Clinical Practice | Icahn School of Medicine

Clinical Practice and/or Administrative Leadership Track

The Clinical Practice and/or Administrative Leadership Track is designed for full-time faculty physicians and select other clinically-oriented faculty who devote 90 percent or more of their professional activities to clinical practice, clinical teaching, clinical laboratory leadership, and/or leadership roles in clinical administration. Candidates may be appointed or promoted in this track for their excellence in one or more of these areas.

Although intended primarily for physicians, the Clinical Practice and/or Administrative Leadership Track will occasionally accommodate other professionals with doctoral degrees who function in compelling provider or administrative leadership roles that serve the mission of the School of Medicine (e.g., psychologists or directors of clinical laboratories). Conventional scholarly output is not a requirement in this track, although innovative approaches to patient care and related activities are encouraged, and promulgation of these innovations beyond the institution through writing, lectures or workshops is encouraged for Associate Professor candidates and required of candidates for Professor. A candidate for appointment or promotion in the Clinical Practice and/or Administrative Leadership Track will be evaluated by the aggregate of his/her contributions in providing and enhancing clinical services, with the relative contribution in each area varying.

It is expected that as faculty advance in their careers at Mount Sinai, they will demonstrate increasing service and leadership in administrative and policy-making functions both within the institution and in the broader scientific and medical communities. Participation in and contributions to major institutional committees, e.g., the Medical Board, that are critical to the mission of the School, the Health System and our affiliated hospitals will be given consideration when faculty are under review for promotion. Additionally, outstanding service as an educator (such as residency program director) or in an administrative role (such as Vice-Chair or Director for Quality Assurance) will be considered during promotion review.

The track must be declared before a Chair recommends promotion.

1. Assistant Professor

Appointment, reappointment and promotion at this level may be extended to clinical providers or administrative leaders who hold board certification or the equivalent, have demonstrated commitment to excellence in their area of expertise, and hold promise for professional growth. A key distinguishing feature of Assistant Professors on this track is a high level of productivity in direct patient care or administrative leadership, with considerably less emphasis on traditional academic benchmarks, e.g., acquisition of research grant funding and generation of peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals.

Quality of Care – Candidates must show evidence of superior competence in the provision of clinical service. Case mix adjusted quality indicators such as morbidity/mortality, length of stay, adherence to established appropriate use criteria and performance measures can be presented. Candidates should be perceived by other physicians in the institution as a source of excellent care for patients, as evidenced by patient referrals, with potential for expanding both the breadth and volume of practice over time. Candidates providing clinical laboratory services should be perceived by their colleagues, both institutionally and externally, as excellent diagnosticians and knowledgeable resources.

Patient Satisfaction – There should be evidence that clinicians who provide direct services to patients deliver expert, compassionate care. Positive feedback on patient satisfaction surveys can reflect a physician's abilities as a communicator and caregiver, as well as the attention a physician dedicates to creating a practice atmosphere that is friendly and supportive.

Innovation – Candidates may demonstrate receptivity to new techniques and concepts that they incorporate into their clinical practice, teaching, laboratory oversight or administrative roles to enhance the quality of patient care.

Administration – Candidates may be evaluated on the basis of administrative contributions to the direct or indirect delivery of care or to education. Success in organizing and overseeing changes that have a positive impact on quality of care, scope of services, accessibility, patient satisfaction, financial and program viability and other pursuits will be considered. Success in overseeing an educational program, e.g., serving as fellowship director, will be highly valued.

Education and Mentoring – Candidates who teach should be recognized as excellent mentors and educators by their peers, students and trainees. This may be reflected in course, clerkship or trainee evaluations, or through other means. Candidates may also present evidence of their efforts to educate patients in disease management and the maintenance of good health and health education initiatives in the community in which they practice. To advance as educators in this Track, candidates must begin building reputations within their home department, the School and the Mount Sinai Health System as emerging leaders through direct teaching, committee participation, and involvement in other educational endeavors, e.g., the Institute for Medical Education. Demonstrable contributions to student support, enrichment and well-being activities will be favorably considered.

