3.3.A. Standards of Excellence, Acceptable or Unacceptable Performance

In determining excellence in the overall mix of contributions, the following definitions should be used as a general guide:

Excellence is defined as achieving a level of distinction that is consistent with the high standards of Stanford University and the mission of the School of Medicine, that is, to be a premier research-intensive medical school that improves health through leadership, diversity and collaborative approach to discovery and innovation in patient care, education and research.

School of Medicine expectations for acceptable performance will typically be understood to be less than excellence (as described above), but to exceed the basic professional competence standards of the general clinical and scholarly communities.  Areas where performance is found to be acceptable, but with room for improvement, should receive appropriate attention through discussions with the candidate or through the counseling memorandum that is part of the reappointment or promotion review process.

Unacceptable performance denotes a quality of activity that is below the standard for acceptable performance expected of a Stanford Clinician Educator.  In rare instances, such a situation may be mitigated if, in the opinion of reviewing bodies (informed by compelling evidence), the unacceptable performance is predicted to improve significantly through the counseling process.