Associate Dean of Education jobs in Virginia

Mission of the School of Medicine

Our mission is to improve health through exceptional and innovative discovery, training and patient care. With the help of our strategic plan, we will achieve our vision of being known for the accomplishments of our trainees, faculty, staff and alumni in research, education and patient care.

The core values that guide our conduct, performance and decision-making are:
 - Education and lifelong learning
 - Respect and integrity
 - Diversity and inclusion
 - Communication and collaboration
 - Innovation and technology
 - Community engagement

Chief Purpose of this position: 

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine is seeking an Assistant/Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Medical Education. This position provides leadership for the pre-clinical curriculum in the MD program, and will be responsible for the oversight, coordination, assessment, program evaluation, and preparation of course directors and faculty within the pre-clinical curriculum.  The Assistant/Associate Dean will be responsible for the ensuring the effectiveness of the curriculum and ensuring compliance with LCME accreditation standards.  In collaboration with the Office of Medical Education’s leadership team, the Assistant/Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Medical Education is responsible for strategic planning, policy and program development and implementation, and ensuring the effective communication, management, and execution of these items.

We seek applicants with expertise in curriculum development and implementation of active learning strategies, student assessment and performance tracking, evaluation of educational programs, faculty development and IT management including curriculum mapping. Candidates should have experience with active learning methodologies, competency-based medical education principles and demonstrate a track record in educational scholarship.

Duties & Responsibilities:

 - Oversee the planning, implementation and evaluation of pre-clinical curriculum.
 - Serve as content expert on definable, measurable and trackable educational program outcomes relevant to the pre-clinical curriculum.
 - Review learning objectives across courses, themes and other didactic elements of the pre-clinical curriculum for consistency and alignment with educational program objectives and LCME standards.
 - Collaborate with course directors and the Director for Educational Systems and Analytics to review learning objectives for consistency and alignment with institutional learning objectives and LCME standards.
 - Utilize the curriculum map for the pre-clinical curriculum to ensure alignment and integration across courses, years, and phases of the curriculum.
 - Promote instructional and assessment methods that support integration of foundational science and clinical content.
 - Support course directors in the development and implementation of an effective assessment system.
 - Ensure that all course grades are filed within the required timeline based on institutional and accreditation requirements.
 - Monitor and track academic performance for all students during the pre-clinical curriculum.
 - Work with faculty, course directors and Office of Medical Education leadership to formulate plans to support students’ academic success and oversee remediation processes.
 - Oversee faculty development in assessment methodology and oversee best practices and quality of internal examinations.
 - Develop and execute coordinated preparations for students for external examinations in the preclinical curriculum.
 - Provide reports for internal and external audiences (e.g., curriculum council, LCME, etc.) and oversee faculty evaluation process in the pre-clinical curriculum.
 - Use a continuous quality improvement approach to optimize the quality of the pre-clinical curriculum.
 - Recruit and train faculty to instruct learners in the pre-clinical curriculum, creating a culture that promotes professionalism and accountability of faculty and students in the pre-clinical curriculum.
 - Identify faculty development opportunities and collaborates with the Office of Faculty Affairs to deliver them.
 - Ensure faculty and course directors in the pre-clinical curriculum comply with all established policies and procedures for the institution.
 - Track faculty time and pre-clinical expenditures and collaborate with the SADMESA to prepare the budget for the pre-clinical curriculum.
 - Oversee the development, implementation, and monitoring of processes and policies to support the mission of the School of Medicine’s MD program using a student-centered approach that is compliance with accreditation standards and institutional regulations.
 - Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications: 

 - Must possess a PhD, MD, DO, EdD, MD/PhD, or other equivalent degree.
 - At least 5 years of teaching experience in medical and/or health professions education.
 - At least 2 years of educational leadership.
 - A combination of recent and related experience and education may be considered. 
 - Experience in undergraduate medical education and pre-clinical curriculum, including, but not limited to, content, active learning methodologies and competency-based medical education principles.
 - Educational experience in curriculum development, implementation, assessment and evaluation in medical education.
 - Experience with LCME accreditation and standards.
 - Effective leadership and organizational skills and ability to establish realistic and achievable priorities, develop project plans and timelines for those priorities and lead faculty and staff to achieve goals and objectives.
 - Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and collegially with a diverse population of faculty, staff and students, and foster a culture of inclusive excellence.
 - Demonstrates strong leadership skills and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
 - Ability to provide initiative, judgment, and creativity in developing resolutions to complex problems and to act with a sense of urgency to implement those resolutions.
 - Proven track record of forming collaborative and effective working relationships with physicians and administrative leaders in a dynamic environment.
 - Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications: 

 - Experience in an administrative role in a medical school with a proven record of academic and administrative leadership qualities and accomplishments.
 - A record of innovative educational teaching and administrative leadership.
 - A strong record of research and scholarly activities in the field of medical education.