Associate Dean for Health Systems Science and Interprofessional Practice Education
The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is seeking applications from dynamic individuals to lead the Health Systems Science and Interprofessional Practice (HSSIP) curriculum and programs. As a national leader in this domain, VTCSOM integrates HSSIP across all phases of the medical school curriculum, including pre clerkship, clerkship, and post clerkship, while also extending HSSIP principles into aligned certificate, graduate, and other innovative educational offerings. The new Associate Dean will help fully realize the potential of HSSIP education across programs and learner populations through a deep commitment to academic excellence, curricular integration, and educational innovation.
Curriculum Overview & Reporting Structure
The VTCSOM medical education mission includes four value domains within the curriculum: (1) basic science, (2) clinical science, (3) research and inquiry, and (4) HSSIP. The Health Systems Science and Interprofessional Practice (HSSIP) curriculum at VTCSOM focuses on the core competency areas articulated in the VTCSOM Educational Program Objectives related to Systems-Based Practice, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Professionalism, and Interpersonal Communication and Collaboration Skills. The HSSIP curriculum aligns with these healthcare delivery concepts related to a physician’s identity and the VTCSOM Professional Identities of Lifelong Master Adaptive Learner, System Citizen, and Scientist Physician. Key areas include systems thinking, teaming and collaboration, social determinants of health, insurance and financing, high-value care (including population health), patient safety, and foundations of quality improvement.
The Associate Dean for HSSIP will report directly to the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and will collaborate closely with other medical education leaders, particularly in HSSIP. The HSSIP team includes dedicated faculty educators in all curricular phases and across several clinical departments who have protected time to advance HSSIP learning and has dedicated administrative support to provide oversight of the daily functions of all HSSIP curricular components.
VTCSOM recently underwent curricular reorganization and, alongside the launch of the Identities Curriculum, expanded the post clerkship phase to create new opportunities for growth in HSSIP. This phase will serve as an important space for innovation and deeper integration of HSS principles. Longitudinal, team-based projects will engage collaborative learner groups in focused HSSIP concepts, fostering the development of innovative and forward-looking approaches to evolving health care while strengthening professional identity formation as System Citizens. With time, the Associate Dean for HSSIP will also extend this portfolio to residency education, faculty development, and innovative programs such as certificates, microcredentials, and masters level offerings, ensuring HSSIP principles reach a broad spectrum of learners.
Context of Role
The Associate Dean for HSSIP will perform work within several HSSIP-related contexts. The role will:
§ Facilitate and support VTCSOM education initiatives, including overseeing education innovation in an HSSIP curriculum that is aligned with the health system/community needs of Carilion Clinic (health system partner), Virginia Tech, and the communities of Southwest Virginia.
§ Lead and participate in HSS-focused grant-funded initiatives, building on recent innovative VTC projects with the American Medical Association and National Board of Medical Examiners (e.g., AMA Reimagining Residency, AMA Groundwork in HSS Assessment, NBME Stemmler Grant), all which have a common goal of advancing HSS and Systems-Based Practice learning.
§ Join an existing, active HSSIP community of practice at VTCSOM. Additionally, the Associate Dean will be supported by national leaders in HSS, which will support professional growth and mentorship in this domain of medical education.
§ Build on collaborative efforts with other colleges within Virginia Tech, with our health system partner Carilion Clinic, and across the country to establish best practices in translating health system science principles into meaningful impact on healthcare delivery through multidisciplinary educational experiences.
§ Receive a co-appointment within the Department of Health Systems and Implementation Science (if applicable) in addition to a primary appointment within their clinical department.
Key Responsibilities
The responsibilities below will be performed collaboratively with VTCSOM educators and leadership and partnering medical schools.
Leadership & Administration. The Associate Dean co-develops and oversees the vision, strategy, and implementation of HSSIP education across all years of the medical curriculum, serves as a key member of curricular governance committees (PIC1, PIC 2-3) and medical education leadership team (MELT), and contributes to accreditation and CQI needs of VTCSOM.
