Other Titles

The Instructor role is defined primarily by engagement in mentored research and scholarly activities that advance clinical medicine. Secondary and tertiary roles may involve teaching activities and clinical care, as applicable. The academic title and classification of Instructor was established to acknowledge individuals who demonstrate interest in and the potential for a successful academic career in investigation, teaching, and clinical care (as applicable), and to aid in the transition from training to a path that may lead to a faculty career in academic medicine. There is no expectation of a Stanford professorial appointment following an Instructor appointment. More detailed information about Instructors can be found in the School of Medicine Faculty Handbook.

Instructor or Instructor (Affiliated)?

Instructors are salaried employees of Stanford University, classified as exempt staff.

Instructor (Affiliated) is an academic title only, rather than an employment category (in PeopleSoft terms, a "non-employee affiliate" or "person of interest").  An Instructor (Affiliated) is employed by another institution with which the School of Medicine, Stanford Hospitals and Clinics and/or Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital has an affiliation agreement.

Process: Appointment of Instructor and Instructor (Affiliated)

1. Review Required Documents. A list of guidelines and reminders for assembling packets may be found here: Instructor/Clinical Scholar File Review Reminders.

2. Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in a single file:

• Completed Instructor Appointment Checklist
• Transmittal Memo to Vice Dean
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Three letters of evaluation (A minimum of 1 must be from a person affiliated with the candidate’s current institution and a minimum of 1 must be from a person external to the candidate’s current institution)
• If applicable, Notice of Award
• If applicable, CA medical license information from www.breeze.ca.gov
• If applicable, Practice Policy Exemption Request

NOTE: Paid appointments will be contingent upon evidence of successful background check. This check cannot be initiated until after written conditional offer has been extended and received by the candidate. Current employees may be exempt from this requirement. Contact OAA for information.

Attach to FASA transaction as separate files:

• Draft Offer Letter (Instructor) or Letter of Invitation (Instructor Affiliated) in Word format
• Personnel Action Form (PAF)

Process: Reappointment of Instructor and Instructor (Affiliated)

1. Review Required Documents

2. Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in a single file:

• Completed Instructor Reappointment Checklist
• Transmittal Memo to Vice Dean
• FARM Person History
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Two letters of evaluation
• Teaching Evaluations or three or more letters from current trainees
• If applicable, three Clinical Excellence Surveys from a mix of evaluator types
• If applicable, Notice of Award
• If applicable, Practice Policy Exemption Request

Attach to FASA transaction as separate files:

• Draft Offer Letter (Instructor) or Letter of Invitation (Instructor Affiliated) in Word format
• Personnel Action Form (PAF)

Process: Extension of Appointment (up to 6 months) for Instructor and Instructor (Affiliated)

Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in a single file:

• Completed Checklist
• Transmittal Memo to the Vice Dean
• FARM Person History
• If applicable, document confirming candidate’s departure (resignation letter or communication from chair/chief)

Process: Change to Appointment for Instructor and Instructor (Affiliated)

Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in a single file:

• Completed Checklist
• Transmittal Memo to the Vice Dean
• FARM Person History
• If applicable, Practice Policy Exemption Request

Attach to FASA transaction as separate files (if applicable):

• Draft Offer Addendum (Changes in FTE) or Letter of Invitation (Instructor Affiliated) in Word format
• Personnel Action Form (PAF)

The Adjunct Clinical Faculty (ACF) are physicians and certain other health professionals appointed by the department chairs in clinical departments for the purpose of participation on a voluntary, unpaid, part-time basis in the academic programs of the departments, usually in the role of teacher.

Members of the Adjunct Clinical Faculty are generally expected to make a contribution to teaching or other academic activities approximately equivalent to 100 hours per year.

More detail about Adjunct Clinical Faculty can be found in the School of Medicine Faculty Handbook.

Adjunct Clinical Faculty are appointed and reappointed via FASA.

Process: Appointment of Adjunct Clinical Faculty

Appointment ranks, terms and qualifications:

Adjunct Clinical Instructor
• Maximum term 3 years
• Completion of residency and fellowship training
• High level of performance during training

Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor
• Term of 4 years
• Outstanding professional qualifications

Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor
• Term of 5 years
• Regional prominence

Adjunct Clinical Professor
• Term of 5 years
• National prominence

Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in one file:

• Completed Appointment Checklist
• Transmittal memo to the Vice Dean
• FARM person history, if candidate held a previous appointment at the School
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Specialty Board Certification for clinicians above the rank of Adjunct Clinical Instructor
• Three letters of evaluation (solicitation letter template)
• Aggregate Teaching Evaluations, if candidate held a previous appointment at the School
• California Professional License to Practice form (https://search.dca.ca.gov)
• Draft Letter of Invitation

Process: Reappointment of Adjunct Clinical Faculty

Reappointment ranks, terms and qualifications:

Adjunct Clinical Instructor
• Reappoint up to three years
• Evaluation of the requirements of the academic programs (including programmatic need) and must be based on evidence of continued excellent performance

Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor
• Reappoint for six years
• Evaluation of the requirements of the academic programs (including programmatic need) and must be based on evidence of continued excellent performance

Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor
• Reappoint for five years
• Evaluation of the requirements of the academic programs (including programmatic need) and must be based on evidence of continued excellent performance

Adjunct Clinical Professor
• Reappoint for a continuing term, unless otherwise expressly specified for a term of years
• Evaluation of the requirements of the academic programs (including programmatic need) and must be based on evidence of continued excellent performance

Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in one file:

• Completed Reappointment Checklist
• Transmittal memo to the Vice Dean
• FARM person history
• California Professional License to Practice form (https://search.dca.ca.gov)
• Draft Letter of Invitation

Process: Promotion of Adjunct Clinical Faculty

Promotion terms and qualifications:

Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor
• Promote for four years
• Evidence of progress
• High level of performance

Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor
• Promote for five years
• Outstanding performance
• Regional prominence

Adjunct Clinical Professor
• Promote for a continuing term
• Superior performance
• National prominence

Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in one file:

• Completed Promotion Checklist
• Transmittal memo to the Vice Dean
• FARM person history
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Specialty Board Certification for clinicians
• Three letters of evaluation (solicitation letter template)
• Aggregate Teaching Evaluations
• California Professional License to Practice form (https://search.dca.ca.gov)
• Draft Letter of Invitation

Process: Transition to Emeritus of Adjunct Clinical Faculty

Requirement for Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus or Emerita:
• Thirty consecutive years of service on the Adjunct Clinical Faculty
• Must be at the rank of Adjunct Clinical Professor at the time of the request

Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor job group) in one file:

• Completed Emeritus Checklist
• Transmittal memo to the Vice Dean
• FARM person history
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Clinical Scholars: Concurrent Appointment

A concurrent part time Clinical Scholar appointment for a non-ACGME Resident or Fellow will allow an individual to provide clinical care or clinical teaching, or both, outside the scope of their residency or fellowship training program.  

The FTE associated with the Clinical Scholar appointment, added to the FTE for the concurrent appointment as a Fellow, Postdoctoral Scholar, or Resident, must equal no more than 100%. For example, they might have a Clinical Scholar appointment at 20% FTE and an oncology fellowship at 80% FTE.

Requirements for concurrent appointments:

• The transmittal memo must state the FTE’s associated with both appointments.
• The transmittal memo must state whether the appointment is through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) or the office of Graduate Medical Education (GME).
  • OPA: use the OPA/Clinical Scholar offer letter template
  • GME: use the GME/Clinical Scholar offer letter template
• The duties of the Clinical Scholar appointment must be separate and distinct from the duties of the fellowship/residency; both sets of duties must be described.
  • Include Clinical Scholar duties on the FASA form.
  • OPA: include concurrent appointment (residency/fellowship) duties in the concurrent offer letter
  • GME: include concurrent appointment duties in the fellowship section on the FASA form.
• GME: need confirmation (email or contract) from GME of FTE and dates.

Process: Appointment of Clinical Scholar

1. Review Required Documents. A list of guidelines and reminders for assembling packets may be found here: Instructor/Clinical Scholar File Review Reminders.

2. Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor/Clinical Scholar job group) in a single file:

• Completed Clinical Scholar Appointment Checklist
• Transmittal Memo to Vice Dean
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• One letter of evaluation (from referee at candidate’s current institution)
• CA medical license information from www.breeze.ca.gov
• If GME concurrent appointment, confirmation of approval from GME (email or contract) including FTE and dates of GME appointment.
• If applicable, Practice Policy Exemption Request

Attach to FASA transaction as separate files:

• Draft Offer Letter in Word format
  
  • Clinical Scholar (GME): draft offer letter
  • Clinical Scholar (OPA): draft concurrent offer letter
• Personnel Action Form (PAF)

Process: Reappointment of Clinical Scholar

1. Review Required Documents

2. Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor/Clinical Scholar job group) in a single file:

• Completed Clinical Scholar Reappointment Checklist
• Transmittal Memo to Vice Dean
• FARM Person History
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Teaching Evaluations (since last review).  If standardized teaching evaluations are not available, trainee letters are not required.
• Clinical Excellence Surveys (3 responses from a mix of evaluator types)
• If applicable, Practice Policy Exemption Request

Attach to FASA transaction as separate files:

• Draft Offer Letter in Word format
  • Changes in FTE: Addendum - FTE Change
  • Changes to salary or duties only: Addendum - Other than FTE Changes
• Personnel Action Form (PAF)

Process: Extension of Appointment (up to 6 months) for Clinical Scholar

Submit via FASA (under CE/ACF/Instructor/Clinical Scholar job group) in a single file:

• Completed Clinical Scholar Checklist
• Transmittal Memo to the Vice Dean
• FARM Person History
• If applicable, document confirming candidate’s departure (resignation letter or communication from chair/chief)