. 
• Teaching activities: Undergraduate student, post-graduate medical or fellowship and clinical rounds, clinical rounds and participation as speaker in Continuing Education events. 
• Research activities: Some clinician-teachers are collaborators in clinical or education-related research. There is no specific expectation that they should serve as principle investigator or lead authors of research papers. 
• Administrative activities: Equivalent to being a member of 1-2 departmental, university or hospital committees. 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Teacher (Full-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty member with a major time commitment to education, education-related administration and scholarly activities related to education and also contributes to the provision of clinical service that is essential to the academic mission. 

• Time Distribution: Engaged in teaching and educational activities, including relevant clinical activity, and related scholarly and administrative activities for at least 80% of his/her professional time. This typically includes up to 50% of time devoted to teaching and/ or educational development or educational research (may include CPA), and clinical related activities (20-40%). 
• Clinical activities: Since teaching is often in the context of clinical care, the site and nature of the clinical activity will vary according to educational role. 
• Teaching activities: Responsible for the development, evaluation and renewal of educational curricula. They are expected to assume leadership in the education of undergraduate students, postgraduate trainees, graduate students, CE participants and/or faculty development. 
• Research activities: Primary investigators and/or collaborators in clinical investigations or education-related research. Those who do engage in research activities are expected to publish peer-reviewed manuscripts, but may not necessarily hold peer-reviewed research funds. 
• Administrative activities: Senior administrative responsibilities related to academic and educational programs (e.g. program director, curriculum coordinator, course director, etc.) 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Educator (Full-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty member focused on enhancing health outcomes though leadership and collaboration around improvement and innovation activities. 

• Time distribution: Engaged in academic activities for at least 80% or more of his/her professional time. 
• Clinical activities: Since academic contribution is in the context of clinical service, the type of activity varies according to location of practice. 
• Teaching activities: Expected to engage actively in teaching but the nature of teaching will vary depending on the nature of their improvement and/or innovation activities and clinical work.  Teaching commitments should ideally include the delivery of educational programs that relate specifically to quality improvement, patient safety, knowledge translation or healthcare innovation across the learning continuum 
• Research activities: May choose to carry out their improvement and/or innovation work as research and/or clinical activity and disseminate via traditional research-based avenues 
• Administrative activities: Member of at least 2 university/hospital quality committees or other committees as appropriate. 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Quality and Innovation (Full-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

Faculty members who direct a significant research program closely linked to clinical activity. 

• Time distribution: Engaged in research, teaching and CPA activities, including relevant clinical activity, for 80% or more of their professional time. The time commitment for research is generally 50% or greater. 
• Clinical activities: Members generally have no more than 20-40% of their time committed to clinical service. Clinical care and research site will vary according to research and location of clinical practice. 
• Teaching activities: Responsible for dissemination of research. They are involved in the education of UG students, PG trainees, graduate students, CE participants and/or faculty development – formal as well as informal education (rounds, etc.) 
• Research activities: Principal investigator or hold peer-reviewed operating grants (or major industry grants permitting independent research) to support their research program. There must be ongoing evidence of productivity in the form of peer-reviewed original research papers or equivalent contributions to the knowledge base of the discipline. 
• Administrative activities: Member of 1 or 2 university, departmental or hospital committees.

Academic Position Description for Clinician Investigator (Full-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty members whose majority activity is research. 

• Time distribution: Engaged in research activities for 70% or more of their professional time. 
• Clinical activities: These individuals usually have only 10-15% of their time committed to clinical service. 
• Teaching activities: Responsible for dissemination of research and encouraging junior trainees into the research track. Their predominant educational responsibilities are to graduate students, postgraduates and CE participants – formal more than informal education. However, some contributions to specialized areas of UG education are also expected. 
• Research activities: Individual is expected to be a principal investigator with an established research program or group, and to hold a graduate supervisory appointment. There must be ongoing evidence of meaningful productivity in the form of peer-reviewed original research papers or equivalent contributions to the knowledge base of their discipline. This individual is expected to be a principal investigator and hold major peer-reviewed operating grants to support their research program. 
• Administrative activities: Member of 1 - 2 university, departmental or hospital research committees. 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Scientist (Full-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty member engaged in academic activities for at least 80% of his/her professional time with a major time commitment to administrative responsibilities.

