Most of these positions are for generalists. Young physicians interested in these positions join academic or community centers with the idea of dividing their time between clinical practice and teaching on the wards and in the clinic. For many physicians just completing residency training, this seems like the ideal job. This article highlights the important career aspects of clinician-teachers and provides suggestions on how to evaluation such opportunities. Typically, a clinician-teacher is expected to teach and see patients.
Some institutions expect some research or scholarly productivity as part of the overall effort.
The exact amount of time devoted to each varies with the institution, but generally the need for patient care outweighs the need for teachers and researchers. Nevertheless, you need to determine how you wish to spend your time and negotiate these expectations. Most clinician-teachers are granted an academic title but are rarely granted tenure. This means that the role of clinician-teacher is not as secure as other, more traditional academic tracts. This opportunity will be based upon your performance, as a teacher, sometimes as a researcher, and in terms of clinical productivity.