A great place to start for general questions related to appointments and promotions is the UW School of Medicine faculty appointments and promotions guide. More resources are also available at the bottom of this page including teaching portfolio advice, example peer evaluations, and CV format.
Please note, each department has different processes and requirements for promotions. You may view department criteria here. Please contact your department or division administrator for additional information regarding appointments and promotions for your individual path.
Promotions Workshops
Click each workshop for details. To register for upcoming promotions workshops, visit our events calendar.
Preparing for Your Promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor
September 17, 2024 | 9-11am | Zoom
The Path to Associate Professor by Trish Kritek, MD, EdM
An Overview of the A&P Process at the UW SoM by Sarah Prager, MD, MAS
You may view the recording of this workshop here.
| Register |
April 2, 2025 | 9-11am | Zoom
This workshop offers an overview of promotions and the promotion process for faculty in the School of Medicine, as well as tips from recently promoted faculty. It is relevant for physician scientists, clinician teachers and basic scientists. This program does not cover the promotion process for clinical faculty with annual appointments as this is department specific, but all faculty are welcome to attend.
This event will be recorded, with recording and slides posted to the Faculty Affairs website afterward.
This workshop is not eligible for CME credit.
Past workshop recording and materials
The Path to Associate Professor by Trish Kritek, MD, EdM
An Overview of the A&P Process at the UW SoM by Karen Stout, MD
You may view the recording of this workshop here.
Mid-Career Faculty: You Got Promoted to Associate Professor, Now What?
Past workshop recording and materials
An Overview of the A&P Process at the UW SoM by Karen Stout, MD
Leveraging your time as an associate professor to meet your goals! by Sherilyn Smith, MD, ACC
You may view the recording of this workshop here.
Creating your CV - How to Highlight All You Do
| Register |
January 21, 2025 | 9-11am | Zoom
The UW School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs hosts annual virtual career development workshops. These workshops focus on building skills and sharing tools that faculty can use to advance their careers and promotional opportunities in academic medicine. Current Faculty Career Development workshops focus on two skills critical to faculty advancement; building a strong CV and creating a teaching portfolio.
- Understand the requirements and different CV templates required for annual review and promotion at the SoM and Department level.
- Identify timeline and resources needed to create and maintain a CV on annual basis.
- Create strategies to create a CV that meets requirements for promotion while highlighting faculty work specific to academic medicine.
The University of Washington School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Washington School of Medicine designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
How to Create a Teaching Portfolio
| Register |
March 11, 2025 | 9-10:30am | Zoom
The UW School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs hosts annual virtual career development workshops. These workshops focus on building skills and sharing tools that faculty can use to advance their careers and promotional opportunities in academic medicine. Current Faculty Career Development workshops focus on two skills critical to faculty advancement; building a strong CV and creating a teaching portfolio.
- Understand how the Teaching Portfolio is part of the promotions process but differs from the CV.
- Identify what information to include and emphasize in a Teaching Portfolio.
- Identify and review examples of Teaching Portfolio content beyond teaching and publications such as teaching philosophy statements, educational administration, and other teaching activities.
- Understand and identify Teaching Portfolio requirements for individual based on Department and faculty pathway.
- Identify timeline and resources needed to create and maintain a Teaching Portfolio.
The University of Washington School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Washington School of Medicine designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Past workshop recording and materials
How to Create a Teaching Portfolio slides by Andy Luks, MD
For other materials related to teaching portfolios, visit our teaching skills page.
You may view the 2024 workshop recording here.
Assistant Professor Timeline / Years 1-6
Years 1-2
Appointed as Assistant Professor (initial 3-year term with 3-year renewal)
- Identify mentorship
- Establish primary mentor(s) and establish meeting schedule
- Consider convening Mentoring Committee on an annual basis
- Write an individual development plan (IDP)
- Begin to develop local/regional reputation in research, clinical care or education
- Maintain CV in UW SOM format and update regularly
- Review teaching portfolio requirements
- Develop system to keep track of:
- Speaking engagements/ invited talks
- Evaluations of teaching, mentoring and administrative leadership roles
- Mentoring of trainees
Year 3
Reappointment to Assistant Professor at 3 years in rank
- Working towards independent funding (R01 or equivalent)
- Add to peer-reviewed publications
Years 4-6
Preparing for promotion: Typically not before 4 years in rank. Promotion is mandatory in year 6.
- Confirm components of promotion package and individual responsible for obtaining each item (e.g., self, division head/ department chair, staff)
- Create teaching portfolio (if appropriate)
- Identify individuals both internal and external to the UW to write letters of support
- Steps toward promotion: Timeline varies depending on size and structure of your department. The entire process may take up to 18 months.
