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Question of the Week: Does the decline of tenure in med schools threaten academic freedom?

  • 1.  Question of the Week: Does the decline of tenure in med schools threaten academic freedom?

    Posted 04-29-2024 10:23:00 AM

    Faculty tenure is declining at US medical schools. According to a recent analysis in Academic Medicine, the percentage of full-time PhD faculty who were tenured or in tenure-track positions in basic science departments decreased from 78% in 1982 to 64% in 2022. In that same period, the percentage of full-time basic science faculty with non-tenure-track appointments nearly doubled from 17% to 32%. Similarly, clinical faculty appointments to tenured positions fell from 59% in 1982 to 18% in 2022.

    Could this threaten academic freedom? Are there new ways to protect faculty from institutional and political retribution? How can academic institutions compete with private industry?

    @Bridget Balch seeks answers to these questions for AAMCNews.

    We want to hear from you. Reply here to this post. What are your thoughts on the status of faculty tenure in academic medicine?



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    Nicole Buckley
    Communications Strategist
    Association of American Medical Colleges
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  • 2.  RE: Question of the Week: Does the decline of tenure in med schools threaten academic freedom?

    Posted 06-24-2024 03:00:00 PM

    FYI for folks in this community who might be interested in this topic. AAMC Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation @William Mallon was recently a guest on the Johns Hopkins Medicine Faculty Factory Podcast to discuss the issue of faculty tenure. You can listen to Bill's interview here.



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    Nicole Buckley
    Communications Strategist
    Association of American Medical Colleges
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  • 3.  RE: Question of the Week: Does the decline of tenure in med schools threaten academic freedom?

    Posted 06-25-2024 12:24:00 PM

    Our clinicians are advised that tenure is not needed, so very few of them start on the tenure track. Except surgeons, for some reason.



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    Carolyn Pointer
    Associate Professor
    Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
    cpointer49@siumed.edu

    Opinions my own.
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