MSP Staff Physician Appointments

Overview

An MSP Staff Physician is a staff (non-academic) employee who also holds a concurrent academic without salary (WOS) appointment. These positions address a clinical need that currently cannot be met by faculty members.

About the MSP Staff Physician position

The Academic Affairs Office of the School of Medicine (SOM) is the UCSF governing authority for the Staff Physician Policy. The office approves the staff title, salary, and academic appointment for MSP Staff Physicians.

Important points and requirements

Primary Staff Appointment: MSP Staff Physicians are staff employees and must be hired under an MSP Staff Physician staff title code
Concomitant Academic Appointment: MSP Staff Physicians must have a concurrent without salary (WOS) academic appointment. The without salary (WOS) academic appointment is established to ensure proper malpractice coverage and to enable the performance of teaching functions related to the physician’s clinical work. The WOS academic appointment cannot continue without an active staff appointment.
Concurrent Appointments. MSP Staff Physicians cannot hold concurrent paid academic appointments, including internships, clinical fellowships, residencies or faculty appointments. They may hold concurrent Career Tracks staff appointments after open recruitment and subject to review by the Dean’s office.
Licensing: Must have a California medical license.
Board Certification: Board certification is required only for specific title codes (those with the Diplomate designation). To qualify for those title codes, board certification must be in the discipline in which the physician will be practicing.
No Research: MSP Staff Physicians cannot engage in research. If the position involves research duties, the department should work with their Academic Personnel Team to identify an appropriate paid academic appointment type. MSP Physicians may serve as site director to facilitate patient enrollment in clinical trials on studies for which a faculty member serves as the PI.
Compensation: Pay for MSP Staff Physicians typically consists of two components: base pay and non-base pay. Base pay paid at the minimum for the title code, serving as covered compensation for retirement. Non-base pay is additional compensation above the base pay to comprise the total pay rate for the physician. Non-base pay is not covered compensation for retirement. Other compensation components may include shift differential pay, flat rate shifts and clinical incentives. For more details, see the MSP Staff Physician Compensation section below.
Employee Relations: Employee relations issues related to MSP Staff Physicians fall under the responsibility of Labor and Employee Relations in consultation with UCSF Staff HR Shared Services.

Identify appointment type

Determine staff job codes

Associate Physician Series: At the operational level, Associate Physicians are experienced professionals, such as physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, etc., actively involved in patient-related activities. Eligibility for the role includes a minimum of one year of practical experience (excluding internship), along with possessing the necessary knowledge and abilities required for the successful execution of assigned duties.

Available job codes are:

Associate Physician (000771)
Associate Physician Diplomate (000770)

Senior Physician Series: The Senior Physician series is designated for individuals who, under general direction, engage in specialized practice or assume leadership roles such as chiefs of major services in a university hospital; assistant directors with authority in the director's absence; or directors of clinical sub-units. Qualifications for this series include a minimum of two years of practical experience (excluding internship), along with possessing the essential knowledge and abilities necessary for successfully performing the assigned duties.

Available job codes are:

Senior Physician (000769)
Senior Physician Diplomate (000768)

Diplomate designation: The Diplomate job codes are reserved for physicians who are board certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties as specialists and who are assigned to use that specialty in their work.

Determine staff employee classifications

After identifying the job code for the MSP Staff Physician, the department must then identify the type of appointment that is appropriate for the operational needs. The appointment type — also referred to as Employee Class in UCPath — is typically determined based on the expected effort and time commitment for the physician assignment.

Contract Appointment: Used for all MSP Staff Physicians appointed with a fixed or variable schedule for 43.75% effort or greater. Contract appointments are typically established for one-year terms and may be renewed annually. Employees in contract appointments of one year or more and FTE of 50% or more are eligible for full UC benefits. MSP Physician appointments are exempted from the five-year maximum included in Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) 3, and may be extended for any number of years.
Limited Appointment: For physicians appointed at 43% effort or less. Can be for a fixed or variable schedule. Physicians in these appointments typically are not eligible for benefits.
Per Diem Appointment: For physicians who will work as needed on a variable schedule and who will be paid by agreement. This is commonly used for physicians who are asked to provide as-needed coverage and will be paid a shift rate for work performed. Physicians in these appointments are not eligible for benefits.

Still need help identifying a title code or appointment type? Your Staff MSP Physician HR Generalist will be able to assist you after reviewing the candidate's CV and list of job responsibilities. Use the Find My Campus HR Representative tool to find your assigned MSP Physician HR Generalist.

Identify the appropriate concurrent academic appointment

For MSP Staff Physicians, the academic appointment is a concomitant without salary (WOS) appointment to enable the performance of teaching functions related to the physician’s clinical work and to ensure proper malpractice coverage. The academic appointments are based on the accomplishments and duties of the candidate.

Academic WOS appointment job series for MSP Staff Physicians

HS Clinical Series

Faculty in the health sciences primarily teach in clinical programs and participate in patient care. Faculty in this series are expected to contribute with distinction in teaching, mentoring of trainees and junior faculty, University and public service, professional competence, and creative activities.

HS Clinical Professor-FY (002010)
HS Associate Clinical Professor-FY (002030)
HS Assistant Clinical Professor-FY (002050)
HS Clinical Instructor-FY (002070)

Volunteer Clinical Professor Series

Appointees in the Volunteer Clinical Professor series are clinicians in the community who teach the application of clinical and basic sciences in areas of patient care.

Clinical Professor-VOL (002017)
Associate Clinical Professor-VOL (002037)
Assistant Clinical Professor-VOL (002057)
Clinical Instructor-VOL (002077)

Clinical Associate

In the rare instance that a MSP Staff Physician will be provide services at a non-core UCSF site with no teaching responsibilities, the physician would be granted a concomitant appointment as Clinical Associate–FY (002081).