Reflections on the First Three Years as a Junior Faculty Member

A career in pharmacy can lead one down several different paths; however, I chose a career in academia because I knew that it would allow me to have the daily variety of responsibilities I enjoy, provide opportunities to promote the profession, and teach future generations. My experiences as a junior faculty member have been challenging as well as rewarding. I write this reflection for new junior faculty members and pharmacy practice administrators to share my journey, highlight challenges, and offer strategies and solutions to address potential obstacles. Specifically, orientation, mentoring, teaching, and evaluations will be addressed. Like many other new faculty members, I received my appointment as an assistant professor of pharmacy practice following completion of a 1-year pharmacy practice residency and a 1 -year specialty training program. During the 2 years of residency, the majority of training I received was clinical. I was briefly exposed to academia during 2 months of elective experiences; however, that short period is not sufficient to prepare a person for a full-time faculty position. During residency training little emphasis is given to the expectations placed on a faculty member: teaching, research, and service. (1,2) Yet, residency graduates are the most likely candidates to fill the vacant positions in pharmacy education. (1) ORIENTATION Few junior faculty members are provided with adequate training in teaching, research, and service during orientation. (1) Glover and Armayor developed a survey that reviewed components of orientation provided and desired for first-year faculty members (Table 1). I was given an orientation checklist with similar components along with a contact person with whom to discuss these items (Appendix 1). The checklist was to be reviewed during orientation and returned to at a later time when the information could be discussed in greater detail with the appointed person. The majority of general components of orientation such as introductions, tours, and orientation to the clinical site were handled immediately. Technical support was addressed at a later time when the need was more apparent. Most importantly, a mentor was identified. I expected my mentor to subsequently contact me to ensure I received the necessary training; however, this did not happen and I found it difficult to obtain the necessary information on my own. As time passed, I became more involved with the needs of my clinical site and did not identify time to address the orientation items during the first year of my appointment. In retrospect, having a scheduled time with my mentor may have ensured adequate training in a timely manner. While I am delighted that my institution provided an all-inclusive checklist and contact person, I would encourage new junior faculty members and administrators to ensure that there is adequate follow through and coverage of these orientation components. MENTORS Assigning mentors to assist with the orientation process for new faculty members can alleviate some of the training workload for department chairs. As a new junior faculty member I was fortunate to be paired with a senior faculty member experienced in teaching, research, and service. Unfortunately, neither my mentor nor I took the initiative to arrange meetings. In hindsight, I needed to be more assertive in pursuing information from my mentor. The first step in the orientation process should have included training on the mentor/mentee relationship to eliminate confusion regarding the role of each. I believe many new faculty members share my confusion regarding who should take the initiative to set meeting times, agendas, and goals for the meetings. One junior faculty member suggested that the experienced mentor should take the leading role and stated that a "mentor is someone who answers the questions you did not know you should be asking." In contrast, Zerzan et al advocate, "mentees should take responsibility for managing meetings. …