Effective “On-Boarding”: Transitioning from Trainee to Faculty

Abstract The transition from trainee to junior faculty member can be both exciting and daunting. However, a paucity of medical literature exists to help guide new faculty in this transition. Therefore, we adapted work from the business management literature on what is referred to as "on-boarding"; effectively integrating and advancing one's position as a new employee. This article outlines strategies for cultivating one's own on-boarding as a junior faculty member at large academic medical centers. These strategies are extrapolated from management practices, culled from the medical literature on developing and retaining junior faculty, and, finally, borrowed from the hard-won knowledge of junior and senior faculty members. They advise new faculty to: (1) start early, (2) define your role--"managing yourself," (3) invest in/secure early wins, (4) manage your manager, (5) identify the "true (or hidden)" organizational culture, (6) reassess your own goals--"look in the rearview mirror and to the horizon," and (7) use your mentors effectively. These strategies provide a roadmap for new faculty members to transition as effectively as possible to their new jobs.