Article Abstract:
The full-time faculty system in medical schools, made possible by philanthropists and government support, was largely responsible for the dramatic growth of clinical research during the past hundred years. Today, this system is being undermined by pressure on faculty members to generate revenue for their institutions from clinical practice. This threatens clinical research. The origins, particularly the Germanic traditions, of the full-time concept are reviewed. At Johns Hopkins University, John D. Rockefeller's support during a critical period was instrumental in furthering the concept of research faculty. The people and arguments that shaped Johns Hopkins at the turn of the century are described in detail. Clinical research, the goal of the full-time system, faces many challenges, especially financial. Money is as important to the solution now as it was when the system was being established. Faculty cannot devote enough time to traditional academic responsibilities of teaching and research, as well as patient care, if they must also be concerned with income generation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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Article Abstract:
The salaries of some medical school faculty are not keeping pace with inflation. Between 1988 and 1998, the actual median clinical faculty salary increased from $101,000 to $150,000, and the actual median basic science faculty salary increased from $52,000 to $78,000. However, after adjusting for inflation, clinical faculty salaries decreased and basic science faculty salaries increased.
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Article Abstract:
Minority faculty members at US medical schools are not promoted as often as white faculty members. This was the conclusion of researchers who analyzed promotion rates among 50,145 full-time US medical school faculty who became assistant professors or associate professors between 1980 and 1989.
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