Appointment to the OHSU Department of Dermatology clinical faculty is an honor bestowed to acknowledge ongoing contributions to help the university and the department accomplish their missions. Clinical faculty members (also referenced as volunteer faculty members) are individuals with faculty appointments who are either not employed by OHSU or the Portland VA Hospital, or are employed at less than 0.5 FTE. Appointment as a clinical faculty member bestows both privileges and responsibilities, as outlined below.

To be eligible for active volunteer faculty appointment with OHSU a physician must have an unrestricted license to practice medicine in a state in the Northwest, be board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, be engaged in full or part-time practice as a dermatologist in the community (or retired), and agree to further the mission of the Department of Dermatology by fulfilling the expectations outlined below.


Faculty appointments will be reviewed every year through a self reporting process and may be continued or terminated based on performance expectations. Active participation in the department activities as listed below will be required for advancement and/or reappointment. A minimum of 8 hours of active participation per academic year (or equivalent support) will be required for appointment/re-appointment (existing clinical faculty members will be granted a grace period if needed to reorganize his/her schedule).

The following activities are available for clinical faculty members to support our educational mission. A combination of activities may be used to add up to 8 hours in an academic year. Preparation time has been taken into account and is included. For example, one month of moderating morphology would meet the minimum requirements for appointment.

• Moderating morphology sessions (2 hours)
• Leading 2 "unknown" and/or other educational sessions (4 hours)
• Attending and/or bringing a patient(s) to morphology sessions (1 hour)
• Attending/staffing VA or Kaiser clinics (4 hours)
• Other clinical/research collaborations that support resident education

In addition to the above hours requirement, clinical faculty members are expected to:

1. Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to lifelong learning in dermatology by meeting the continuing education standards set by the American Board of Dermatology or its equivalent.
2. Exhibit appropriate moral and ethical conduct at all times.
3. Complete tasks in a timely manner as assigned by the department, such as resident evaluation, surveys, application for medical staff privileges (if appropriate), and administrative paperwork.

Along with having expectations as a volunteer faculty member, you will receive the following benefits in return:

1. The department will keep each volunteer faculty member informed about current activities and events.
2. The department will provide opportunities to participate in continuing medical education, including weekly grand rounds throughout the year.
3. The department will provide opportunities to mentor current residents in the dermatology residency program, and to help shape their development as practicing dermatologists.
4. The department will provide access to the School of Medicine library at OHSU, which includes a vast number of resources that you may utilize for your professional development.

Each year, a clinical faculty program committee will be appointed by the Department Chair to review participants for promotion. The committee will consist of appointed department faculty members, one active clinical faculty member and one emeritus clinical faculty member. Dermatologists with OHSU Hospital privileges must maintain clinical faculty appointments.

Clinical faculty appointments will be ranked as follows:

1. Clinical instructor - Candidate has fulfilled the qualifications for certification by the American Board of Dermatology and has less than two years of teaching experience.
2. Clinical assistant professor - Volunteer faculty member has actively participated and met the criteria for reappointment as the clinical instructor and has two or more years of training or experience on a medical school faculty (clinical or full-time) or comparable teaching experience. Unusual circumstances could be taken into account such as: fellowship training, scholarly achievement in the form of publications, or prominence in scientific societies or a physician who has not qualified for certification by the American Board of Dermatology or its equivalent due to circumstances unrelated to professional competence and experience.
3. Clinical associate professor - Volunteer faculty member has actively participated and met the criteria for reappointment at the assistant clinical professor level for five years. The individual has achieved stature among his or her peers through publications, teaching, or participation in dermatology organizations or a combination thereof.
4. Clinical professor - This rank is reserved for those who have achieved distinction in the field of dermatology, either on a state or national level. The individual has actively participated at the Associate Clinical Professor level for at least five years. Promotion to this rank, therefore, is made on the basis of major contributions and service over the years.
5. Clinical (ending rank) emeritus - Retired physicians who have provided substantive support to the program throughout the years will be granted emeritus status as determined by the clinical faculty program committee.

The prefix "clinical" may be replaced by "adjunct" when appropriate. The term "adjunct" is used when the faculty member is in a situation whereby consideration for promotion cannot be made by the usual standards of the primary faculty. Typically, this may occur when the faculty member is paid and is less than 0.5 FTE or when the faculty member is a full-time employee of an affiliate institution and the usual standards for promotion are not appropriate.

Please note: Attending ODS meetings does not count toward the above requirements. Additionally, OHSU's academic year will be the beginning and end points for the program: July 1 - June 30.

• Active clinical faculty
• Community faculty teaching award