Clinical Faculty

UBC Clinical Faculty members are practicing health professionals, licensed by their respective College, who hold faculty term appointments at UBC.

Clinical Faculty play an important role in the Department of Physical Therapy. Through their contributions to the educational and research programs of the department, and through their leadership within their respective organizations, they advance the profession of physiotherapy and serve as role models and mentors for physiotherapy students. The purpose of appointing Clinical Faculty is to recognize and reward these contributions to the University of British Columbia, and the Department of Physical Therapy.

Clinical Educators who supervise students, served on a UBC committee, or taught in the Master of Physical Therapy program are eligible to apply for a clinical faculty appointment. Applications are typically reviewed by committee every March/April and should be submitted prior to the below stated deadline to be reviewed at the upcoming committee meeting:

Spring 2024 Meeting Application Deadline: February 16th 2024

Clinical Faculty appointments in the Department of Physical Therapy are unpaid, but come with other benefits, including:

  • A UBC email account and access to UBC web resources
  • Priority for available teaching opportunities
  • A UBC library card and access to the online library
  • Travel discounts
  • UBC bookstore discounts
  • Academic services and resources
  • Representation of the Clinical Faculty Affairs Committee

For more information about the services and perks available to UBC clinical faculty, click here.

Contributions to the Department that contribute to eligibility for a clinical faculty appointment include for example:

  • Supervision of students on clinical placement
  • Teaching activities in the Master of Physical Therapy program (e.g., teaching assistant, module instructor/facilitator, guest lecturer, clinical skills assistant)
  • Serving on a committee(s)
  • Facilitation of interprofessional curriculum

Applicants normally progress through Clinical Faculty ranks as follows:

  • Clinical Instructor
  • Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Clinical Associate Professor
  • Clinical Professor.

For the guidelines that govern requirements for each rank:

All new appointments will be at the rank of Clinical Instructor unless the eligibility requirements for a higher rank are met. Please see "Eligibility" information provided above for more information about eligibility requirements.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the Committee.

Clinical Instructor applications require the following:

  1. A Faculty of Medicine (FoM) Application for Clinical Faculty Appointment form (PDF or Word).
    • Include dates in as many fields as possible (e.g. dates for continuing professional development attended, training delivered, students supervised, etc.).
    • Include all continuing professional development in the education section (Section II).
    • Complete an Appendix A: Supervision & Teaching (PDF Version) form if additional room is needed.
    • Evidence of legal entitlement to work in Canada (UBC's HR system requires a SIN on file. This can be provided via encrypted email with password sent separately, or over the phone. Contact pt.educators@ubc.ca to coordinate).
  2. A Supervisor/Employer Support Form.

Applications for all other ranks (Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, or Clinical Professor) require the following:

  1. An FoM Application for Clinical Faculty Appointment form (PDF or Word).
    • Include dates in as many fields as possible (e.g. dates for continuing professional development attended, training delivered, students supervised, etc.).
    • Include all continuing professional development in the education section (Section II).
    • Complete an Appendix A: Supervision & Teaching form (PDF version) if additional room is needed.
    • Evidence of legal entitlement to work in Canada (UBC's HR system requires a SIN number on file to meet this criteria. This can be submitted via encrypted email with password sent separately, or over the phone - email pt.educators@ubc.ca to coordinate).
  2. A curriculum vitae (CV) using the UBC CV template.
    • Initial the top right corner of the first page.
    • See the Department of Physical Therapy’s CV Guidelines to assist with CV completion.
    • Include clinical placement supervision for Master of Physical Therapy students and teaching Continuing Education courses/workshops in Section 7.
  3. A Supervisor/Employer Support Form.
  4. A Rationale Letter (or cover letter) that specifies the desired rank and outlines how the eligibility requirements for that rank have been met is highly recommended.

Existing clinical faculty members who wish to apply for a promotion in rank are required to submit:

  1. A CV in UBC CV format (UBC CV template).
    • Initial the top right corner of the first page.
    • Include dates in as many fields as possible (e.g. dates for continuing professional development attended, training delivered, students supervised, etc.).
    • See the Department of Physical Therapy’s CV Guidelines to assist with CV completion.
  2. A Rationale Letter (or cover letter) that specifies the desired rank and outlines how the eligibility requirements for that rank have been met is highly recommended.

Submit completed applications to pt.educators@ubc.ca.

Applications  for reappointment, or for initial appointment at any rank above Clinical Instructor are reviewed once per year, during the spring Department Clinical Faculty Appointment and Promotion Committee meeting, usually held in April. Submit applications by the above deadline to be considered at the meeting.

Applications for initial Clinical Instructor appointment do not require committee review and may be submitted any time throughout the year. However, HR is able to process these into the UBC system twice annually, in the spring and fall. Regardless of processing time, all appointments will expire June 30th of their expiry year.

Notifications will be sent as soon as results are processed, which may take up to two months.


Please view the Faculty of Medicine’s Clinical Faculty Appointments and Promotions page, or contact us with any additional questions.