Career tracks in academic family medicine: issues and approaches

There are a number of possible career tracks available to individuals interested in full-time teaching in either community-based family practice residency programs or medical school departments of family medicine. These include various kinds of experience in residency an fellowship training and clinical practice. Full-time faculty may be involved in any of four major areas: patient care, teaching, research, and administration. The balance of an individual's responsibilities in each of these areas varies considerably based upon the teaching setting and the individual's strengths, interests, and career stage. Continued personal growth and career development of faculty of the joint responsibility of individual faculty members and directors of chairman of residency programs and departments. Diversity is required among family practice faculty in order for the multiple needs of academic family medicine to be effectively addressed in patient care, teaching, and research. The first generation of family practice faculty have been principally clinicians, teachers, and administrators. There is now a particular need for faculty who can integrate clinical, teaching, and research skills.