- Division faculty vote (in some departments)
- Department faculty vote
- School of Medicine committee vote
- Provost approval
Associate and Professor / Variable Time Frame
Promotion to Associate Professor
- Consider continuation of Mentoring Committee – evaluate and update membership to reflect new status
- Work on establishing regional/ national reputation:
Study section
Invited talks
Editorial boards
Roles in national societies (e.g., committees, leadership roles) - Establish independence as an investigator
- Become a mentor
- Continue to publish with goal of moving from first to senior author
Promotion to Professor
- Continue to expand national/ international reputation:
Study section
Invited talks
Editorial boards
Roles in national societies (e.g., committees, leadership roles) - Build leadership skills and take on new leadership roles
- Expand mentoring and expand mentor role(s)
- Continue to publish/ promote independence of mentees
Additional Promotions Resources
Below are additional resources for updating your CV, department-specific formats and promotions criteria, and peer evaluations.
CV – School of Medicine Format
For information on creating and editing your CV as well as a template for your self-assessment, see the format guidelines below.
Here is the most recent CV format: UW School of Medicine CV format and here is the CV format for courtesy faculty.
The Department of Medicine uses an Augmented CV format. Please check with your department for specific formats.
Self-Assessment
A self-assessment is required for promotion, in addition to your CV.
Here is a template for creating your self-assessment. Your self-assessment should focus on areas that are not adequately explained in your current CV. It is also a place to explain less traditional contributions, any situations you encountered that have made progress difficult and your improvement and growth over time.
A few example self-assessments are included here:
Teaching Portfolio
A teaching portfolio is required for regular faculty (lecturers, assistant professors and associate professors) who are being considered for promotion. The teaching portfolio is a critical document in the promotion review process, particularly at the school and provost levels. The portfolio represents your teaching record and is used to assess the quality and value of teaching and mentoring interactions with students, residents, fellows, practicing physicians, and other professionals.
The teaching portfolio is comprised of the following separate documents:
- Executive Summary of Teaching (optional, recommended for faculty who have major time commitments to teaching as part of their overall academic responsibilities)
- Student Teaching Evaluations (required)
- Peer Teaching Evaluations (required)
How to Create a Teaching Portfolio slides by Andy Luks, MD
You may view the 2024 teaching portfolio workshop recording here.
Writing a Memorable Teaching Philosophy article
Sample teaching philosophy statements
Self-reflection on teaching
Department of Medicine resources
Teaching portfolio guidelines and resources
Clinical peer evaluation form
Teaching peer evaluation form
Research mentor evaluation form
How to create a teaching portfolio
Teaching portfolio outline
Individual Development Plan (IDP)
Below are example teaching portfolios for you to consider as you plan your path to promotion. These were published with permission.
Example teaching portfolio 1
Example teaching portfolio 2
Example teaching portfolio 3
Peer Teaching and Research Mentor Evaluations
Peer teaching and research mentor evaluations are an important component of the promotions process for faculty. Here are some evaluation forms from the Department of Medicine to consider as you complete your evaluations:
Administrative Leadership Evaluation
Clinical Peer Evaluation
Research Mentor Evaluation
Teaching Peer Evaluation
Faculty Appointments & Promotions Guide and Faculty Code
Faculty appointments and promotions, timelines, criteria, pathways, and more can be found in the A&P Guide.
In addition to the A&P guide, you may reference this table for promotion details about all of the faculty tracks and ranks.
For promotion guidelines specific to your department, we encourage you to visit this page.
Section 24-54 of the Faculty Code details procedure for promotions in the School of Medicine.
For Department Administrators looking for more information, please see the Academic Appointments and Compensation site (NetID Protected).
Department Promotions Criteria
Many of the resources you will need to get promoted are specific to your School of Medicine department. Please spend some time reviewing the criteria for your department at this page.
We offer general promotion workshops for those going from assistant to associate professor, as well as associate to full professor, but these events do not cover information specific to individual departments.
Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) Toolkit
This Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) Toolkit is designed to aid early-career faculty, department chairs, and APT committees in recognizing supporting, and rewarding interdisciplinary research and collaboration at the University of Washington, specifically across the Health Science Schools and the College of Engineering. The APT Toolkit provides strategies, templates, and exemplars, including:
- Standardized language and definitions to incorporate into APT criteria
- Goal/Self Advocacy Statement
- Curriculum Vitae highlighting interdisciplinary research efforts
- Promotion Letters
- UW Structures and Policies to aid interdisciplinary research
The APT Toolkit was developed by the Institute for Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) Team Science Core and colleagues. The Toolkit is a living document that will be updated as more information, feedback, and examples of successful promotion and tenure of team science-focused researchers are gathered.
Promotion Clock Extensions Due to COVID-19
As a result of the extraordinary circumstances associated with COVID-19, the University of Washington is offering automatic approval for all faculty who request a waiver for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 academic year to automatically extend their promotion and/or tenure clock by one year.
All faculty with mandatory promotion and/or tenure clocks, who are in the probationary period of their appointment term during the period of winter quarter 2020 to spring quarter 2021 are eligible.
Organizing and Maintaining a Digital Portfolio
This article outlines how to maintain a digital portfolio utilizing reference managers.
AAMC Human Resources Toolkit
The Human Resources Interest Group of the AAMC Group on Business Affairs has developed a pooling of academic medical center-oriented HR resources, such as template job descriptions, policies and draft faculty letters for promotions, offers, administrative appointments and the like. The templates have been consolidated into a standard format, anonymized and put into a Word-accessible format form on the website so you can click, edit, and save. Access the toolkit here.