Department Chair of COM Anatomy

Department Chair of COM Anatomy

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) was founded as a 501(c) (3) non-profit medical institution in 2005 aimed at increasing access to health care in medically underserved areas of the Pacific Northwest.

The University currently offers the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine enrolling a total of 560 medical students with plans to develop other programs and/or colleges. The campus includes 300 employees with academic programming spread over a five state region.

PNWU is located in Yakima, WA, a city of approximately 95,000 located in the south central part of the state near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in a major agricultural and outdoor recreation region. It is approximately 140 miles from Seattle, 170 miles from Portland, and 200 miles from Spokane. The Yakima Valley is a wonderful place to live, work and play. For more information, visit www.liveyakimavalley.com.

General Summary:
The COM Anatomy Department Chair provides overall leadership to their department and is accountable to fulfill the education, service, and scholarly activity objectives of the COM as well as facilitate the professional development of the faculty they supervise. This position has responsibility to ensure that the educational standards are contemporary, rigorous, and maintained for the accreditation of the program and to manage the program’s budget. This person shall develop and provide direction to faculty to help them achieve increased success at the professional level.

The Anatomy Department at PNWU is a vibrant group of five full-time and two part-time faculty who work collaboratively among themselves and with all other departments in the preclinical curriculum. The main teaching responsibilities of the department include Human Gross Anatomy and Neuroanatomy with cadaver dissection, and Histology and Embryology in systems courses.  With the expansion of Physical Therapy and other programs, teaching opportunities beyond the College of Medicine will likely increase in the near future. Scholarly activities range from bench research to clinical studies and educational research. 

Essential Job Functions:

• Continually broaden the vision for all department functions and services in support of the college’s strategic mission, vision, and core values
• Act as a leader and hold people and the department accountable for the individuals’ responsibilities to the department and the department accountable to the COM and University
• Set long-term goals; define the financial, physical, and human resources needed for the unit to meet all of its responsibilities, including maintaining the cadaver and histology laboratory needs; develop budget recommendations for the department, and oversee their usage
• Recruit, manage, evaluate, promote, and retain excellent faculty and administrative staff, and act to ensure their continued professional development. Set high, achievable goals and foster professional growth in the areas of teaching, service, and scholarly activity
• Ensure that department systems provide cohesive support to the college’s mission and that the department operates effectively within ethical, financial, and business practices
• Facilitate planning and evaluation of the departmental curriculum and assure that departmental curricular offerings effectively support the COM educational mission
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with other medical school personnel and internal and external partners
• Actively participate in school-related committees as appropriate
• Maintain appropriate teaching, service, scholarly activity, and clinical practice load if applicable
• Provide expertise and support for interprofessional education, and third- and fourth-year curriculum in area of expertise
• Familiarity with management of a willed-body donation program 
• Familiarity with maintenance of a cadaver laboratory including biohazardous and chemical disposal regulations
• Understand accreditation standards and expectations specific to the department and adhere to policies and procedures to meet or exceed such standards
• Conduct self appropriately and consistently in accordance with the philosophy and mission of PNWU
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements
The ideal candidate is expected to have a record of successful development of educational programs and training of students, a history of scholarly activity, and excellence in service. Moreover, the successful candidate will have an interest in collaborative practice, evidence for educational excellence demonstrated by leadership roles, and be recognized for investment in faculty development and mentoring.

Education:

• Required: DO, M.D, or PhD degree or equivalent from an accredited institution appropriate to the department role

Experience:

• At least five years working as a faculty member or relevant academic experience in area of responsibility 
• Experience teaching in a medical school, or equivalent program
• Extensive professional experience with an exemplary record of achievement
• Ability to generate respect and trust from faculty and staff
• Possess exceptional credentials in scholarly activity and/or individual achievement

Desired Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
Strong organization, interpersonal, and planning skills; strong verbal and written communication skills; excellent presentation skills; ability to work in a team and flexibility to work with others in a variety of circumstances; ability to problem solve by analyzing issues and creating action plans; ability to manage projects and people and prioritize and self-direct work flow; ability to work with and manage different computer programs and databases; and schedule activities and/or meetings.

To ensure full consideration

• A letter of introduction outlining background and qualifications for the position
• Detailed curriculum vitae
• Contact information for three professional references

The job announcement above is not the full job description, but represents the job responsibilities and requirements. A full job description can be provided upon request.

PNWU offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees first of the month following date of hire and competitive salary.

For information about life in Yakima visit our PNWU website here.

PNWU is a drug-free workplace, equal opportunity employer and educational institution. To request this publication in an alternative format, or to apply in an alternative format, please call Human Resources, 509.452.5100.