BUSM Longitudinal Faculty Development Program:Setting Career Goals

September 24, 2012

David Coleman, M.D.

Career Development of Faculty

Starting a new faculty job

Important elements of career planning

Where do departments go wrong?

Special vulnerabilities in faculty career development

Mentoring

Balancing

Institutional service and career goals

Personal and professional life

Starting a New Faculty Job

Before starting – get started Transferring of grants, credentialing, orders, hiring, regulatory

approvals, renovations

Mentoring/buddy system Find mentors of all types

Get Oriented- don’t assume it will come to youWho’s who?Opportunities for social networking? Define resources related to research, clinical care, and educationStart social networking

Post arrivalAffirm/set goalsContinuously define additional needs and find new opportunitiesReach out

Important Elements of Career Planning

The Self Evaluation PhaseHonest assessment of

Training Passion Talent Resources

Sometimes faculty take jobs in roles they want “to be” but do not want “to do”

Balancing service commitmentsBalancing quantity vs quality of publications

Important Elements of Career Planning

The Independence Phase

Establishing independence

Timing of independence

Relationship with mentor(s)

Planning beyond first three year term

Visibility outside of the institution

Where do Departments go wrong in Career Planning for Faculty?

Insufficient due diligence in the search processInadequate investment

– Resources– Mentorship– Infrastructure– Protected time

Misalignment of what is needed with what is rewarded Overuse of women and under-represented minorities

for institutional serviceInflexible approaches to career development (e.g.,

part-time vs full-time, job sharing, timelines for promotion, exit and re-entry strategies)

Special Vulnerabilities in Faculty Career Development

Late Asst and Assoc ProfessorK award to RO1 grant transitionClinical and/or teaching demandsDistribution of effort – fostering excellence?Focus vs. breadth of researchBalancing career and familyMinority and female facultyRelationships with primary mentorSenior faculty

Principles for Finding and Sustaining Successful MentorshipFind more than one and more than one kind

(Friend, critic, supporter)

Trust your “gut”

Define your needs and do not underestimate them

Realize that no one believes they are a bad mentor or a bad mentee

Allow yourself to be effectively mentored (i.e., be honest, pose questions, seek “sounding boards”, listen carefully, give feedback)

Key Elements of Mentoring Programs

Formal vs. Informal programs

Voluntary vs. compulsory assignments

Peer mentoring

Complement existing mentoring

Successful mentoring is a dual responsibility of mentor and mentee

Generational Approaches to Mentoring

(http://www.3creek.com/resources/newsletters/Masterful_Mentoring_Aug09.html)

Generation Birthdate Mentoring style

Traditionalists 1922-45 duty, long-term, solitary,

face to face

Boomers 1946-64 mutually beneficial,

face to face over meals,

mentors higher status

Generation X 1965-80 peer sharing more than vertical career advancement,

short term connections to gain new understanding or competencies,

face to face not necessary, convenient access important

Millennial 1981-2000 primary learning relationship, used to learn job responsibilities,

temporary, situational, ask for immediate feedback,

expands social networks,

not heirarchical

How to Balance Institutional Service with Career Goals

What is your understanding of what you were hired to accomplish?

Most junior research faculty should expect to be largely protected from institutional service

Institutional “citizenship” is important and valuable, but ok to say “no”- What to do when you want to say “no” to a supervisor?

Turn the question around: “do you think this is important for me to do?”

“I am juggling x, y, and z. How do you suggest I incorporate this activity? What should be my priorities?”

How to Balance Institutional Service with Career Goals (cont.)

Increasing tenure on the faculty carries a greater burden of service

Departments and sections are dependent on faculty to perform under-compensated activities

Balancing your Career with your Personal Life

Inherently personal set of priorities-do not ignore the need for balance!

Leaders increasingly aware of the need for balance (e.g., resident work hour restrictions, need to avoid “burn out”, prevalence of dual career relationships)

Higher burden of organization-plan carefully

Recognize that many academic careers evolve, change, and adapt