Service, Professionalism, Diversity and Inclusion – Candidates should be known for their professional, collegial behavior. They are expected to promote diversity and to support an inclusive environment in their programs and departments. Involvement in Mount Sinai committees and external professional organizations will be viewed positively.

Appointment and Term – Appointment or promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor in the Clinical Practice and/or Administrative Leadership Track is at the discretion of the Department Chair. The term of appointment will be one, two or three years.

Reappointment and Non-Reappointment – The Chair will provide notice of reappointment or non-reappointment.

If the Chair wishes to reappoint the individual, the new term of appointment can be one, two or three years. Reappointment to a term longer than one year requires review and approval by the Office of the Dean. There is no limit on the number of reappointments permitted.

If a decision to reappoint a faculty member is made during a term extension as described in the section on notices of non-reappointment, the reappointment notice must be in writing from the Chair. The reappointment will commence retroactive to the first day following completion of the original term of appointment.

In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair will provide written notice. The timing of notices of non-reappointment to the full-time faculty is determined by the length of the term of appointment.

Promotion – Qualified faculty may at any time be proposed for promotion to Associate Professor.

2. Associate Professor

Appointment, reappointment and promotion to this level may be extended to faculty who demonstrate excellence and leadership in clinical service, teaching, laboratory management and/or clinical administration. Candidates should be acknowledged as expert clinical practitioners and/or leaders in clinical administration both within and beyond the institution. Those who dedicate substantial effort to education and related activities should be recognized for teaching excellence on the departmental and School levels, with institutional recognition weighted more favorably. Candidates should be active participants in institutional and departmental committees, making contributions at both levels. In addition to meeting the qualifications outlined for more junior levels, faculty at this rank are expected to demonstrate skills and accomplishments in some or all of the following areas, and to disseminate innovations or information about best practice through publications, lectures, seminars or workshops inside or beyond the institution. Recognition of candidate’s accomplishments and breadth of reputation within Mount Sinai and/or across the New York metropolitan area should be documented by referees.

Quality of Care – Physician candidates must be acknowledged as excellent clinicians in their field and as a resource for truly excellent care. An established reputation among physicians and other health professionals at both one’s own Mount Sinai member hospital and in other hospitals and facilities within the Mount Sinai Health System is expected, with recognition beyond Mount Sinai given extra weight. Reputation can be demonstrated by awards, invitations to participate in and/or speak at meetings and discussions of clinical care, success in the care of one's own and other physicians' patients, evidence of having been consulted for analytic, diagnostic or treatment opinions on difficult or unique cases, and for general reputation on clinical subjects. An increasing volume of cases can reflect the candidate's expanding referral base and wide catchment area. Candidates should be perceived by other experts within Mount Sinai, and ideally in the region, as a source of excellent care for patients, e.g., through patient referrals, or, if focused on laboratory services, for excellent knowledge and analytical and diagnostic skills.

Patient Satisfaction – Candidates should show evidence of a growing patient base that includes both new patients and an established panel of retuning patients. High grades on patient satisfaction surveys are an important indicator.

Innovation – Candidates should integrate advances in the field into clinical practice. A candidate may also show evidence of novel approaches that he/she developed and that have proven successful or have the potential to improve the care of patients; patents and commercialization relating to such approaches will be favorably viewed. Development of multidisciplinary practices that demonstrably improve patient care and management may be cited. Involvement in clinical trials will also be considered contributory. Administrative leaders should be widely recognized for development of clinical or educational program innovations that have been adopted by other practices or institutions.

Administration – Candidates may be evaluated on the basis of administrative contributions to the delivery of care. Success in organizing and overseeing changes that have positive impact on quality of care, scope of services, accessibility, patient satisfaction, financial and program viability and other areas will be considered.

