Does research also play a role? All big research universities have plenty of "professors" that just research and don't teach. I don't know if this is the same for med schools, but the researchers at the M.D. schools may count as "faculty" as well.
I think it has more to do with what was mentioned above.
Take PCOM for example.
40 affiliated hospitals and medical centers, maybe with a handful of physicians at each who are "professors" in some capacity.
Now take Jefferson.
1,000 physicians in one hospital all of whom are "professors" simply because they are part of a teaching institution.
I worked with a physician who is listed as a "professor" at 3 different medical schools...and only has regular contact with one school...and that is still limited contact (3 days/week).
Dont get caught up in numbers like that.
Realistically how many physicians can one student have
significant educational contact with in only 4 years? Maybe 30.
Just because a physician teaches a guest lecture or 2 doesnt, in my opinion, mean they should be counted towards the total...but they are.
In your first 2 years of school you will be bombarded with basic sciences along with some clinical professors mixed in. At PCOM we had a core group of physicians who taught each block...Cardio, GI, Pulm, Nephro, etc...with guest lecturers to fill in. So there are 10 docs.
In 2 years of clinical rotations you can maybe do 20 rotations or so where you will work closely with some attendings.
I know I havent worked with, rotated with or even MET 80% of the 250+ faculty that PCOM has listed as "professors". Having an additional 700 profs on top of that wouldnt have changed my educational experience.
Quality, not quantity.
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