Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
How Competitive are Tenure-track Academic Positions?
#1
I would assume that looking for faculty positions as a functional is a bit different because the number of candidates is far less than, say, internal medicine. There's also a big incentive for private practice over academia. Is tenure still outrageously competitive?
Reply
#2
OP here - while I am interested in functional, I’d like to reframe my question for all of NSGY: are tenure-track positions easier to come by as a neurosurgeon (compared to IM or a PhD scientist)? At the same time, is it more difficult to secure >50% protected time for research, since clinical time generates more $$ for a hospital/university?
Reply
#3
Why do you want tenure? It doesn't carry the same weight as it does in true academia and it doesn't protect your job as a neurosurgeon even if it (somewhat) protects your academic title if achieved. Would you really stay at an institution with tenure if you lost 80% of your salary as a physician? They're separate paychecks basically. Every department has a different cut off but definitely the cut offs are lower than in non-clinical tracts. Get an RO1 or some other major achievement and you probably can get tenure at most neurosurgery programs. I'm sure the cut off is higher at some of the higher end academic programs vs others. Tenure tract doesn't directly have to do with research protected time. I'm tenure tract and did not request protected research days. One of my colleagues is also tenure tract and has two lab days and a basic science lab. My contract has more opportunity for me to do outreach, practice building, teaching, and moonlighting than my colleagues. Depends on what you want and what they will give you. I know a guy who wanted 70% research time and he got it because the hospital system had room for a research but not for another full time neurosurgeon. It really comes down to getting that sort of thing carved out in your initial contract and keeping it there more than getting tenure.
Reply
#4
Tenure TRACK
Reply
#5
(10-14-2020, 02:56 PM)Guest Wrote: Why do you want tenure? It doesn't carry the same weight as it does in true academia and it doesn't protect your job as a neurosurgeon even if it (somewhat) protects your academic title if achieved.

This is spot on. Tenure itself is a nebulous concept in surgical specialties. Depending on the department there can be varied responsibilities based on title (assistant/associate/full professor). This could be related to pay, call, or clinical load. It's common that the more senior you are, the less trauma/general call you take. Getting there is related to research output or academic standing (how big a deal you are in organized neurosurgery).

The goal should be to get as much of what you want on the first contract (for functional this is protected research time). Many people then use lateral moves to other departments to upgrade some aspects or to jump up the academic ladder (to a better department or to a PD/chair job).
Reply
#6
Excellent insight, thanks. Is $400-600k remotely possible for Functional w/ elective spine and ~50% protect time in academia?
Reply
#7
(10-16-2020, 10:54 PM)Guest Wrote: Excellent insight, thanks. Is $400-600k remotely possible for Functional w/ elective spine and ~50% protect time in academia?


Senior resident here. The above responses are accurate descriptions of the subspecialty. If you are interested in academic functional neurosurgery with significant protected research time, then you should expect to be paid less than your colleagues who are more productive clinically. Compensation is unique in every circumstance so it is hard to generalize or even compare. Getting paid more in a less-ideal academic position my not be the best for your career development than getting paid less in a highly supportive department (i.e. helpful senior mentors). 
You should think about what your career goals are. Do you want to be a great surgeon? or a productive researcher? You can definitely aim to be both, but you must realize and be okay with not being the best at either. Additionally, you cannot expect to be excellent in everything professionally and have a balanced family life.
Reply
#8
(10-21-2020, 08:26 PM)AnonEMouse Wrote:
(10-16-2020, 10:54 PM)Guest Wrote: Excellent insight, thanks. Is $400-600k remotely possible for Functional w/ elective spine and ~50% protect time in academia?


Senior resident here. The above responses are accurate descriptions of the subspecialty. If you are interested in academic functional neurosurgery with significant protected research time, then you should expect to be paid less than your colleagues who are more productive clinically. Compensation is unique in every circumstance so it is hard to generalize or even compare. Getting paid more in a less-ideal academic position my not be the best for your career development than getting paid less in a highly supportive department (i.e. helpful senior mentors). 
You should think about what your career goals are. Do you want to be a great surgeon? or a productive researcher? You can definitely aim to be both, but you must realize and be okay with not being the best at either. Additionally, you cannot expect to be excellent in everything professionally and have a balanced family life.

Is there a list of the highest volume DBS centers in the country somewhere?
Reply
#9
Talk with the reps in the room next time you're doing a case. The historically high volume places are UCSF (Starr/Larson), Emory (Gross), Toronto (Lozano & co.), OHSU (Burchiel). There are some other places with decent volume like Stanford (Halpern) and UF (Foote) that are building up steam. Anything over 40/yr is reasonable, and top 10 starts around 70-80/yr (including the private practice guys). Highest I've heard of is Toronto where they claim to do upwards of 140-150/yr. This list is by no means exhaustive.

My sources are reps from all three major companies (Medtronic, Boston, Abbott), as well as reps for robots, BrainLab, etc. at WSSFN/ASSFN.
Reply
#10
Pilitsis at Albany at one point was very productive both operatively and academically
Reply


[-]
Quick Reply
Message
Type your reply to this message here.

Image Verification
Please enter the text contained within the image into the text box below it. This process is used to prevent automated spam bots.
Image Verification
(case insensitive)

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)