Assistant Dean for Foundational Sciences

About the role

The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM), a nonprofit four-year MD program founded in 2021, is seeking an Assistant Dean for Foundational Sciences. Reporting to the Associate Dean, Curricular Affairs, the role helps design and deliver an integrated, four-year medical school curriculum that engages students through active learning. It covers the pre-clerkship phase of the ARCHES curriculum, including curriculum design, student assessment, faculty performance and development, and continuous quality improvement, and integrates foundational sciences into the third and fourth years.

Key responsibilities

• Operate the delivery of all foundational sciences courses, overseeing high-stakes testing and weekly cases
• Give feedback to the Chair of the Department of Medical Education on course directors and educators
• Liaise with other parts of the ARCHES curriculum to integrate content and develop weekly cases
• Design and run curriculum improvement projects based on student needs, accreditation requirements and curriculum committee recommendations
• Ensure curriculum compliance with regulators such as the LCME and take part in accreditation and reaccreditation
• Deliver classroom instruction, support faculty development, and chair the Phase 1 and 2 subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee
• Help implement strategic initiatives, assist in faculty and staff recruitment, and support strategic planning and budgeting
• Produce scholarly work and stay ahead of national trends in medical education
• Lead, coach and develop direct reports, and recruit, onboard and train teaching faculty

Required profile

• MD/DO, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent degree
• At least 5 years of experience as an educator and scholar in an LCME-accredited medical school
• Prior experience as a Course Director in a medical education program
• Nationally recognized achievements in research, education and/or public health at associate/full professor level
• Entrepreneurial spirit, comfort in a start-up environment, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

Required skills

• Curriculum design, development, evaluation, assessment and curriculum mapping (preferred)
• Learning and instructional design, adult learning theory, competency-based education and assessment of student learning (preferred)
• Student-centered pedagogies such as flipped classrooms and case-based learning
• Faculty and staff recruitment, development and retention

Applicants must submit a letter of interest, a detailed CV and a teaching statement. The position is on-site in Bentonville, Arkansas.