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So how does one typically advance a career as an academic anesthesiologist? MBA? Research? Moving to different programs to advance? Thanks
Advancement in Academics
- Thread starter CajunGas
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Research is the key.
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Research and/or administrative duties. And, of course, you have to have high teaching scores.
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I haven't yet started my position yet (cite medical license and credentialing delays) but I don't think you have to be a bench researcher to advance. I'm pretty sure we have to be involved in academic activities but it can be clinical research, teaching, get involved with chapters etc.
Correct me if I'm wrong. This is a nebulous area for me still.
Correct me if I'm wrong. This is a nebulous area for me still.
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It varies at different institutions, but many have "educational" tracks, where the majority of your achievements can revolve around educational activities, curriculum development, education related research etc. Most places still want some degree of publishing, but the education track (as opposed to the research track) is a lot softer on that. The key is to rub elbows with the right people in order to get the opportunities such as book chapters, regional and national speaking opportunities, committee appointments at national organizations etc. The key is to develop a regional and then national reputation. It is a very slow process for most.
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deleted171991
Two words: resume padding. Quantity matters way more than quality (Impact factor? What's that?), suggesting that most people and organizations are about as full of it as in a banana country.
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That is certainly not true at at least some universities.
Impact factor and the quality of your work is critical where I am, though you need numbers as well. So much so that a full Professor at another medical school interviewed for a job here and was told that they would be given a salary commensurate with their experience, but only qualified for the rank of Assistant Professor. That was non negotiable. (And appropriate)
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deleted171991
Where quality matters, numbers don't really count except for proof that the person has a pattern of being special.
I would create a policy that takes into consideration only the top 5-10 works of a person. It would change the face of medical "research". People would focus on improving the quality of their work, instead of just publishing more of the same crap.
Peer review is just laughable, when most doctors lack the necessary critical and mathematical skills. We should have dedicated people, who make a career out of this, like we have for movies/theater/art etc.
I would create a policy that takes into consideration only the top 5-10 works of a person. It would change the face of medical "research". People would focus on improving the quality of their work, instead of just publishing more of the same crap.
Peer review is just laughable, when most doctors lack the necessary critical and mathematical skills. We should have dedicated people, who make a career out of this, like we have for movies/theater/art etc.
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It is worth reiterating that most universities have different career paths for academic physicians. Certainly the research track still exists, and may even be the path that gets the most attention, but few departments perform enough research and secure enough funding for MOST of their faculty to be successful in this track. I would venture to say that the bulk of academic anesthesiologists advance in a more clinical or clinical educator track. The criteria for advancing should be relatively concrete and objective; no one can afford lawsuits for capricious or discriminatory advancement practices. That said, like with most things in life, there are always some pearls that you might have to dig around for. Where I am, for example, there are certain committees that if you're a member, you can advance by one extra year. Same goes for certain teaching awards. I'm sure this is written down somewhere, but not advertised broadly.
In this day and age, unless you come into a position with research funding, a FAER award, a K, or as a T32 fellow, it strikes me as unlikely that you'd be in a research track (typically these positions require very little clinical work in order to have enough time to be successful, and this obviously represents a substantial investment in your success). Put another way, if you were being hired into a research track, you'd know about it, so you're probably being hired in a clinical track. Advancement there is based on papers, sure, but chapters, committee involvement, speaking invitations, teaching evals, and things of that nature.
In this day and age, unless you come into a position with research funding, a FAER award, a K, or as a T32 fellow, it strikes me as unlikely that you'd be in a research track (typically these positions require very little clinical work in order to have enough time to be successful, and this obviously represents a substantial investment in your success). Put another way, if you were being hired into a research track, you'd know about it, so you're probably being hired in a clinical track. Advancement there is based on papers, sure, but chapters, committee involvement, speaking invitations, teaching evals, and things of that nature.
