Does being a clerkship director benefit academic career advancement: results of a national survey.
BACKGROUND
Changes in academic medicine have left clerkship directors (CDs) anxious about their career pathway, because clerkship administrative efforts may detract from other activities.


OBJECTIVE
The Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) asked members about benefits of being a CD or CDIM membership toward career development.


METHODS
Responses were on 1-5 Likert scales with 5 (strongly agree). Background and demographic issues were analyzed for associations with the career benefits statements.


RESULTS
The response rate was 75% (n = 92). Mean agreement with CD benefit was 4.2 (SD = 0.82) and CDIM membership 3.8 (SD = 0.95). Eighty-one percent and 58% of CDs agreed with the respective statements. Significant predictors of CD benefit were CD and coordinator salary support, years as CD, and receiving a university teaching award. Structured discussions of expectations strongly predicted perceiving CDIM benefit.


CONCLUSIONS
Most CDs agreed that their CD role and CDIM benefited their careers. Salary support and clearly defining expectations may increase the likelihood of perceiving benefit.
Elnicki
D Michael
DM
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. elnickim@msx.upmc.edu
Hemmer
Paul A
PA
Udden
Mark M
MM
Wong
Raymond
R
Hefner
Jaye
J
Battistone
Michael
M
Albritton
T Andrew
TA
Griffith
Charles H
CH
D000328:Adult; D001319:Authorship; D001363:Awards and Prizes; D002170:Canada; D002322:Career Mobility; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D008486:Physician Executives / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010819:Physician's Role; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States