Director of Clinical Clerkships (Phase 2) | Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

October 2025

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) is seeking applications from individuals interested in leading clinical education within the medical school curriculum. The Director of Clinical Clerkships will oversee and lead the clerkship phase (Phase 2) of the medical curriculum at VTCSOM as the students progress developmentally in core competencies and explore specialty areas for their future careers. The role will serve as a lead clinical educator at VTCSOM, ensuring the educational experience each learner encounters will be of the highest quality and in alignment with accreditation standards.

Aligned with the mission and strategy of the medical education mission at VTCSOM, the director will collaborate with education and faculty leaders, department chairs, Carilion Clinic leadership (when appropriate), and the Office of Educational Affairs to ensure the highest quality education for all learners. The director will be responsible for the oversight of the Phase 2 manager and coordinator in the work of advancing clinical clerkship education. The director will also contribute to the improved function and collaborations with all clerkship coordinators across the clinical departments.

In the director role, the individual will lead both independent and team-based efforts to advance educational needs, improve current strategies and approaches, and develop and implement new curricular initiatives within Phase 2 of the curriculum. The Director will report directly to the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and will be aligned and partner with the following medical educator roles, when appropriate:

Director roles across all curricular phases, including the Director of Integrated Foundational Sciences (Phase 1, pre-clerkships) and the Director of the UME-GME Transition (Phase 3, post-clerkships).
Education leaders for each curricular value domain, including clinical science education (Associate Dean for Clinical Science), basic science education (department of basic science education), health systems science and interprofessional practice (HSSIP education leadership and HSSIP clinical champions), and research education (Associate Dean for Educational Affairs).
Education leaders in the Office of Educational Affairs, including the Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation and Strategic Analytics, Senior Director for Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness, Senior Director for Educational Affairs, and all coordinators, managers, and directors on the OEA teams.
Individuals in leadership roles across VTCSOM, including but not limited to the Dean, Vice Dean, Associate Dean for GME, and Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

The Director will have an understanding of care delivery within the Carilion Clinic context and prior experience in medical education design, assessment, and evaluation. The director will additionally possess the following skills and characteristics:

Strong communication skills
Willingness and skills to adapt work areas based upon the emergent needs of the medical school
Attention to detail and operations skills
Skills/understanding of systems thinking, change management, and strategy
Ability to engage in cross disciplinary and collaborative work with the VTCSOM education team
Ability to collaborate with health system leaders, students, and trainees
Interest/ability to envision improved states of learning environments, curricula, mentoring.
Ability in tolerating some degree of ambiguity

The responsibilities listed below are representative and will be performed collaboratively with VTCSOM educators and leadership. The responsibilities of the role will balance: (1) medical education leadership team functions, (2) operational, managerial, and administrative functions critical for the everyday functions of clinical clerkships and students’ needs in this context, and, (3) strategic and project-focused functions related to aspirational growth and elevation of educational excellence at VTCSOM.

Key Role Functions

Medical Education Leadership Team (MELT) Functions and Expectations

Participate in MELT (meetings/workshops) and complete assigned action items on time.
Provide responsive support to the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and education leaders on time-sensitive, mission-critical requests.

Maintain regular availability for ad hoc collaboration with faculty, staff, and students as needed.

Strategy and Project-Based Functions and Expectations

Collaborate with VTCSOM education leaders on a strategy for growth of curricular initiatives in Phase 2, particularly in the context of significant curricular changes that come as a result of the recommendations from the VTCSOM Medical Education Strategic Planning process.

Collaborate with the education leadership team to design, implement, and continuously improve intentionally-designed, EPO-aligned assessments across all clerkships.
Lead the design and implementation of skills-based pedagogy.
Facilitate bridging between clinical clerkships and the Office of Educational Affairs (OEA) to ensure both a horizontally and vertically integrated curriculum in the clerkship phase.
Collaborate with education leadership team and phase directors to create a unified, vertically-integrated competency-based model of learning and assessment.
Pursue problem solving activities related to the systems-based challenges that arise in the operations and processes of the curriculum and clerkship, such as improving the timeliness of clerkship evaluations, schedule changes, and completion of evaluations.
Lead strategic projects (including the writing of reports and processes) necessary for raising the educational excellence of clerkships as well as the anticipated growth of the medical school class.
When appropriate, contribute to the clinical preceptor recruitment, growing clinical sites for Phase 2-3 medical students both in Carilion Clinic and in other health systems.
Conduct performance evaluations for the Phase 2-3 manager and coordinator.
Contribute to the review, editing, and enactment of policies/guidelines/procedures related to the medical education program.
Actively contribute to and document continuous quality improvement activities, and support accreditation processes and associated reporting requirements.
Prepare and submit an annual report summarizing Phase 2 activities, outcomes, improvements, and strategic priorities, in alignment with institutional reporting requirements and educational mission goals.

