Faculty Affairs
Lawrence Young, MD, Vice Chair, Faculty Affairs
The Department of Internal Medicine Faculty Affairs, led by Vice Chair Lawrence Young, MD, is committed to fostering the successful career development of our faculty. Faculty Affairs oversees new faculty appointments; the faculty mentoring program; and all aspects of the promotions process. Academic fiscal year 2021 (FY21), efforts focused on enhancing the mentoring program; expediting the faculty appointment and promotions process; developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for new faculty recruitment; and revising the voluntary faculty guidelines.
Mentoring Program
The Department of Medicine faculty mentoring program was launched in 2016. Almost all ladder track faculty now participate in the program, which strives to provide ladder track faculty with insight into the opportunities and expectations of an academic career at Yale. The mentoring program provides guidance and feedback on research, clinical program development, education, and professionalism.
Mentoring started at the new faculty orientation in September, when Young introduced the mentoring program; provided career guidance; and explained the metrics for promotion in each of the tracks.
Each junior faculty member selects a mentor and has the option to also assemble a formal mentoring committee. Mentee and mentor(s) meet at least twice a year, and subsequently the mentors, senior faculty and section chiefs review the mentoring progress reports and provide additional feedback. Following this model, a schoolwide mentoring program has started and other departments are using the structure established in the Department of Medicine.
Faculty Appointments/Promotions ![]()
In FY21, the Department of Internal Medicine Appointment and Promotions (A&P) Committee reviewed over 100 faculty applications for promotion, appointment, or reappointment. The Committee is chaired by Young. Committee members include Peter S. Aronson, MD; Lori Bastian, MD, MPH; Richard Bucala, MD, PhD; Gary V. Désir, MD, Auguste Fortin, VI, MD, MPH; Rachel Lampert, MD; Richard Marottoli, MD, MPH; Vahid Mohsenin, MD; Deborah Proctor, MD; Carrie Redlich, MD, MPH; and Michal Rose, MD.
In FY21, the A&P Committee recommended approval of 40 promotions and new appointments for Department of Medicine faculty, all of whom were approved by the senior/tenured faculty of the department, and subsequently by Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and the university.
Ten faculty were promoted or appointed to the rank of professor, including:
- Benjamin Doolittle, MD, MDiv, clinician-educator track
- Lloyd Friedman, MD, clinical track
- Shuta Ishibe, MD, traditional track
- Yasuko Iwakiri, PhD, investigator track
- Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, clinician-scientist track
- Margaret Pisani, MD, MPH, clinician-educator track
- Deborah Rhodes, MD, clinician-educator track
- Tamar Taddei, MD, clinician-educator track
- Li Wen, MD, PhD, investigator track
- Klar Yaggi, MD, clinician-scientist track
21 faculty were promoted or appointed to associate professor:
- 11 clinician-educators
- Six clinical faculty
- Three clinician-scientists
- One investigator
The ladder track promotions and new appointments included 6 women and 4 men at the professor rank; 11 women and 10 men at the associate professor rank; including four underrepresented in medicine faculty members.
There were also 68 ladder track reappointments approved at the assistant and associate professor ranks, as required at the end of their three- and five-year terms respectively.
Faculty Affairs developed and implemented a new and accelerated timeline for its review of fiscal year 2022 appointment and promotion applications. The A&P Committee meets weekly throughout much of the year. It performs initial evaluations during the summer; reviews referee letters for each application for promotion or appointment in the fall; and issues final recommendations to the senior/tenured faculty prior to formal department voting scheduled in the early winter. The goal is to achieve earlier submission of final materials to the YSM committee so that faculty will receive final notification on their applications before the end of the academic year.
Voluntary Faculty Guidelines
The voluntary faculty guidelines were revised this year by a voluntary faculty committee directed by Young in conjunction with Adam Mayerson, MD, associate chief, community & voluntary faculty, with the goal of updating the requirements for promotion and appointment in the voluntary faculty to achieve better alignment with the recently established clinical track. The committee included Barry Wu, MD; Bastian; Proctor; and Laura Whitley. Additional input was provided by Silvio Inzucchi, MD, director of the Affiliated Hospital Program; and Steve Huot, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for Graduate Medical Education (YSM) and prior chair of the voluntary faculty committee. The new guidelines emphasize the requirement for excellence in education and dedication to teaching as role models for Yale trainees and students. In accordance with the clinical track policies, the requirement for publications was removed. Promotion in the voluntary faculty requires regional recognition for clinical excellence and teaching at the associate professor level; and national recognition as an outstanding physician and educator at the professor level. The guidelines were revised for clarification of the ranks, letter requirements, definitions of appropriate referees, and expectations for reappointment and promotion. The finalized guidelines were distributed to the faculty and departmental leadership, and were also posted on the YSM Office of Academic and Professional Development’s voluntary faculty website.
Faculty Search Standard Operating Procedure
Faculty Affairs developed a detailed SOP for the recruitment and hiring of new faculty members. The goal of the SOP is to provide a clear, standardized, and equitable protocol compliant with university policies governing the submission of applications, evaluation of candidates, and offering of positions. These policies exist to guide and foster recruitment of outstanding and diverse faculty to the department. The SOP defines standard procedures for requesting approval of a position; posting and publicizing the position; evaluating applicants by the faculty search committee; and ultimately for recruitment and credentialing. The SOP provides a flow diagram with detailed instructions to assist section chiefs, program leaders, human resources staff, and faculty search committee members to recruit new faculty to the department in compliance with Yale University policies.
Faculty Affairs Team Updates
In February 2021, Laura Whitley was promoted to Manager of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Medicine. Mansi Ahuja joined the team as a new senior administrative assistant. Ahuja and Catherine Severino provide support for Whitley in managing faculty A&P applications, faculty leave of absences, and voluntary faculty appointments; and serve as resources for faculty affairs matters across the department.
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