Characteristics of Clerkship Directors and the Benefits and Challenges of the Role: A CERA Study

Prior research showed that many clerkship directors (CDs) felt that the role benefited their careers but lacked adequate protected time and administrative support. Given family medicine faculty demographics, women are overrepresented in this role, while Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous faculty are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and as CDs. Here we explore characteristics of US CDs and perceived benefits and challenges of the role.

We included 10 questions about CD time allocation and role perceptions in the 2024 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance survey of CDs.

Forty-eight percent (76/158) of CDs were eligible for analysis, of which 57% (46/76) were women and 9% (7/76) were URiM. These US CDs reported that the role increased prospects for promotion (86%) and attaining professional goals (93%); only 33% felt that the role increased compensation. Multivariate analysis showed years as CD increased the odds of academic promotion. CDs reported 1.5 days per week protected time but spent 2 days per week for the role; women spent more time than men (P = 0.04). Only one-third had any protected scholarship time, with women having less time than men (P = 0.02). Women CDs served half as many years as men (P = 0.01).

CDs valued the role for promotion and career advancement. However, they felt inadequately compensated and reported insufficient time for the role and for scholarship. Given the importance of clerkships for recruiting students into family medicine, it is critical to ensure adequate protected time, scholarship time, and commensurate compensation to attract and retain excellent faculty for the CD role.