Changes in pharmacy practice faculty 1995-2001: implications for junior faculty development.

OBJECTIVE

To compare changes in United States pharmacy practice faculty demographics from 1995-2001 and to discuss the implications for junior faculty development.

METHODS

Demographic data were extracted from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy institutional research system for academic years 1995-1996 and 2000-2001.

RESULTS

In 2000-2001, pharmacy practice was the largest faculty discipline, 3.8 times larger than the next three disciplines. Junior pharmacy practice faculty occupied 65% of all junior full-time pharmacy faculty positions. Tenure track assistant professors decreased 4% from 283 to 271, and nontenure track assistant professors increased 58% from 427 to 677 (chi2 = 20.0, p<0.05). In 2000-2001, 72% of all pharmacy practice assistant professors were nontenure track, up from 59% in 1995-1996. Women assistant professors in pharmacy practice outnumbered men by 2:1. Challenges faced by new faculty include balancing teaching, practice, and research demands; selecting a nontenure or tenure track and understanding its expectations; limiting teaching preparation time; developing productive writing habits; setting performance goals; managing time; and handling the mental and physical stress of academic life. Senior faculty must actively help new members appreciate the many positive aspects of academic life by sharing their strategies and success stories.

CONCLUSION

Schools and colleges of pharmacy relied heavily on increasing the number of nontenure track junior pharmacy practice faculty to meet increased clinical education demands.