CLINICAL FACULTY
OVERVIEW OF CLINICAL FACULTY
Clinical Faculty members are health professionals engaged primarily in the practice of their professions outside UBC, whose appointments have been recommended by Departments/ Schools and the FOM for the purpose of participating in academic activities and have been approved by the UBC Board of Governors. They make significant contributions in the education of undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate learners, residents and fellows and are often engaged in research and academic administration at UBC. Health care education requires the active participation of learners in clinical settings and health care professionals who supervise and educate learners in these clinical settings normally require a Clinical Faculty appointment for several reasons including:
- Faculty appointments for those who teach and assess UBC learners are required to meet accreditation requirements;
- Individuals with faculty appointments are clearly covered by UBC insurance, thereby avoiding potential liability issues for both the individual and UBC;
- For those individuals teaching in the MD programs, the UBC FOM Clinical Faculty Compensation Terms for Teaching in the MD Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programs establish a contractual relationship for teaching.
POLICIES & GUIDELINES
DESCRIPTION OF RANKS
Clinical Instructor:
Initial appointments are typically at this rank and are normally held for 3 to 5 years. Reappointments may be granted for 10 years and are renewable upon review. A candidate for appointment and reappointment at this rank will meet the following:
- Demonstrates an interest in, and a promising beginning to, teaching;
- Has demonstrated competence in clinical practice and a willingness to relate his/her practice to teaching;
- Provides at least a minimum academic contribution over a two-year period for reappointment;
Clinical Assistant Professor:
Appointments at this rank may be made for up to 10 years, renewable upon review. A candidate for appointment, reappointment, or promotion to this rank will meet some or all of the following:
- Has demonstrated capability as a teacher;
- Has demonstrated competence in clinical practice and a willingness to relate his/her practice to teaching;
- Provides approximately 50 hours of academic contribution over a two-year period;
- Shows sustained effort to present clear and useful teaching sessions;
- Has made an effort to learn about teaching techniques;
- Is a member of appropriate local and provincial or territorial organizations;
- Has complied with any additional Department/School criteria identified in writing;
- Participates in administrative and/or service activities of his/her hospital, agency, professional organization, the FOM and/or UBC;
- Participates in research as a primary investigator or in collaborative studies.
Clinical Associate Professor:
Appointments at this rank may be made for up to 10 years, renewable upon review. A candidate for appointment, reappointment, or promotion to this rank will meet the criteria of the lower rank as well as some or all of the following:
- Has consistently received good formal teaching evaluations;
- Has the reputation of being a highly competent clinician;
- Provides more than 50 hours of academic contribution over a two-year period;
- Has developed expertise within his or her own field, which may include an area of special professional skill;
- Has taken an active, prominent role in provincial or territorial and national professional organizations;
- Has complied with any additional Department/School criteria identified in writing;
- Has contributed significantly to the administration and/or service activities of his or her hospital, agency, professional organization, the FOM and/or UBC;
- Has been called upon to share expertise at professional society meetings, in continuing professional educational programs or at other institutions;
- Participates in research as a primary investigator or in collaborate studies.
Clinical Professor:
Appointments at this rank are normally held for 10 years, renewable upon review. A candidate for appointment, reappointment, or promotion to this rank will meet the criteria of the lower rank as well as some or all of the following:
- Has demonstrated skills as an enthusiastic, effective and devoted leader in the educational program and has received formal teaching evaluations that indicate he/she is an excellent teacher who continually stimulates learners;
- Is recognized by his or her peers as being an outstanding clinician who has made documented significant contributions to professional practice in his or her hospital, agency, professional organization, the FOM and/or UBC;
- Provides more than 50 hours of academic contribution over a two-year period;
- Has provided leadership in national or international professional organizations;
- Has complied with any additional Department/School criteria identified in writing;
- Has demonstrated distinguished service and/or related leadership in committee, administrative or policy-making decisions in his or her hospital, agency, professional organization, the FOM or UBC;
- Participates in research as a primary investigator or in collaborate studies.
