June 13, 2003
TO:Department Heads
Roy J. and LucilleA.CarverCollege of Medicine
FROM:Jean E. Robillard, M.D.
Dean
Susan R. Johnson, M.D.
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Re:Process for consideration of interviews and appointment of candidates
as primary faculty in one department when the candidate hashad residency training in another discipline.
Until recently, it was uncommon for a faculty member to be interviewed and appointed as a primary faculty member in one department when the candidate has had their residency training solely in another discipline. To our knowledge, there are not Collegiate policies or guidelines that prohibit this practice, but it was uncommon.
There has been a recent increase in the number of such candidates being invited for interviews and considered for appointment, and this is creating some confusion and challenge.
We want to proceed on this issue in two steps. The first will consist of a clarification on process to be described in this memo. The second will be the appointment of a small ad hoc committee consisting of three DEOs and a few other members appointed by the Dean to review and develop guidelines on this issue. At this point, we do not intend a rigid policy on this issue, but we do intend to develop guidelines on this matter for DEOs and the Dean's Office.
Process: Effective now, when a department head or division director is considering inviting or interviewing a candidate for a primary faculty appointment in their department and when the candidate has had their residency training solely in another discipline, the Dean's Office must be briefed and consulted for
approval before the candidate is invited or interviewed. This briefing and consultation should include written input from the head of the department where the candidate had their residency.
Several additional points:
1.Although the written agreement of the two department heads will be extremely important to approval of the request to interview and subsequently appoint these candidates, the Dean might in some situations elect not to approve the interview and appointment of the candidate based on institutional considerations, even if the two department heads approve.
2.There are several such candidates currently under consideration. Several of them have already been invited or interviewed, but in order to proceed further with consideration of their candidacy, the Dean's Office will need a written proposal and agreement between the heads of the two departments regarding their faculty appointment (primary and if appropriate secondary), clinical activities, and finances, particularly with regard to clinical activities involving patients in their residency discipline.
3.The focus here is on the residency training. If a candidate has had residency training solely in one discipline, they cannot be invited or interviewed in another department even if they have had a fellowship in the "other" department unless the department has prior approval from the Dean's Office as noted above.
4.Although the focus here is on faculty candidates whose sole residency training was in another discipline, it is also advisable that if a faculty candidate has had residency training in more than one discipline, the DEO of all the respective departments be briefed and consulted before the candidates are invited and interviewed.