Most medical schools offer a wide range of faculty appointments and career paths to accommodate the multiple missions they serve, i.e., scholarly investigation, education, healthcare delivery, and service to the university and public. At most institutions, this has led to the creation of multiple academic tracksAcademic tracks based upon faculty interests and abilities, with some tracks being more focused on healthcare delivery and others more focused on investigation. Many of these different tracks (particularly the clinical ones) do not carry tenure. Despite their variability, a common theme among all tracks is the importance of educational activities; medical schools were established first and foremost to educate students and trainees. Medical schools differ in their organization, culture, and policies, including the amount of time one can spend on external activities, and you should carefully examine these aspects before deciding to join the faculty of a specific medical school. Talking with your mentorsMentors and with faculty members in different types of medical schools is helpful.