Operations and Administrative Functions

Provide leadership and supervision for the manager and coordinator for Phase 2-3. Meet and collaborate regularly with the Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation and Strategic Analytics, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, and Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education.
Lead and contribute to relationship building with all clerkship directors and clerkship coordinators to ensure one unified team.
Lead the Phase Integration Committee 2-3 meetings and processes.
a.     Perform annual reviews for clerkship directors
b.     Oversee annual review/revisions of clerkship curricula (EPOs, rotation structure, assessment.
c.      Review all clerkship, resident, faculty evaluations and address concerns when needed
d.     Prepare annual PIC2-3 summary for presentation at PIC2/3 and MCC
e.     Communication with students for all issues related to Phase 2 medical education
f.      Meet with MS3 class leaders every 6 weeksContribute to the Medical Curriculum Committee.
Contribute to the Medical Curriculum Committee.
a. Attend MCC as a voting member
b. Present a monthly PIC2-3 report (informed by data created by the OEA)
Perform the assessment and follow-up regarding issues arising in the Learning Environment Advisory Committee (LEAC) that relate to professionalism concerns occurring in the clinical learning environment.
Co-direct and contribute to courses/coursework in Phase 2-3 of the curriculum, specifically in the context of curricular growth.
a. Co-direct/contribute Transition to Residency (TTR) 1/2 & MS3 Orientation/Intersession 1
b. Contribute to Learning Environment Workshops across all phases, when appropriate
Facilitate fair and consistent medical student course scheduling, schedule changes, and grading in clerkship year.
a.     Oversee Phase 2 student scheduling process
b.     Oversee and revise MS3 schedule change requests
c.      Ensure clerkship directors review, release, and sign final grades in a timely and consistent manner
d.     Collaborate with the Director of Phase 3 and Student Affairs in course scheduling and schedule changes in electives and acting internships
Lead the enhancement of the standardization of curricular syllabi with a focus on assessment and cross-mapping to the VTCSOM Educational Program Objectives.
In collaboration with the Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation & Strategic Analytics, develop the assessment plan for the year across all clerkships.
Coordinate clinical skills assessments with the Associate Dean for Clinical Science, Assistant Dean for Clinical Skills, and the OSCE team.
As a lead member of the contributing team including other education leaders and Student Affairs, meet with students upon request in planning schedules and provide career advising and coaching to all students (inclusive of schedule creation, CV guidance, development of personal statements, and residency match support).
In collaboration with clerkship directors and vice chairs for education (when appropriate), seek to understand and address faculty preceptor needs regarding medical education matters.
Ensure open communication channels with clerkship directors and frontline faculty members to ensure VTCSOM is responsive to change occurring in medical education and the medical environment.
Ensure teaching faculty have appropriate faculty appointments to serve in their role as faculty evaluators of VTCSOM medical students.

Role and Process

This role will involve an estimated 0.3-0.5 FTE. There is an expectation for commitment from the individual and individual’s leadership (if applicable) that the time will be dedicated to fulfill the responsibilities of the role at the allotted FTE. The ideal selected candidate will be an actively practicing physician. Interested applicants should send the materials below to Alaina Guerry by November 14, 2025, at [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed by a search committee, and finalists will be invited for a formal interview.

Applicants are requested to submit the following items:

Cover Letter (<2 pages) describing your interest in and experience applicable to the position.
Current Curriculum Vitae with relevant experience highlighted.
Brief Letter of Support from chair/division chief/supervisor (as appropriate) indicating full support for the application and qualifications, with commitment to protecting time at the dedicated FTE.

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