Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is seeking experienced, motivated, and dedicated leaders and educators to participate in the design and delivery of an innovative four-year medical school curriculum that engages medical students in active and novel learning.

About The Position

This position is open at the Associate Professor or Professor level within the non-tenure track, depending on experience and qualifications. While AWSOM does not have a tenure track, we are building a school that will facilitate exceptional professional development opportunities for our faculty.

Major Responsibilities/Essential Functions Specific to the Position:

• Work with Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs to establish, develop, and sustain clinical affiliations and resources sufficient to provide required and elective clinical education.
• Contribute to the development of medical school initiatives that include clinical practice.
• Liaise with the Northwest Arkansas Council Healthcare Transformation Division in its Graduate Medical Education Expansion Plan and other stakeholders to support new GME / residencies programs.
• Maintain a strong and supportive relationship with other administrators, faculty, staff, and students in the School of Medicine and surrounding clinical entities.
• Support the Assistant Dean for Clinical Education’s efforts to recruit clerkship directors and preceptors
• Collaborate with the Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and the Assistant Dean for Clinical Education to create and provide faculty development for clinical educators, including residents
• Participate in the accreditation process with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education
• Serve on AWSOM committees as appropriate.
• Serve on clinical affiliate committees as appropriate.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• MD or DO degree
• Board certification
• FTE up to 1.0, negotiable

Minimum Work Experience

• Experience with undergraduate and  graduate medical education
• Experience in medical practice
• Experience developing and/or working within an academic medical center
• Experience with faculty professional development
• Expertise in funding models for clinical education and training
• Demonstrated excellent patient care skills
• Ability to establish and maintain relationships; effective negotiation skills
• Ability to effectively mentor individuals, including both faculty members and students
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusiveness and ability to work with varied groups of educators and stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• Eight or more years of experience in medical practice
• Additional training or certification in health sciences education
• Proven accomplishments in UME, GME, and  research and scholarly activity
• Comfort with an array of educational technologies and active learning methodologies
• Strong commitment to self-care

Skills Expected of All AWSOM Team Members:

• Exemplary written, verbal and other communication skills
• Adaptable and flexible to the needs of the position and the school
• Build and maintain relationships internal and external to the organization
• Enjoy exploring and supporting innovation in teaching strategies, topic areas, professional growth opportunities, and more
• Ability to recognize and support innovation
• Highly self-directed, and reliable and accountable
• Strong commitment to self-care
• Committed to Diversity and Inclusion: Ability to work effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders (e.g., co-workers, students, community members)
• Ability to effectively mentor a diversity of individuals
• Commitment to meet and maintain professional development requirements related to this role

About Us!

Founded in 2021 by philanthropist Alice Walton, the School of Medicine will offer a medical degree-granting program that builds on conventional medicine with an inclusive,

compassionate, and whole health approach. The School of Medicine embraces self-care to empower students to care for their patients and themselves and helps them rise to the health challenges of the 21st century with a focus on mental, physical, social, and emotional health. The School will have an attached clinic for training in these concepts. Currently, the School of Medicine seeks to be a national medical school with the goal of welcoming its inaugural class in 2025, pending programmatic and institutional accreditation.

Construction of the 154,000 square-foot building has begun with the goal of completing and welcoming the first class in Fall 2025, pending accreditation. AWSOM will be located east of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.

What We Seek

We are building a cadre of medical professionals trained in conventional medicine and in whole health, by reimagining medical education. We seek leaders and faculty who are excited by this endeavor. We are building a health care learning and delivery environment in which diversity is a strength and highly valued. Thus, we seek candidates who contribute to diversity in all its forms. Ideal candidates are committed to our goals of inclusive excellence, and to facilitating optimal health for all using a whole health approach.

Faculty and staff members will contribute to the development and rollout of the ARCHES curriculum, which is built on evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning. It includes the following six core elements:

• Art of Healing
• Research, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
• Clinical Care
• Health Systems Sciences
• Embracing Whole Health
• Science of Medicine

All six areas of the curriculum will be interwoven throughout the four-year curriculum.

How To Apply

Applicants should submit the following materials:

• Letter of interest highlighting essential qualifications and interests
• A detailed curriculum vitae
• Diversity statement
• Teaching statement