Academy of Clinician Scholars
University of California, San Diego Health Sciences
Modifications proposed November 10, 2021, Adopted January 10, 2022
Mission Statement
The UC San Diego Health Sciences Academy of Clinician Scholars (AoCS) is the body of distinguished faculty recognized by their peers for exceptional clinical skills, their commitment to patient care, medical education, and the advancement of new medical knowledge. The Academy creates a legacy of excellent healthcare delivery by fostering the continuous professional development of UC San Diego’s clinician scholars.
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of this body shall be the UC San Diego Health Sciences Academy of Clinician Scholars.
ARTICLE II. Purpose
The purpose of the Academy of Clinician Scholars is to promote clinical scholarship, to enhance clinical excellence in healthcare delivery, and to strengthen the ranks of outstanding clinician scholars at UC San Diego by:
• Recognizing and rewarding UC San Diego Health Sciences faculty who have achieved the status of outstanding clinician scholar;
• Providing funds for continuous career development of the clinically active faculty;
• Serving as a voice for the interests of the clinical faculty at large;
• Nurturing a sense of community among clinicians;
• Promoting the mentoring role of the faculty;
• Providing leadership in the training of clinical medicine;
• Raising awareness of UC San Diego’s clinical excellence in the regional, national, and international medical community;
• Sponsoring lectures and seminars which address topics of interest to all clinicians.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Academy membership for individuals from the School of Medicine shall be limited to salaried clinically active faculty in any academic series. Academy membership for individuals from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences shall be limited to full time faculty with a significant clinical focus. The voting membership shall not exceed 20% of the total number of salaried faculty. New members are to be elected by the voting members of the Academy. Members have voting rights. Any Voting or Emeritus member may nominate a candidate for Academy membership and election will be via anonymous ballot. Election will occur on a minimum of an annual basis with the election of officers of the Academy to occur in the fall, prior to the end of the 2nd year term for the Elected Officers
There shall be three categories of Academy membership: Active, Emeritus and ExOfficio
A. Active Member, Academy of Clinician Scholars
Shall consist of UC San Diego Health Sciences faculty:
1. Whose academic files are reviewed for merit (step) and promotions by the UC San Diego academic process;
2. Who have achieved the academic rank of Associate or Full Professor, in any academic series;
3. Who render clinical care at a minimum of 50% work effort;
4. Who have provided at least four (4) years of clinical service as a member of UC San Diego's faculty; and
5. Who have demonstrated excellent clinical skills, as well as, a commitment to medical education and /or creative academic work.
B. Emeritus Member, Academy of Clinician Scholars
Shall consist of UC San Diego Health Sciences faculty:
1. Who are Academy members that have transitioned to emeritus status on the UC San Diego Health Sciences faculty.
2. Who are Academy members who have transitioned in their career to rendering care at less than 50% work effort.
Emeritus members of the Academy are non-voting members.
C. Ex-Officio Member, Academy of Clinician Scholars
1. Shall consist of UC San Diego Health Sciences Chairs and Position Administrators who are not otherwise eligible for Active or Emeritus AOCS membership primarily because they are less than 50% Clinical FTE. When nominated for Ex-officio membership, the nomination letter should include how the nominee would help with the AOCS mission.
2. Can participate in all faculty-wide AoCS events and will be included on all AoCS Communication.
Ex-officio Members are non-voting members
ARTICLE IV. Executive Officers
A. President
Active Member of the Academy who has been elected to the position of Vice-President/President-Elect will assume the term of President for a two (2) year term upon the completion of the term of the outgoing president to begin on July 1st. Duties to include:
1. Chair general meetings of the AoCS and its Executive Committee;
2. Represent the AoCS in the University and community
i. Membership on the UC Physician Group Board of Governors
3. Communicate with the AoCS membership;
4. Participate in AoCS development and fundraising;
5. Report AoCS activities to the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences; and
6. Enforce the AoCS Bylaws.
B. President-Elect
Active Member of the Academy, elected to the position for a term of two (2) years, to begin on July 1st. The first Vice President/President-Elect will be elected in years staggered with the election of the Secretary-Treasurer. Duties to include:
1. Responsible for public relations and AoCS development, participate in University Committees to represent AoCS where appropriate:
2. Assume the duties of the President in his/her absence, or should the President be unable to complete his/her term of office. In the event that the Vice President/President-Elect must replace the President any time during the two-year term, a special election shall be held to replace the Vice President/President- Elect to complete the remaining portion of the term; and
3. Assume the role of President upon completion of two (2) years of service as Vice President/President- Elect.
4. Membership to the Health Sciences Faculty Council
C. Treasurer
Active Member of the Academy, elected to the position, for a term of two (2) years, to begin on July 1st of the year following the election. The Treasurer is elected in years staggered with the election of the Vice President/President-Elect. Duties include:
1. Develop and administer the AoCS budget;
2. Prepare an annual budget report;
D. Secretary
Active Member of the Academy, elected to the position, for a term of two (2) years, to begin on July 1st of the year following the election. The Secretary is elected in years staggered with the election of the Vice President/President-Elect. Duties include:
1. Bylaws
2. Philanthropy
3. Responsible for reviewing the minutes of Executive Committee and AoCS meetings.
ARTICLE V. Committees
A. Executive Committee
Membership: The AoCS Executive Committee shall be comprised of the President, Vice President/President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, the past AoCS President for a two (2) year term, the chairs of the Education, Membership, Awards Committees, an AOCS member from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and an AOCS member from Rady Children’s Hospital Faculty (if not already represented by one of the above). The Committee Chairs will be appointed by the incoming President for a two year term, renewable once for a maximum of four (four consecutive years). Ex officio members, from other branches of the Health Sciences, may be appointed to serve on the Executive Committee as needed in order to optimize communication and function throughout UC San Diego Health Sciences.
Authority and Responsibilities:
The Executive Committee shall:
1. Lend direction to the stated purposes of the Academy;
2. Monitor the operations of the Academy and its committees, and make recommendations for the enhancement of its activities;
3. Evaluate and adjudicate grievances as they relate to the membership, operation, and execution of responsibilities of the Academy committees;
4. Oversee the just execution of the Academy’s Bylaws;
5. Be directly accountable for the operation of the Academy to the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences;
6. Interface with the membership of the Executive Management Team of UC San Diego Healthcare as appropriate; and
7. Interface with the Office of Development of UC San Diego Health Sciences to promote fundraising as consistent with the mission of the Academy.
B. Education Committee
Membership: The AoCS Education Committee shall be comprised of at least four (4) AOCS members appointed by the Executive Committee for two-year terms, which will be staggered, beginning on July 1st and renewable once for nor more than four (4) consecutive years. The AoCS President will appoint the Chair of the committee. The Education Committee may request that additional members of the AoCS participate on an ad hoc basis as needed.
Authority and Responsibilities:
The Education Committee is responsible for the development of new ideas, concepts and recommendations to the schools as well as specific programs that promote the highest quality of learning and teaching of clinical excellence throughout the UC San Diego Healthcare system. The Education Committee will strive to assure that UC San Diego Health Sciences graduates and clinical faculty have the skills and support necessary to function as exemplary clinicians. The Education Committee will promote training opportunities that are consistently enjoyable, accessible, innovative and evidence-based.
Through discussions and collaborations with colleagues in the AoCS, the Health Sciences faculty, and clinician-educators at other institutions, the Committee will develop programs, both within the AoCS and extended to the Health Sciences faculty, to enhance the quality of clinical teaching within UC San Diego Healthcare. Some of these programs will encourage participation from non-salaried volunteer faculty from the community.
Teaching of clinical excellence will apply to programs for health sciences students, residents, fellows and practicing clinicians who will benefit from these efforts. Areas of program development will include but not be limited to:
1. Faculty development: sharing innovative programs among departments;
2. Mentorship : encouraging such programs across the Health Sciences;
3. NCLAM (National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine): coordinating programs in clinical teaching with AoCS;
4. Educating the educators: consulting with specialists in adult learning in order to bring models of effective clinical teaching programs to the faculty;
5. Seminars and workshops; inviting experts in clinical education to discuss innovative education programs; and
6. Coordination with the Awards Committee in recognizing members of the AoCS who have demonstrated creativity in teaching.
