title: Medical school research intensity and academic rank of family medicine faculty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Family medicine research productivity has been reported to be less than that of other academic disciplines. This difference could be reflected in academic success for family medicine faculty at schools where National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in emphasized. This study sought to determine if academic rank for family medicine faculty was different at schools with higher NIH funding compared to those with less funding.
  
  
  METHODS
  From the latest available list of NIH funding by institution, we selected 10 medical schools each from the higher, middle, and lowest tertile of overall funding (30 total schools). Using departmental web sites, we compared the percentage of family medicine faculty at assistant, associate, and professor rankings with those of other generalist divisions and two other sample departments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of faculty ranks for family medicine faculty does not differ based on the level of NIH funding of the school. When compared to other disciplines, family medicine faculty were less likely to be at advanced ranks compared to some disciplines (neurology) but more likely than in others (general internal medicine).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of NIH funding does not appear to be a predictor of success at achieving higher faculty ranks for family medicine faculty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hueston
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Benich
authors.forename: Natalie J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Christian
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006176:Gynecology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D009462:Neurology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000191:economics; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States