By Cynthia D. Brown, MD, Vice Chair, Faculty Development in the Department of Medicine
Congratulations to the individuals who recently submitted (most) of their documents for promotion! It is a milestone to be celebrated as the task of compiling the necessary documents for your dossier feels like a thankless one at times.
For those of you thinking about promotion in the coming years, here are some tips that can pay off now and in the future.
- Know your Promotion Track and Area of Excellence. This gets confusing because there are three tracks and three areas of excellences. The most important distinction is whether you are on tenure track as there are defined timelines (or “clocks”) and different expectations for achievement in the defined areas of excellence.
- Know your resources. Engage with the IU School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development (FAPD), your department (i.e. me), and your division. Events will be offered throughout the year by FAPD, and the Department of Medicine will have specific events to outline timelines in the summer/fall of 2025. The FAPD also has numerous examples of model dossiers on each track.
- Stay organized and start early. Keep your CV up to date and in the proper template. I know it’s easier said than done. I tend to keep a running list on a notepad and add everything to my CV once per quarter.
- Review your readiness. Your division director should review your readiness every year during your annual faculty review. If you want outside input, consider a P&T consultation with FAPD, and our P&T experts in the department are always here for you.
- Plan your time wisely. When we start our promotion gauntlet in the fall each year, inevitably some people remove themselves from consideration because it can feel too daunting to get everything together. A little forethought goes a long way. If you think you might need more time to get everything together, reach out early to see what tasks you can start on now.
- Know the frequent stumbling blocks. There are components that are needed in every dossier. Peer Reviews of Teaching, a teaching philosophy, a personal statement, etc. Please familiarize yourself with these and let someone know if you have questions. Also it’s good to review with your division director any potential hurdles. Everyone has to have some scholarship and reputation outside the scope of IU alone.
Keep your eyes out. Coming this spring, we’ll open our Clinical Promotions Advisory Panel (CPAP) applications. This internal review can look over your current CV to identify areas that need to be addressed early!