Clinical professor, sometimes known as professor of practice, is an
academic appointment made to a member of a profession who is associated with a
university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
or other academic body, and engages in practical (clinical) instruction of
student
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution, or more generally, a person who takes a special interest in a subject.
In the United Kingdom and most The Commonwealth, commonwealth countries, a "student" attends ...
s (e.g., medical students, engineering students). Titles in this category may include clinical instructor, assistant clinical professor, associate clinical professor, and clinical professor.
Clinical professorship generally does not offer a "
tenure track," but can be either full- or part-time, and is typically noted for its emphasis on practical skills training as opposed to theoretical matters. Thus, most members of such faculty are expected to have considerable practical experience in their respective fields of expertise. Unlike with most other faculty, this is deemed at least as important as educational credentials.
For administrative purposes, some universities classify such a designation as equivalent to "
adjunct professor
An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, but the term is gen ...
." Clinical professors may be salaried or may teach as a volunteer.
North America
In the field of medicine, the usage of the terms (in ascending order of rank) clinical instructor, clinical assistant professor, clinical associate professor, and clinical professor (as opposed to the same titles without the clinical modifier) are not well standardized. In some institutions, clinical faculty may receive a designation of rank with the "clinical" modifier as a courtesy, often on the basis of involvement in education of medical (or other) students. In such a context, ascending rank may acknowledge seniority and/or reputation.
Medical faculty working full-time as an academic medical center with involvement in scholarly pursuits are typically assigned a rank without the clinical modifier of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor with or without tenure depending upon the institution. The assistant clinical professor position may be almost entirely honorary.
In Canada, doctors who teach are called "
preceptor
A preceptor (from Latin, "''praecepto''") is a teacher responsible for upholding a ''precept'', meaning a certain law or tradition.
Buddhist monastic orders
Senior Buddhist monks can become the preceptors for newly ordained monks. In the Buddhi ...
s."
Australia
The
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
appoints "professors of practice".
Three women appointed inaugural professors of practice at University of Sydney
/ref>
Examples of clinical professor
*Clinical Professor of Medicine
*Clinical Professor of Nursing
*Clinical Professor of Psychology
*Clinical Professor of Law
*Clinical Professor of Business
*Clinical Professor of Economics
*Clinical Professor of Pharmacy
*Professor of Professional Practice (various professional fields)
References
Medical education
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