What Is a Clinical Professor and How to Become One
Table of Contents
What Is a Clinical Professor?
A clinical professor provides postsecondary instruction to professional students. In this role, you can specialize in many different fields, including medical, dental, business, law, or nursing. Your job duties involve teaching your students in practical matters of their profession rather than theoretical ones, while maintaining your own professional work, such as being a physician or nurse. Clinical professors often work at a large research university where it is easier to split your time between the teaching program and your own responsibilities.
How to Become a Clinical Professor
Regarding education, the qualifications needed for a career as a clinical professor vary depending on your professional field. For example, a clinical professor at a medical school must be a medical doctor, while a clinical professor of law needs a law degree. Clinical professorships are typically not tenure-track faculty positions, and some of them are volunteer positions completed as part of your regular work. Therefore, your skills and experience should be focused on your area of instruction, not teaching. You need significant experience in your field.
