Length of Tenure of U.S. Medical School Deans Who Started in Their Position from Academic Year 1959-1960 to 2018-2019

Purpose Medical school dean transitions can be broadly disruptive. The authors explored deans' median length of tenure and organizational characteristics that may affect that tenure. Method The authors analyzed Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Deans data to calculate the median tenure of all first-time deans at AAMC-member medical schools (July 1959 to June 2019; n = 1,166). They generated survival curves for all deans in the study period and for only first-time permanent deans, including interim deans who became permanent at the same institution (n = 869). The authors calculated median tenure as the median of the median of each 5-year cohort in the curves. Additionally, they examined length of tenure by organizational characteristics: public versus private, region, financial relationship to the university, and research intensity. Results The median length of tenure of all deans was 4.3 years, for first-time permanent deans (i.e., excluding interim-only deans) was 5.9 years, and for deans in the most recent 15 years was 6.0 years. Median length of tenure of deans at public institutions was shorter (3.9 years) than at private institutions (4.8 years); varied by region: Northeast = 5.3 years, Central = 4.8, South = 3.8, West = 3.8; was longer at institutions that are part of a university (4.8 years) versus freestanding (3.8 years); and at research-intensive (6.7 years) compared with non-research-intensive institutions (3.8 years). A histogram by year revealed a normal data distribution with a mode of 3 to 4 years. Conclusions Length of tenure was stable over time for all dean types and when isolating for first-time permanent deans; however, the most common time for deans to leave was in 3 to 4 years. Additional research on factors related to turnover is needed, as are supportive resources and programs to improve dean development and success.