Director of Clinical Skills Education

University of Wisconsin Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking a veterinarian to lead clinical skills education within the OnWard curriculum. The Director will coordinate the clinical skills program across all four years, ensuring progressive development of competencies for entry‑level veterinary practice.

The role partners with the CES team and Office of Academic Affairs to implement DOPS, EPAs and CBVE-aligned assessments and to contribute to Surgery and Anesthesia teaching and curriculum development.

Qualifications

• DVM degree or equivalent required.
• Minimum 5 years in veterinary practice.
• Eligibility for Wisconsin veterinary licensure by start date.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, administration, coordination and delivery of the Clinical Skills course for veterinary students.
• Provide hands-on clinical skills instruction and coordinate instructors with clinical expertise.
• Develop, refine and maintain clinical skills activities, materials, simulations and assessments.
• Ensure clinical skills are sequenced across the four-year curriculum with feedback and increasing proficiency.
• Coordinate DOPS, EPAs and other assessments aligned with CBVE framework.
• Support Surgery and Anesthesia course hands-on components and curriculum integration.
• Collaborate with faculty, module leaders and educators to expand clinical skills development.
• Coordinate instructional logistics: scheduling, facilities, equipment and personnel.

Skills

Leadership

Curriculum development

Clinical instruction

Assessment coordination

Collaboration

Education

DVM or equivalent

Job description

Job Summary:

The University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) seeks a veterinarian to provide leadership in clinical skills education, competency development, and curricular implementation within the OnWard veterinary medical curriculum. This position will have primary responsibility for coordinating and delivering the clinical skills curriculum across all four years of the DVM program while helping ensure that students progressively develop, practice, and demonstrate the competencies expected of entry-level veterinarians.

The Director of Clinical Skills Education will work alongside SVM faculty, instructional specialists, and the Office of Academic Affairs to integrate clinical skills and competency development across the four-year curriculum. The position will have primary responsibility for the 3-year Clinical Skills course and will also contribute substantially to the Surgery and Anesthesia course and other areas of the curriculum in which hands on clinical instruction is delivered.

The individual will collaborate closely with the Director of Assessment to coordinate implementation of workplace-based and competency-based assessment, including Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS), Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), and alignment of instruction and assessment with the AAVMC Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) framework.

The UW School of Veterinary Medicine is a collaborative and innovative community committed to excellence in veterinary education. In 2025, the school launched OnWard, a new systems-based, integrated veterinary medical curriculum. OnWard brings the clinic into the classroom earlier, strengthening connections between foundational science and the practice of veterinary medicine while providing progressive opportunities for students to develop and apply their clinical skills. Our goal is to graduate confident, proficient veterinarians who are holistically prepared for veterinary practice on day one.

The successful candidate will be supported by the SVM's Curriculum and Educational Support (CES) team, a multidisciplinary group with expertise in educational design, pedagogy, assessment, instructional technology, and curricular innovation. This robust support makes the position an excellent opportunity for a veterinarian who is passionate about teaching and interested in growing as a veterinary educator.

The is a full-time educational role within the Department of Medical Sciences, without a clinical appointment within UW Veterinary Care. Applicants with experience in general practice, large or small animal, or specialty practice are all encouraged to apply.

Specific Duties:

• Lead the planning, administration, coordination, and delivery of the Clinical Skills course for veterinary students across both small and large animal areas.
• Provide hands on clinical skills instruction and coordinate participation of faculty and other instructors with relevant clinical expertise.
• Develop, refine, and maintain clinical skills learning activities, instructional materials, models, simulations, and assessments.
• Ensure clinical skills are intentionally sequenced across the curriculum so students have appropriate opportunities to learn, practice, receive feedback, and demonstrate increasing proficiency.
• Work closely with the Director of Assessment to integrate DOPS, EPAs, and other competency-based assessments across the curriculum and clinical learning environment.
• Support alignment of clinical skills instruction, assessment, and curricular outcomes with the CBVE framework and expectations for entry-level veterinary practice.
• Contribute to planning, coordination, and delivery of the Surgery and Anesthesia course, particularly its hands on and clinical skills components.
• Collaborate with course directors, module leaders, clinical faculty, and other educators to identify opportunities for clinical skills development throughout the OnWard curriculum.
• Work closely with the Director of Instructional Specialists and instructional specialist team to coordinate the logistical and instructional needs of clinical skills teaching, including scheduling, facilities, equipment, supplies, models, and teaching personnel.
• Partner with the Office of Academic Affairs, particularly the Associate Dean for Professional Programs and clinical assessment leadership, in curricular planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.
• Use student performance data, faculty and student feedback, and educational best practices to evaluate and continuously improve clinical skills and competency development across the curriculum.
• Participate in other teaching and curricular activities consistent with the needs of the professional veterinary medical program.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Facilitates classroom, online and/or laboratory instruction, including assessment of student performance
• May supervise student employees involved in development or delivery of instruction
• Develops and designs curriculum and instructional material relevant to a course of instruction
• Collaborates with department faculty and staff to develop teaching strategies relevant to the discipline
• Contributes to the development of teaching and learning scholarly work including publications and presentations
• Contributes to the strategic development of curriculum and academic content through various mediums to ensure the integrity of the educational mission of the work unit
• Advises students on academic and career direction within a specific field of study

Department:

University of Wisconsin - Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences

Compensation:

Commensurate with experience and qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or equivalent
• Minimum of 5 years in practice.
• Eligibility for veterinary licensure in Wisconsin by start date
• Experience with or demonstrated interest in veterinary clinical education.
• Demonstrated ability to teach clinical skills relevant to veterinary students and to coordinate instruction involving faculty from multiple clinical disciplines.
• Strong organizational, communication, and collaborative skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience teaching veterinary students in clinical, laboratory, simulation, or skills-based settings.
• Experience with curriculum development, competency-based veterinary education, or assessment of clinical performance.
• Familiarity with CBVE, EPAs, workplace-based assessment, or similar competency-based educational frameworks.
• Experience coordinating complex instructional activities involving multiple instructors, disciplines, or learner groups.
• Board certification in a veterinary specialty (DABVP, DACVIM, DAVCS, etc.) is welcomed but not required.

Education:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or equivalent

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

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