Medical Director, Physician Assistant Program

University of Delaware

Medical Director, Physician Assistant Program

Department of Medical & Molecular Sciences

The University of Delaware College of Health Sciences (CHS) invites applications for a 12-month, part-time (0.3 FTE, approximately 12 hours per week) position as Medical Director of the new Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Program in the Department of Medical & Molecular Sciences (MMSC).

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced clinician to join the founding program team and help build a new PA program from the ground up within a top-ranked, research-intensive institution known for its commitment to academic excellence and student success.

Reporting to the Program Director, the Medical Director serves as a clinical and professional resource to the program’s faculty, staff, and students, and helps ensure that the curriculum, competencies, and educational experiences reflect current standards of clinical practice and the contemporary role of the physician assistant.

This role offers the chance to shape the next generation of PAs, mentor future clinicians, collaborate across the College of Health Sciences, and help prepare PAs to meet healthcare access needs in the Newark and Southern Delaware communities, all while remaining connected to clinical practice. Rank will be determined based on the candidate’s experience.

Qualifications

Education & Licensure

• Degree: Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or a graduate degree from an accredited physician assistant program.
• Licensure: Currently or previously licensed as a physician assistant, allopathic physician, or osteopathic physician. Current or eligibility for unencumbered licensure in the State of Delaware preferred.
• Certification: Currently or previously board certified in their profession (NCCPA for physician assistants) or medical specialty, as applicable. Current certification preferred.

Experience

• Clinical Experience: Clinical experience and professional expertise appropriate to the educational needs of the MPAS Program.
• Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary clinical practice and the role of physician assistants within healthcare delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, administrators, clinicians, students, and external clinical partners.
• Experience practicing collaboratively with physician assistants and/or interprofessional healthcare teams preferred.
• Experience in PA, medical, graduate health professions, or clinical education, including curriculum development, competency-based education, and student assessment, preferred.
• Familiarity with ARC-PA accreditation standards and processes preferred.
• Experience serving diverse patient populations, including rural and underserved communities, preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clinical guidance for the development and routine review of the curriculum and program competencies, ensuring didactic and clinical education reflect current practice standards and the role of the physician assistant.
• Serve as a clinical and professional resource and advisor to the Program Director, faculty, staff, and students.
• Support clinical education, including the development and evaluation of supervised clinical practice experiences and related policies.
• Participate in program assessment, continuous quality improvement, and ARC-PA accreditation activities, including site visits.
• Represent and promote the program, building strong relationships within the University, the healthcare community, and with clinical partners.

General Information

MMSC is an agile, student-centered department recognized for innovation in education, research, outreach, and practice. Celebrating 75 years, MMSC offers programs in medical laboratory science, medical diagnostics, and biotechnology with a dynamic, federally funded research enterprise ($3.1M+ portfolio).

The department enrolls >700 students across four undergraduate majors, including Medical Laboratory Science (NAACLS-accredited), Applied Molecular Biology & Biotechnology (ASBMB-accredited), and two Medical Diagnostics majors (one uniquely preparing students for Physician Assistant programs).

Graduate education has grown with three professionally focused master’s degrees alongside our established Ph.D. in Molecular Biosciences. We actively collaborate with academic, clinical, community, and industry partners (60+) to enrich experiential learning and broaden access to STEM.

Approximately 50% of MMSC faculty lead sponsored research reflecting our commitment to advancing science and educational innovation. Research space includes the Willard hall, Delaware Biotechnology Institute and the Ammon-Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation Center on the University's STAR Campus.

The College of Health Sciences is a dynamic, innovative academic unit with 3,400 undergraduate and graduate students and 135 faculty, who are nationally recognized leaders across multiple disciplines. The College is housed in multiple buildings on the traditional main campus but also is an anchor tenant of the University’s Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR ) Campus.

STAR has become an exciting center that combines business, research, education and simulation space, all focused on leading strategic priorities in health science, biopharmaceuticals, data science, engineering, finance and other cross-cutting fields of study.

In addition to the Department of MMSC, CHS has six additional academic units, including Communication Sciences and Disorders (#33 U.S. News Best Graduate Schools), Epidemiology, Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Physical Therapy (ranked #1 by US News and World Report), and the School of Nursing with a BSN program ranked #40 and MSN ranked #35 by U.S. News Best Colleges.

With annual research expenditures of approximately $20 million, the college currently houses a number of large, interdisciplinary grants with significant funding from the NIH and DoD.

The college boasts strong research teams in the areas of neurological disorders, cardiovascular health, chronic disease conditions, molecular biosciences, epidemiology, and public health.

The college also houses and supports the Partnership for Health Communities that serves as a community-engagement hub for the University of Delaware. This environment fosters innovative research aimed at addressing pressing health challenges and improving clinical and population health.

One of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States, the University of Delaware has a rich history of contributing scientific insights and new ideas, fostering enlightenment, transforming lives and changing the world.

Today under the leadership of President Laura Carlson, the University is committed to building on this legacy to meet the complex challenges facing the globe.

The University’s foremost priority remains to ensure the success of every student, and this commitment dates back to our roots as a small private academy founded in 1743.

From that early school, which educated three signers of the Declaration of Independence, UD has grown into a research-intensive, technologically advanced institution that is at the forefront of innovation in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the community.

Located in scenic Newark, Delaware, within 2 hours of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., the University is a Land Grant, Sea Grant, Space Grant, and Carnegie Research University (with very high research activity, a designation accorded to fewer than 3% of degree-granting institutions in the U.S.), and with external funding exceeding $200 million. A state-assisted, privately governed institution, the University enrolls approximately 18,600 undergraduates and 4,500 graduate students.

Salary and Benefits

Compensation packages are competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The position start date is as soon as possible, but negotiable. Nominations and expressions of interest will be held in confidence, and references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission.

Applicants should upload a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references. The letter of application and CV will be shared with the search committee.

For inquiries, please contact Search Co-Chairs: Nicole Pekarek, PhD, MAT, MLS(ASCP)SBBCM, pekarekn@udel.edu [pekarekn@udel.edu] and Andrew Hollinger, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSMCM, ahollin@udel.edu [ahollin@udel.edu] [dreisman@udel.edu%20]