7. Website content and updates
C. Membership Committee
Membership: The AoCS Membership Committee shall be comprised of at least four (4) Active AoCS members appointed by the Executive Committee for two-year terms which will be staggered, beginning on July 1st and renewable once for no more than four (4) consecutive years. The AoCS President will appoint the Chair of the committee.
Authority and Responsibilities: The Membership committee is responsible for evaluating whether candidates who are nominated for membership meet the criteria for membership (see ARTICLE III, Membership)
Nominee Files for Active Membership should include the following items:
1. Nomination letter written by an Active or Emeritus AoCS member
2. Current curriculum vitae (including bibliography), or the most recent bio-bibliography that is reviewed for merit (step) and promotions by the UC San Diego academic process;
3. A letter or email from his/her department chair attesting that the nominee renders clinical care at a minimum of 50% work effort;
4. Supporting letter from another Active or Emeritus AOCS member, endorsing the nomination and concurring that the criteria for membership have been met.
5. Either the nominating or supporting letter must be from an Academy member not in the nominee's primary clinical department.
6. On occasion the membership committee may ask for direct documentation of the nominee's accomplishments.
After determining the candidate has met the criteria for membership, the Membership Committee will circulate the nomination to all Academy members for a period of 20 days, during which time AoCS members may provide the Membership Committee with feedback. After the waiting period has elapsed, the Committee will review all documentation associated with the nomination. If approved, it will forward the nomination to the Executive Committee for review. If endorsed by the Executive Committee, the nomination will be put forth for a vote of the Academy. Election requires approval by a majority vote of the Active membership who vote. Elections will be held on a minimum of an annual basis.
Nominees for Ex-officio membership should have the following items:
1. Nomination letter from an Active or Emeritus AOCS member outlining how the nominee would facilitate the advancement of the AOCS Mission.
2. Current Curriculum Vitae
Once a year the membership Committee will update the membership roster. Members who have transitioned in their career to rendering care at less than 50% work effort, should notify the membership committee within six months of this transition. If these members otherwise meet qualifications for continued AoCS membership, their membership will be converted to Emeritus membership. These emeritus members can be reinstated to full membership at any time they request by providing a letter or email from their chair documenting that they now render clinical care at a minimum of 50% work effort.
Members are expected to voluntarily forgo their membership if they retire or change employment by direct communication with the AOCS administrator. This action may be taken on behalf of the member by the Executive Committee if the above criteria are met.
D. Awards Committee
Membership: The AoCS Awards Committee shall be comprised of at least six (6) AOCS members appointed by the Executive Committee for two-year terms which will be staggered, to begin on July 1st and renewable twice for nor more than six (6) consecutive years. The AoCS President will appoint the Chair of the committee.
Authority and Responsibilities:
1. The Awards Committee shall be responsible for evaluating and distributing available funds for faculty development for clinical faculty at UC San Diego;
2. The Awards Committee shall be responsible for monitoring progress reports from the awardees.
3. Funded activities awarded by AoCS may include but are not limited to the following areas:
a. Acquiring a new clinical skill, procedure, or teaching skill tool;
b. Acquiring new knowledge to build a clinical research database;
c. Developing collaboration supporting clinical research at UC San Diego;
d. Building a nascent program at UC San Diego in some new focused area or enhancing an already existing program;
e. Developing new technology and bringing it back to UC San Diego;
f. Establishing a new training course for clinicians at UC San Diego; or
g. Funding travel and support of sabbatical/leave activity to benefit the clinical programs and clinicians at UC San Diego
4. The Awards Committee sets the criteria by which applications for monies will be granted. These include but are not limited to:
a. Scope of work;
b. Innovation;
c. Benefits AoCS and clinical community at UC San Diego;
d. Candidate's professional development needs;
e. Qualification of the applicant;
f. How these resources will be leveraged; and
g. Existence of matching funds, when available.
5. The Awards Committee may appoint subcommittees of Academy members as needed to expedite and facilitate review of applications for funding.
6. The Awards Committee will recommend funding dependent on the available monies.
ARTICLE VI. Bylaws Amendments
Bylaws modifications may be proposed via the Executive Committee and submitted in writing to the voting membership for review and feedback for a period of at least thirty (30) days. After this period, revision requires approval by a simple majority of the voting membership.