Faculty promotion and publication rates in family medicine: 1981 versus 1989

The purpose of this study was to compare academic promotion success in a cohort of full-time academic family medicine faculty nominated for promotion in university-based programs during the 1988-1989 academic year to 74 faculty nominees from a 1981 study.

Responses were received from 97 of 122 chairs (80% response). Thirty-two schools reported on their 46 nominees.

In comparison to 1981, the likelihood of achieving academic promotion increased from 65% to 88% for all nominees, from 58% to 85% for candidates for associate professor, from 68% to 89% for physicians, and from 36% to 80% for faculty from public schools with low research support. All female nominees were promoted. Physicians nominated for assistant professor averaged 2.7 publications; for associate professor, 6.7; and for full professor, 13.8. For the 26 faculty nominated for associate professor: nominees from public institutions with high research and development funding had the most publications per year; nominees from programs in the Midwest and West wrote the most articles; and promoted nominees with PhD/EdD degrees wrote twice as many journal articles as MD/DO nominees.

The 46 nominees in 1989 represent a considerable decline from the 74 in 1981. The likelihood of achieving academic promotion increased significantly; successful nominees wrote 60% more articles than those denied promotion.