Clinical Fellow Appointment

In general a "Clinical Fellow" is in a training/educational mode and may receive a stipend while engaged in these learning activities. A faculty member, on the other hand, performs a service (teaching, clinical or research) on behalf of the College and may receive a salary for this service. However, there may be a valid reason for a person who holds the position of "Clinical Fellow" to bear simultaneously a faculty title. If the conditions given below are met, such a person may hold the Voluntary rank of Clinical Instructor.

In order to hold these separate, simultaneous appointments as a Clinical Fellow and as a Clinical Instructor, the following conditions must be met:

1. There must be a clear need for the service to be provided by the fellow in his/her capacity as a member of the faculty.

2. If the service is to be carried out in one of the affiliated hospitals, the fellow must currently hold an individual license to practice medicine in Texas and the fellow serving in his/her capacity as a member of the faculty must be credentialed for hospital privileges.

3. Approval by the Graduate Medical Education Office is required.

The request for the appointment of a Clinical Fellow must be processed by the Graduate Medical Education Office. A companion or subsequent request for the faculty appointment would be processed by the Office of Faculty Affairs. The request should follow the appropriate procedures for the Voluntary rank of Clinical Instructor. This appointment would automatically be designated as a Voluntary (Courtesy) appointment.

Under rare and exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to provide part-time salary support to a person who is primarily a Clinical Fellow. The normal appointment of a Clinical Instructor is that of an unpaid voluntary member of the faculty; the title of a part-time (paid) member of the faculty would be that of an Instructor. In order to be a part-time (paid) Instructor while holding the paid non-faculty position of Clinical Fellow, the person must:

1. Have a valid Texas license for the practice of medicine and
2. Must carry malpractice insurance as would other faculty members who are not Clinical Fellows.

The request should follow the appropriate procedures for the rank of Instructor and be approved by the Graduate Medical Education Office.

An Academic Unit requesting a concurrent Clinical Fellow position for a current faculty member must consider the separate work requirements of the faculty position and clinical fellowship and employment benefit coverage. For example, according to Human Resources, faculty benefits can only be retained if the Clinical Fellowship is non-paid. As such, the request must also be approved by the Graduate Medical Education Office and Human Resources. These approvals must be documented in the chair letter. The faculty member may retain their current faculty title during the clinical fellowship. If there is a change in title, academic time or pay status, the appropriate faculty procedures must followed.

A Postdoctoral Associate or Research Associate cannot hold a simultaneous faculty appointment. In rare instances, a faculty appointment for a Postdoctoral Fellow may be appropriate. Please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs if a faculty appointment for a Postdoctoral Fellow is deemed necessary by departmental leadership.