Clinical Emeritus:
Individuals holding Clinical Faculty appointments may be eligible for emeritus status at the time of retirement/resignation from active University service if they are recommended by their Department/School and the Dean of the FOM and meet all of the following criteria:
- A minimum of 15 years of continuous service;
- Hold the rank of Clinical Associate Professor or Clinical Professor or demonstrate an acceptable scholarly record that has been reviewed at the Department/School and FOM levels according to established University procedures for equivalent level;
- Demonstrate service that is strongly identified with the University and deemed worthy of continuing recognition.
UBC CV
For ranks above Clinical Instructor, a UBC CV is required in the abbreviated format.
POLICIES & GUIDELINES
New applicants are encouraged to review the following resources:
- UBC Faculty of Medicine Policy on Clinical Faculty Appointments
- Clinical Faculty Compensation Terms
- Services and Perks for Clinical Faculty
- Clinical Faculty Advisory Council
- Dispute Resolution
- Career Development for Clinical Faculty
- Awards for Clinical Faculty
- Advantages of a Clinical Faculty Appointment
- Teaching Tracking & Payment
APPLYING FOR A CLINICAL FACULTY APPOINTMENT
PROCESS:
Accreditation standards require all clinicians and healthcare practitioners to hold a UBC clinical faculty appointment in order to teach and assess UBC students and residents.
New applicants and recent graduates are usually appointed as a Clinical Instructor. Please ensure your application package includes the following:
- A completed and signed Application Form.
- A completed and signed Payment Instructions Form and Electronic Fund Transfer Form. We also require a copy of a physical void cheque (not the e-cheque available through your banks online portal).
- A letter of intent indicating how you plan to participate in the Department's education program, and identifying your area of specialization or expertise. ***For applicants referred by a Health Authority, a letter of support from the UBC Regional Associate Dean is acceptable instead.
Please send your application package to anae.hr-admin@ubc.ca.
APPLYING THROUGH DISTRIBUTED SITES
If you are applying from a distributed site (Vancouver Island Health Authority, Northern Health Authority, Interior Health Authority), please contact the respective administrative personnel below to assist you with your application package:
- Island Medical Program: Niobe Getty, Clinical Faculty Appointments Coordinator, niobeg@uvic.ca
- Northern Medical Program: Amber Rushton, Administrative Assistant, amber.rushton@unbc.ca
- Southern Medical Program: Clinical Faculty and Operations Coordinator, Smp.clinicalfaculty@ubc.ca
REAPPOINTMENT PROCESS
All clinical faculty appointments have a term date. On an annual basis, the Department contacts each hospital site Department Head to determine whether the clinical faculty member, whose term is ending that year, should be reappointed further. If approved at the Department stage for reappointment, your file will be submitted to the FoM Dean’s office for final approval. If fully approved, you will be notified and your Workday profile will reflect your new term date.
APPLYING FOR PROMOTION
Clinical faculty members who meet criteria for promotion are encouraged to apply. Please refer to the following guidelines before proceeding further:
- Departmental Guidelines for Clinical Faculty Promotion
- Departmental Guidelines for Promotion to Clinical Associate Professor
- Departmental Guidelines for Promotion to Clinical Professor
Please note, the FoM does not allow skipping ranks. The call for promotion is announced annually, where the Department sends notice to all hospital site Department Heads with a list of clinical faculty members eligible for promotion. The hospital site Department Head will then meet with the faculty member to discuss promotion.
A request for promotion is initiated by the clinical faculty member, who should notify the hospital site Department Head. All candidates must prepare an application package that includes the following:
- Your signed letter of request explaining the rationale for the request and how you meet the relevant criteria for the promoted rank.
- Updated UBC Formatted CV.
- Evidence of teaching excellence in the form of a Teaching Dossier.
- Letter of support completed by hospital Department Head.
| Clinical Faculty Promotion Schedule | |
| Clinical Faculty Promotion submission deadline | October |
| Departmental Review | November to January |
| FoM & UBC Provost Approvals | February to April |