Director of Didactic Education, Clinical Assistant Professor (12MO), Physician Assistant Program

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University seeks a full-time Clinical Assistant Professor (12MO) / Director of Didactic Education to lead the didactic Physician Assistant Program. The role ensures ARC-PA standards alignment, curriculum design, and ongoing accreditation readiness in partnership with program leaders and faculty.

The successful candidate will oversee assessment quality, monitor student progression, and support PANCE preparation while mentoring didactic faculty and coordinating

Qualifications

• Graduate degree with appropriate certification and licensure.
• 3–5 years of teaching experience in Physician Assistant or health professions education.
• Working knowledge of ARC-PA standards, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated leadership, faculty support, and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong communication, organizational, and student-centered leadership skills.
• Satisfactory equivalent combination of experience, education and training.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for the didactic PA program curriculum aligned with ARC-PA standards and institutional requirements.
• Oversee curriculum design, sequencing, and implementation of active learning strategies.
• Ensure accreditation compliance, assessment quality, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor student performance and support academic progression and PANCE readiness.
• Recruit, mentor, and evaluate didactic faculty.
• Collaborate with program leadership to ensure continuity across didactic and clinical phases and support instructional resources.

Skills

Leadership

Curriculum design

Assessment

Communication

Student-centered leadership

Project management

Education

Graduate degree with certification/licensure (PA-C, MS, MPH, MEd, EdD, PhD, DMSc)

Job description

Job Description

The Physician Assistant Program in the School of Health Professions at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is seeking a full-time Clinical Assistant Professor (12MO) / Director of Didactic Education. The successful candidate will:

• Provide leadership for the didactic Physician Assistant Program curriculum aligned with ARC-PA standards, program mission, and institutional requirements.
• Oversee curriculum design, sequencing, and implementation of active learning strategies.
• Ensure accreditation compliance, assessment quality, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor student performance and support academic progression and PANCE readiness.
• Recruit, mentor, and evaluate didactic faculty.
• Collaborate with program leadership to ensure continuity across didactic and clinical phases and support instructional resources.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Graduate Degree with appropriate certification and licensure (e.g. PA-C, MS, MPH, MEd, EdD, PhD, DMSc).
• 3 to 5 years of teaching experience in Physician Assistant, medical or health professions education.
• Working knowledge of ARC-PA standards, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated leadership, faculty support, and ability to manage multiple academic/clinical priorities.
• Strong communication, organizational, and student-centered leadership skills.
• Or, a satisfactory equivalent combination of experience, education and training to the above.

Preferred Qualifications

• PA-C with clinical and didactic Physician Assistant teaching experience.
• Prior academic leadership experience (e.g. DDE, APD, curriculum/assessment director-level; course director-level).
• Direct involvement in ARC-PA accreditation activities (self-study, site visits, reports).
• Expertise in assessment design (exam blueprinting, OSCE's performance-based evaluation).
• Formal training in education (MEd, MHPE, or certificate preferred).
• Experience leading student success initiatives (progression, attrition reduction, PANCE readiness).