Teaching and Mentoring – Candidates should show substantial involvement in teaching, mentoring, and general professional development of students, house staff, fellows, junior faculty and other health professionals. Favorable evaluations from students and/or trainees, teaching awards, and strong positive feedback from faculty peer educators can be furnished as evidence of achievement. Education and mentoring can take place on the individual level, or through a leadership role in an educational program, e.g., fellowship program director.

Advancement as an educator in this Track requires evidence of direct, sustained involvement in teaching, with significant impact and innovation in pedagogic activities. A reputation for excellence in education beyond the candidate’s own program is increasingly important at this rank and can be demonstrated through broadening involvement from a single program to the departmental and institutional level. Invitations to lecture or participate in panels at other schools will be favorably viewed. Education of the public and patients through lectures and discussion sessions at community centers or in other settings will be considered. Educational leadership roles, e.g., course directors, residency program directors or co-directors will carry significant weight.

Documentation of educational contributions and impact may include but is not limited to:

Curricular and other educational changes that result in improved learner performance, e.g., higher test scores;
Innovative teaching strategies, including new learning tools that improve student performance;
Administrative or organizational changes that generate favorable feedback from peers and students or trainees, e.g., improvements in clerkship ratings by students;
Invitations to participate in or advise in other courses or programs;
Contributions to positive accreditation review;
Comparison and critique by candidate of his/her own teaching innovations with existing practices, citing specific examples;
Extramural educational grants awards for which the candidate was a leader on or critical contributor.

Diversity and Inclusion – Evidence of creating and supporting an environment of diversity and inclusion will be highly valued.

Service, Professionalism and Citizenship – Candidates are expected to exhibit exemplary professionalism, and to contribute to the positive culture of their programs or departments. They are expected to take on increasing responsibilities, including leadership roles, in the department and institution, such as through committee service. Participation in and leadership of external professional organizations are desirable. Providing pro bono clinical care through local, national and international organizations may be considered.

Appointment and Term – Appointment and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor is upon recommendation by the Department Chair, with subsequent approval by the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure. The term of appointment can be one, two or three years, at the discretion of the Chair.

Tenure: Tenure is not offered in this track.

Reappointment and Non-Reappointment – The Chair will provide notice of reappointment or non-reappointment.

Reappointment can be for a term of one, two or three years at the discretion of the Chair. Reappointment to a term longer than one year requires review and approval by the Office of the Dean. There is no limit on the number of reappointments permitted.

In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair will provide written notice. The timing of notices of non-reappointment to the full-time faculty is determined by the length of the term of appointment.

Promotion – The Chair may, at any time, recommend qualified faculty for promotion to the rank of Professor.

3. Professor

Appointment, reappointment and promotion at this level may be extended to individuals who possess a record of outstanding performance as rare master clinicians and/or master clinical laboratory leaders. They are expected to have assumed substantial leadership roles in the provision of clinical services and exhibit excellence as exemplary teachers and/or education program leaders, often for innovative approaches taken. Candidates should be locally, regionally and nationally recognized for contributions to the organization and delivery of clinical care as evidenced by publications, invitations to lecture, participation in expert panels at meetings of professional societies or at institutions or organizations at the national level. A key distinguishing feature of professorship on this track is the emphasis upon wide recognition as a master clinician or leader of an outstanding clinical laboratory or program and promulgation of this expertise to other medical professionals. This supersedes the requirement for continuous generation of traditional scholarly publication of innovative science.

Quality of Care – Candidates may be widely perceived as outstanding Master Clinicians. They should be clearly recognized at the institutional level as leaders within specific clinical areas, and should be actively sought after on an institutional and regional level for expertise; recognition at the national level will be considered a significant strength. A panel of patients that includes other physicians can be a valuable indicator of the high regard that colleagues have for a physician candidate. Novel methods for successfully addressing patient needs, whether on the individual level or programmatically, will be considered. Candidates should be seen as a resource both within and outside the local region for defining quality and standards of practice in their area of expertise. Receiving broad-based referrals and consultations will be important evidence of the high regard shown by peers.

