Enrich the Life of Our Faculty with Diversity and Flexibility

Enriching the life of Penn Medicine's faculty is an important area of the strategic plan. Within this area are three specific initiatives:

Promote diversity and inclusion

We have made steady progress, but there is much more to be accomplished to maximize our societal impact. Today, 33 percent of Penn School of Medicine faculty members are women and 5 percent are from groups traditionally underrepresented in medicine and biomedical research. As outlined in Perelman School of Medicine diversity plan, we are committed to a faculty in the future that is even more representative of our diverse society. We will recruit a Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion to lead our efforts to further enrich the academic environment and will have the authority and resources necessary to achieve these goals.

Implement novel approaches for recruitment and retention of impactful people

• New search processes for high impact scientists. We will strengthen interdisciplinary recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty members through collaboration by our senior faculty leaders to identify recruitment needs, combine resources to attract high-caliber faculty members with strong interdisciplinary records, and implement the highest standards for academic advancement.
• Master clinician and educator program. Building on our experience with the I.S. Ravdin Master Clinician Award (given to "doctors' doctors" and exceptional patient advocates), we will identify, recognize, and support junior and senior faculty master clinicians in a variety of ways, including grants, mentoring, and facility support. The goal is to greatly expand this group, reflecting the high level of clinical excellence practiced at Penn Medicine.
• Pipeline programs for physician scientists. We will establish a new initiative to train, recruit, and support a stronger and more cohesive community of research-oriented MD, MD/MS, and MD-PhD trainees with exposure to and expertise in the parallel disciplines of science and medicine.

Enhance pathways for career evolution

• Align faculty track structure to support missions and faculty success. We will make a broad new commitment to clarify the alignment of faculty tracks with career goals and support flexibility throughout faculty careers, including retraining opportunities and selective track changes for outstanding faculty members. As part of this effort we will work with the University to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of current faculty track structures and criteria for reappointment and promotion.
• Metrics for collaboration, mentoring, community engagement. We will develop new metrics for collaboration, mentoring, and community engagement to be incorporated into the faculty evaluation and promotion process.
• Programs to support work-life balance. We will add programs to support faculty success and work life, such as on-campus childcare services for the Penn Medicine community. Future buildings and renovation projects will recognize the increasing need for collaborative spaces.
• Departmental leaders for mentoring and professional development. Support for junior faculty members should be considered strategic investments and academic success will be valued as a substantial and measurable return on investment by Penn Medicine. To assure faculty success, we will improve career development and performance evaluation efforts at all levels, and offer competitive grants for research to faculty members regarded as the most promising in the field.