Director of Clinical Education - Physician Assistant Program

South University; Savannah, Northern (GA, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

South University is seeking a Director of Clinical Education for the Physician Assistant program to oversee the entire clinical phase, ensure compliance with ARC‑PA standards, and align the clinical curriculum with best practices in PA education while fostering an environment of quality service to students and stakeholders.

The role leads the Clinical Education Team, designs the curriculum, supervises site monitoring, coordinates with faculty, and supports accreditation activities and student

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in healthcare disciplines (PA, pharmacy, MD, public health). Minimum of a Master’s degree required.
• 1–2 years teaching experience in a graduate health-related profession is highly preferred.
• 2 years of clinical experience required; five years preferred.
• PA certification or emeritus status preferred for physicians assistants.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee clinical curriculum development for the PA program.
• Supervise Clinical Education Team (CET).
• Monitor assessment and continuous improvement of the clinical phase and evaluate student performance and site quality.
• Collaborate to design a site monitoring plan to maintain SCPE sites.
• Coordinate teaching and wraparounds for clinical courses and rotations.
• Serve as faculty advisor and support faculty development.
• Contribute to accreditation activities and program evaluation.
• Participate in admissions activities and student recruitment.

Skills

Teaching experience

Clinical experience

PA education administration

Verbal and written communication

Interpersonal skills

Organization & prioritization

Technology skills (MS Office, ExamSoft

Education

Terminal degree in healthcare

Tools

MS Office Suite

ExamSoft

WebAdMIT

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Clinical Education is responsible for oversight and management of all aspects of the clinical phase of the Physician Assistant (PA) Program. This individual is expected to provide effective leadership to support the achievement of both program and student learning outcomes related to supervised clinical practice experiences (SPCEs) and the clinical curriculum. In collaboration with the Program Director and other members of the PA faculty ensures the clinical phase meets all Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC‑PA) standards. This includes maintaining compliance, enhancing the quality of the clinical experiences, and ensuring alignment with best practices in PA education.

The Director of Clinical Education is encouraged to work collaboratively with counterparts at other South University PA programs to foster consistency and excellence across campuses. This position is a faculty appointment (rank commensurate with experience) within the Physician Assistant Program. In fulfilling the responsibilities of this role, the incumbent is expected to uphold and promote the philosophy of South University, which emphasizes quality services to students and stakeholders; support for employee development, growth, and recognition; sound economic principles; and an environment that fosters innovation, positive thinking and institutional growth.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Oversees clinical curriculum development, including the design and implementation of the clinical phase of the program.
2. Supervises all members of the program’s Clinical Education Team (CET).
3. Oversees ongoing assessment and continuous improvement of the clinical phase, including evaluation of student performance, preceptor effectiveness, clinical site quality, and clinical curriculum.
4. Collaborates with the Program Director and Education Clinical Coordinator to design and implement a comprehensive clinical site monitoring plan to ensure the program maintains adequate SCPE sites.
5. Manages faculty coordination by assigning clinical coursework responsibilities to instructional faculty and preceptors.
6. Provides teaching and instruction in the PA program including:
   • Overseeing coordination of instruction for all clinical courses and rotations annually.
   • Teaching in areas of clinical and/or professional expertise.
   • Serving as a faculty student advisor.
7. Assists the Program Director in designing and implementing faculty development initiatives.
8. Provides input to support accreditation activities, ongoing program evaluation, and review of the program’s mission and vision statement and goals.
9. Participates in the program’s admissions process, including attendance at open houses, student recruitment, application review, candidate interviews, and student selection.
10. Collaborates with the Director of Didactic Education on the ongoing assessment of student performance in relation to the program’s student learning outcomes.
11. Engages in service, community involvement, campus relations, Program Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings, and scholarly activities consistent with the responsibilities of the role.
12. Participates in annual faculty development related to teaching effectiveness and academic administration.
13. Provides student success support and remedial instruction as needed.
14. Adheres to university policies as described in the Employee Handbook, the Faculty Supplement to the Employee Handbook, job description, or other separate guidelines.
15. Ensures compliance with South University’s academic policies and procedures SACSCOC and ARC-PA programmatic accreditation standards, and state agency regulations.
16. Assists with the investigation and resolution of student academic and/or professionalism issues according to South University policies and procedures.
17. Collaborates with the Director of Didactic Education and Assistant Director of Clinical Education on ongoing assessment of student performance relative to program’s student learning outcomes.
18. Participates in scholarly and service activities appropriate to the role of Director of Didactic Education and PA faculty member.
19. Fulfills instructional duties as assigned, in accordance with the job description and the provisions of the Faculty Supplement to the South University Employee Handbook.
20. Assists with other program, department, or university responsibilities as determined by the Program Director, PA Department Chair, Dean of the College of Health Professions, and/or the Campus Director/Dean of Academic Affairs & Operations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Terminal degree in healthcare disciplines such as physician assistant, pharmacy, medical doctor, and public health. Minimum of a Master’s degree is required.

Experience:

• 1-2 years teaching experience in a graduate health-related profession highly preferred.
• 2 years of clinical experience required, if applicable, five years is preferred.
• Experience in PA/medical classroom teaching and PA education administration is highly preferred.
• Physician Assistants are preferred.
• PAs must have graduated from an accredited PA program and have current NCCPA certification or emeritus status.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to build successful relationships with students and faculty.
• Strong interpersonal skills with student, faculty, and staff populations.
• Excellent critical thinking, conflict resolution, and decision‑making skills.
• Superior organization, prioritization, and self‑motivation skills.
• Strong computer skills, including MS Office Suite, ExamSoft, and WebAdMIT.

Licensure/Certification (if applicable):

• Eligibility for professional licensure/certification in the applicable state and healthcare discipline (if applicable) or holds an active, valid, and unencumbered state license.
• Emeritus clinicians are not required to hold active licensure.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

South University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity as a critical step in ensuring employee, student and graduate success. We are committed to building and developing a diverse environment where a variety of ideas, cultures, and perspectives can thrive.