Health care practitioners with a passion for educa-tion have a range of options to advance their profes-sional trajectory. Health profes-sions education (HPE) is gaining visibility as a specialised field of practice and scholarship; how-ever, just as health professions educator roles vary in scope, responsibilities and nomenclature (Table 1), so do the criteria for academic progression and interpretation by different promotion committees.1–4 Consequently, aspiring educators may find it challenging to prioritise areas of interest, identify activities to achieve personal and institutional goals, and grasp opportunities to develop into academic scholars and leaders, should they wish to do so.