Patient Satisfaction – Physician candidates will be expected to elicit an outstanding level of patient satisfaction. Receiving the highest ratings on patient satisfaction surveys will be considered an important indicator of the candidate's success as a caregiver and communicator, as well as on his/her ability to create a warm and supportive practice atmosphere for patients. The length of time that patients remain in the candidate's practice, with consideration for the nature of the practice, can also be reviewed as a reflection of satisfaction.

Innovation – Candidates must demonstrate an ongoing ability to incorporate the latest standards into the provision of excellent clinical services. Evidence that a candidate has created and nurtured a clinical program known widely for innovation and excellence will be given strong consideration. Patents for new techniques or devices, or adoption of the candidate's techniques or devices by other institutions, will be acknowledged.

Diversity and Inclusion – Leadership and innovation in creating and promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, whether in the home department, the larger health system, and professional societies, will be highly valued. Evidence of such efforts may be illustrated, for example, in recruitment and retention of Underrepresented in Medicine faculty and trainees. Participating in and leading internal and external task forces, work groups and committees that address diversity, equity and inclusion in clinical care and other areas will also be considered as evidence of furthering institutional goals.

Service, Professionalism and Citizenship – Candidates are expected to be consummate professionals who function as leaders in their departments and play prominent roles on committees in the department and health system. Excellence as an administrator of a clinical or teaching program or programs will be valued, as will overseeing, expanding, improving and improving and otherwise enhancing programs.It is expected that candidates for full professor will participate in professional societies and serve on committees and/or in leadership positions in those societies. Providing pro bono clinical care through local, national and international organizations will be considered.

Teaching and Mentoring – Candidates may demonstrate success as role models and mentors to young faculty, students, house staff, fellows or other health professionals within and beyond their primary department and on one or more Mount Sinai Health System campuses; a record of teaching as well as teaching awards can be cited as evidence of excellence in this area. Invitations to lecture and participate in panels at other institutions or organizations, particularly at the national level, can demonstrate broad recognition of one's role as a clinician and teacher. Providing patient education through lectures at community centers or in other settings is expected.

In addition to meeting or exceeding the criteria for associate professors in the Clinical Practice and/or Administrative Leadership Track, candidates who devote substantial time to educational endeavors should show evidence of success such as:

Appointment to an important institutional leadership role in the School, a member hospital or the Mount Sinai Health System, e.g., Associate Dean or Dean for Graduate Medical Education
Dissemination of educational methods and teaching tools beyond the Mount Sinai Health System through:
- Invitations from other institutions to lectures on educational topics;
- Adoption of candidate’s programmatic and educational tools at other institutions;
- Engagement with and accolades from external peers for educational efforts;
- External adoption of candidate’s approaches and methodology;
- Placement of new methods on AAMC MedEdPortal, with metrics on user access;
- Participation in continuing medical education activities within or beyond the home department, including lectures and/or administrative oversight;
- Involvement in professional societies through committee leadership, symposia planning, and/or policy development.

Appointment and Term – Appointment or promotion to Professor is upon recommendation by the Department Chair, with subsequent approval by the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure. The term of appointment is one, two, three, four or five years, at the discretion of the Chair.

Tenure: Tenure is not offered in this track.

Reappointment and Non-Reappointment – The Chair will provide notice of reappointment or non-reappointment.

Reappointment can be one, two, three, four or five years, at the Chair's discretion. Reappointment to a term longer than one year requires review and approval by the Office of the Dean. There is no limit on the number of reappointments permitted.

In the event of non-reappointment, the Chair will provide written notice. The timing of notices of non-reappointment to the full-time faculty is determined by the length of the term of appointment.

Updated March 2021