Associate Program Director, PA Medicine

SUMMARY

In support of the university’s mission and objectives, the Associate Program Director for PA Medicine is responsible for supporting the leadership and operations of PA Medicine. This role assists the Program Director (PD) in the academic, administrative, and clinical aspects of the program, ensuring compliance with accreditation standards, and supporting the continuous development and evaluation of the curriculum. The Associate Program Director will work closely with faculty, students, clinical preceptors, and administrative staff to prepare Physician Associates in all aspects of healthcare practice.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Administration

• Oversees processes of curriculum design, implementation, coordination, and evaluation for didactic course scheduling/planning, and clinical year operations
• Assists in preparing PA Medicine’s annual budget and oversees expenditures, responsible for fiscal management of the program 
• Participates in development of program mission statement review/ revision, program competencies review/ revision, and program goals review/revision
• Oversees program evaluations by developing evaluation methods for all didactic and clinical components of the program, continuous programmatic review and analysis 
• Manages clinical site development by securing clinical sites with signed agreements and preceptors sufficient in number to meet the clinical practice needs of the maximum class size 
• Manages the completion of ARC-PA required documents and adherence to all ARC-PA policies and standards. 
• Coordinates all accreditation site visits and accreditation activities
• Oversees implementation of all policies applicable to PA Medicine students published by Palm Beach Atlantic University and PA Medicine.
• Participates in new initiatives as assigned by the program director.
• Serves on committees as determined by the PD
• Advocates for PA Medicine at the college, university, and community levels
• Maintains a working relationship with the appropriate professional groups, which may include the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant/Associate (ARCPA), the Florida Department of Health Board of Medicine, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the American Academic of Physician Associates (AAPA), and the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants (FAPA)
• Assists in processing expenses within the expense management system.

Teaching

• Provides student teaching and instruction
• Provides academic counseling
• Participates in student performance evaluations
• Participates in remedial instruction
• Assures availability of remedial instruction 

Scholarship

• Participates in student and faculty research as it pertains to PA Medicine, PAs and Health Sciences. 
• Identifies sources for and participate in the preparation and implementation of grants and contracts supporting PA Medicine’s activities.

EDUCATION:  

• Master's degree required; Ph.D. preferred, or equivalent experience
• DMSc, or another relevant doctorate is preferred
• Hold or attain current or emeritus NCCPA certification as a physician assistant, be eligible for or hold licensure in the State of Florida by the Florida Department of Health Board of Medicine.  

EXPERIENCE:

• 3+ years of full-time academic experience as a physician assistant in a higher education faculty position or equivalent teaching experience.
• Previous or current experience as a clinically practicing physician assistant, preferred.
• PA program administrative experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of or participation in the ARC-PA accreditation process is strongly preferred.  

ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Customer Service Orientation – Keeps internal and/or external key stakeholder(s), students, parents, faculty, staff and community partners in mind at all times.
• Professionalism – Displays a high level of professionalism, e.g. timeliness, reliability, communication, and work ethic.
• Christ-first Faith – Provides spiritual support to community members, including students, on their Christian faith journey.
• Adaptable/Flexibility – Ability to change or adjust to change.
• Analytical Thinking & Decision Making – Identifies and understands trends and/or issues, connects data points through analysis and logical conclusions/actionable strategies.
• Attention to Detail – Ability to efficiently and accurately focus on a specific task or number of tasks. Reviews details with a critical eye.
• Creativity – Ability to think creatively and design creative solutions to problems.
• Develops Others – Ability to promote continuous improvement within teams and/or individuals.
• Effective Communication – Expresses ideas and information in a clear and concise manner both verbally and in writing to convey clear, well-articulated messaging across a wide variety of audiences.
• Establishes Trust – Gains the confidence of others by actions and words that promote being honest, forthcoming, and vulnerable.
• Leadership/Influence – Ability to motivate, coach and develop others, as well as influence a group of people to achieve common goals, and implement university strategies. Strong supervisory skills.
• Problem-solving – Anticipates, evaluates, diagnoses, and resolves problems in a systematic and fact-based manner.
• Results Orientation & Accountability – Takes accountability and identifies, executes and drives actions to consistently achieve desired results.
• Strategic Mindset – Ability to step out of the everyday details, view the situation from above and provide an objective perspective
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Creates a climate that fosters commitment to a common vision and shared values that promote cooperation and working together through trust and support of others both departmentally and cross-functionally.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time