Career Guidance/Tenure and Promotion

The ACE/DEC meets with all new faculty recruits to orient them to the Department and Faculty of Health Sciences, discuss career goals, opportunities, and strategies, and inform them of faculty development opportunities within the Department, FHS Program for Faculty Development, related conferences and educational resources, as well as graduate and diploma programs. The Tenure and Promotion Criteria and process are also discussed: the recruits are asked to attend at least one of the faculty orientation or tenure and promotion workshops offered through the Program for Faculty Development. Further follow-up meetings are arranged as needed.

The Chair of the Department meets with all full-time faculty members at least once a year (more frequently if necessary) for their annual career review. The faculty’s academic and scholarly clinical work is accessed for their academic contributions and to ensure that they have the necessary support and opportunities for further career advancement. The faculty also meets with the Associate Chair of Education/Department Education Coordinator (ACE/DEC) if further counselling and resources are needed.

Faculty Development

In addition to the faculty development opportunities available through the Program for Faculty Development, one to two faculty development workshops a year have been organized and held for the Department of Anesthesia. These well-attended workshops included sessions on educational leadership, resilience-building, and providing constructive feedback. Further faculty development will focus on the areas of competence-based medical education, leadership, development, and peer-mentorship.

All of the faculty involved in simulation-based teaching at the postgraduate level have obtained their simulation instructor’s certification. We have also recruited a number of new faculty with strong backgrounds in acute and chronic pain, perioperative outcomes, and research methodology. These developments represent a substantial increase in capacity-building in education and research over the past few years.

Several faculty members have also been active in contributing as faculty developers both at the departmental and the Program for Faculty Development levels. They have provided valuable contributions to workshops in problem-based learning, simulation-based education, communication skills, and effective team functioning, as well as providing constructive feedback.

The ACE/DEC and their Tenure and Promotion Coordinator work closely with faculty members to guide and support them during their promotion and tenure application and submission process. The Tenure and Promotion Committee meets at least twice a year in order to review the renewal of appointments and eligibility for promotion of faculty members. The Committee of the Chair of Anesthesia, the Associate Chair of Education/Department Education Coordinator, and three full-time and part-time faculty members (with permission from the registrar)) at the Associate Professor or Professor levels. All full time faculty are reviewed for renewal within three years of their initial appointment and promoted to the Associate Professor level within six years. The ACE/DEC meets regularly with them for guidance regarding the tenure and promotion process.

Clinical (part-time) faculty are assessed for their eligibility for promotion based on years of service and they are accordingly notified in writing by the Chair; if they are interested in pursuing promotion, they are sent information on the promotion criteria and process. They are also asked to submit their updated CV to the Tenure and Promotions Committee in order to assess whether they meet the promotions criteria. If the Tenure and Promotions Committee deems that they can proceed, they meet with the ACE/DEC as described above to move forward with the application process. If they are deemed not ready to proceed, they may also meet with the ACE/DEC for further career guidance and planning for the next tenure and promotion review.