These faculty members also contribute to the provision of clinical service, essential to the academic mission. 

• Time distribution: Engaged in administrative activities for 50% or greater of his/her professional time. This typically results in less than 50% of time devoted to clinical service, education (may include CPA), and other scholarly activities. 
• Clinical activities: Since teaching is in the context of clinical care, the site and nature of the clinical activity will vary according to educational role. 
• Teaching activities: May be involved in the education of undergraduate students, postgraduate trainees, graduate students, CE participants and/or faculty development. 
• Research activities: Some clinician-administrators may be collaborators in clinical investigations or education-related research, but are not expected to be primary investigators. 
• Administrative activities: Senior (executive) administrative responsibilities related to academic and clinical programs (e.g. Chair of University Department, Head of Hospital Department, Hospital VP Medical Affairs, Hospital VP Research, etc.) 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Administrator (Full-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty member with major clinical responsibilities that facilitates the research, teaching and education by others and who is also personally engaged in teaching, educational activities and/or research.

Teaching may be done concurrently with clinical care in organized educational programs.

Recognition of high levels of clinical competence by peers is an important aspect of the faculty appointment. 

• Clinical activities: Since teaching is in the context of providing clinical care in most circumstances, the type of activity will vary according to specialty and location of clinical practice. 
• Teaching activities: Undergraduate student teaching that includes student contact of at least 5-10 hours a year, postgraduate medical or fellowship teaching in the course of some clinical activities, clinical rounds and participation as speaker in Continuing Education events where invited and reasonably possible. 
• Research activities: Some clinician-teachers may become collaborators in clinical investigations or education-related research, but usually are not expected to be primary investigators. 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Teacher (Part-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty member with a major time commitment to teaching, educational administration, evaluation and related activities.

He/she also contributes to the provision of clinical service that is essential to the academic mission. 

• Clinical activities: Since teaching is in the context of clinical care, the site and nature of clinical activity will vary according to educational role. 
• Teaching activities: Undergraduate teaching with student contact for evaluation, education, etc., Postgraduate student, fellowship and/or graduate teaching in the course of some clinical activities, clinical rounds and participation as speaker in Continuing Education events where invited and reasonably possible. 
• Research activities: Some may become collaborators in clinical or education-related research, but are not expected to carry this out as primary investigators. 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Educator (Part-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty member focused on enhancing health outcomes through leadership and collaboration around improvement and innovation activities. 

• Clinical activities: Since academic contribution is in the context of clinical service, the type of activity varies according to location of practice. 
• Teaching activities: Expected to engage actively in teaching but the nature of teaching will vary depending on the nature of their improvement and/or innovation activities and clinical work.  Teaching commitments should ideally include the delivery of educational programs that relate specifically to quality improvement, patient safety, knowledge translation or healthcare innovation across the learning continuum 
• Research activities: May choose to carry out their improvement and/or innovation work as research and/or clinical activity and disseminate via traditional research-based avenues.

Academic Position Description for Clinician Quality and Innovation (Part-time clinical appointments) (PDF)

A faculty member with major time commitment to clinical activities with some participation in teaching activities. 

• Clinical activities: Since academic contribution is in the context of clinical service, the type of activity varies according to location of practice. 
• Teaching activities: Expected to engage actively in teaching, but the nature of teaching will vary depending on the nature of their clinical work. 

Academic Position Description for Clinician Teacher (Adjunct clinical appointments)(Word)

Major time commitment to senior (executive) administrative responsibilities related to academic and clinical programs which occupy at least 50% of professional time.

Academic Position Description for Clinician Administrator (Adjunct clinical appointments)(Word)