Curriculum Development and Integration. The Associate Dean oversees the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the comprehensive HSSIP curriculum. This includes the integration of evidence-based practices, simulation-based training, standardized patient encounters, and interprofessional education. Curricular development includes the intentional horizontal and vertical integration of HSSIP content with other learning areas and across all phases of the curriculum. The role identifies and advances innovative educational approaches and teaching methodologies, including systems thinking, clinical reasoning, simulation, telemedicine, AI-driven assessments, and competency-based learning strategies. This role also fosters a culture of continuous improvement in HSSIP education through collaborative peer engagement, regular curriculum review, and responsive feedback from students and faculty.
Student Assessment & Support. The Associate Dean advances competency-based medical education by partnering with education leadership to lead the assessment of students’ proficiency in the HSSIP domain, including systems thinking, communication, and teaming. These assessments are deliberately aligned (mapped) with VTCSOM’s Education Program Objectives (EPOs). The Associate Dean also plays a central role in supporting student development and growth, including remediation, by designing personalized learning plans and tailored remediation pathways (e.g., coaching, additional training, reassessments) for learners who need additional support in skills acquisition.
Collaboration, Faculty Development and Integration. The Associate Dean collaborates with HSSIP co-directors, course and clerkship directors, and clinical faculty to ensure course objectives are well-designed, aligned and mapped to EPOs and that students are progressing appropriately toward defined milestones. The Associate Dean fosters curricular integration and promotes synergy across courses and phases by partnering with medical educators to integrate HSSIP throughout the curriculum. The Associate Dean works with the educational affairs leadership team to develop and implement faculty training programs that model best practices in instruction, skills development, and assessment methodologies.
Research, Innovation & Scholarship. The Associate Dean engages in scholarship related to HSSIP education, competency-based assessment, medical simulation, and curriculum innovation. This work includes leading and contributing to collaborative efforts with faculty, students, and other partners to advance educational research and innovation. The Associate Dean plays a key role in the strategic planning and implementation of innovative educational programs, including certificates, microcredentials, and other courses, to extend HSSIP principles to a diverse range of learners across the continuum of medical and health professions education.
Position Qualifications
The Associate Dean for HSSIP role is envisioned as a physician-educator position with approximately half of the appointment dedicated to medical education (0.5 FTE) and the other half to clinical care (0.5 FTE). The individual is expected to be on-site at VTCSOM and Carilion Clinic for both components of the role, with salary determined by specialty and years of experience. While applications are welcome from qualified physicians of any specialty, it is anticipated that applicants most able to fulfill the full-time educational responsibilities will likely come from primary care or generalist specialties (e.g., family and community medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, etc.).
Education Qualifications
- Demonstrated understanding of healthcare delivery and experience in undergraduate medical education
- Ability to lead the design, implementation, and improvement of curricular initiatives
- Ability to lead education sessions in diverse formats and settings using evidence-based pedagogies
- Strong communication skills and a strong understanding of Health Systems Science and systems thinking
- Collaborative skills for working with health system leaders, students, and trainees
- Experience or interest in participating in and potentially leading grant teams across collaborating institutions
- Ability to envision and implement improved learning environments and curricula
- Ability to tolerate ambiguity and interest in learning new skills
Clinical Care Qualifications
Given the specific context of the role within medical education and care delivery, the successful candidate will be a practicing physician with prior experience in medical education. The clinical care role will be situated within Carilion Clinic. The specific clinical role may be situated in inpatient, outpatient, or subspecialty care settings. The role will depend upon the skills and experience of the applicant and the clinical care needs of the Department (as facilitated by the Department Chair). The individual will possess the following skills and characteristics:
- Exemplary patient care skills
- Exemplary skills in collaborating with interprofessional clinicians and staff
Review Process and Individuals:
Interested applicants should send the materials below to Alaina Guerry (malaina@vt.edu). An initial round of ZOOMTM interviews will precede on-site interviews for a select number of finalists.
Application Materials
Applicants are requested to submit the following items:
- Cover Letter of no more than two pages describing your interest in and experience applicable to the position.
- Current Curriculum Vitae with relevant experience highlighted.
- References – a list of three individuals (with current role and contact information), which may be used by the Committee to obtain additional perspectives about the applicant.