TO: HMS Faculty Involved in Medical Student Education

FROM: Edward M. Hundert, MD

SUBJECT: Promotion of Dr. John L. Dalrymple to Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and RFA for Two New Leadership Roles in Medical Student Education

I am very pleased to announce the promotion of John L. Dalrymple, MD ‘91, Ellen and Melvin Gordon Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and Medical Education, to Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education in the MD Program at HMS. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Dalrymple, who has been the faculty head of our Office of Educational Quality Improvement (OEQI) since 2015, when he returned to HMS from Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas, where he served as Assistant Dean for Clinical Integration. In 2018, Dr. Dalrymple was promoted to Associate Dean for Medical Education Quality Improvement and has taken on an increasingly central role in the assessment, evaluation, and continuous improvement of all aspects of the MD curriculum.

Dr. Dalrymple is a national leader in medical student education who, as a Mexican-American student at HMS, became actively involved in the Office of Recruitment and Retention (now the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs), serving on the Admissions Committee and as an officer of the student chapter of the National Chicano Health Organization. He trained in OB-GYN at Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospitals, and gynecologic oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. At HMS, in addition to his roles in the OEQI, he serves as co-director of the Sexual and Gender Minority curriculum theme, and as faculty chair of the HMS LGBT Advisory Committee. At BIDMC, he serves as Associate Chair, Vice Chair for Faculty Development, and Program Director for the Gyn Oncology Fellowship in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. On a national level, he has chaired the Undergraduate Medical Education Committee of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) and is currently APGO’s President-Elect.

In his new role, John will be overseeing and supporting the work of three Associate Deans, respectively focused on three key, interrelated aspects of the MD Program: Faculty Development, Curriculum, and Assessment and Evaluation. Dr. Barbara Cockrill serves as the Associate Dean for Faculty Development in Medical Education. Virtually all our peer schools have an Associate Dean for Curriculum and an Associate Dean for Assessment and Evaluation. With the upcoming change to the Pathways pre-clerkship calendar being launched next year and with major initiatives to innovate both the HST curriculum and the core clerkship year of the PCE, HMS is at a pivotal time to ensure these efforts are well-supported and well-coordinated by establishing these new faculty leadership roles. 

I am therefore also pleased to announce a Request for Applications for these two exciting new leadership roles for our MD Program at HMS: Associate Dean for Curriculum and Associate Dean for Assessment and Evaluation. With Dr. Barbara Cockrill already serving as Associate Dean for Faculty Development in Medical Education, this will round out the faculty leadership for these three interrelated aspects of medical student education at HMS, with an associate dean responsible for each. Each of the two new roles will involve a 50% FTE for an HMS faculty member who has been deeply involved in our medical student education program, and both, along with Dr. Cockrill, will report to Dr. John Dalrymple as Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education. 

The Associate Dean for Curriculum (ADC) will have oversight responsibility to support the entire HMS MD curriculum including the Preclerkship, Principal Clinical Experience (PCE) and Post-PCE phases. The ADC will partner closely with educational leaders across the HMS curriculum including course leaders in both Pathways and HST, our clerkship, theme and PCE directors, and each of the EPCC phase subcommittees chairs to continually improve the quality of all courses, clerkships and educational experiences with the ultimate goal of ensuring excellence and educational effectiveness of the curriculum towards meeting the six HMS MD Program Objectives and associated Competencies.

The Associate Dean for Assessment and Evaluation (ADAE) will have oversight responsibility for all aspects of student assessment and program evaluation for the entire HMS MD program. The ADAE will chair the EPCC Assessment Subcommittee and the PROGRESS Professional Development Committee, oversee the OSCE program and partner closely with educational leaders across the HMS curriculum, including course, clerkship, theme and PCE directors and EPCC phase subcommittee chairs to ensure that assessment of students’ competency and professional development aligns with the overall goals of the MD curriculum and meets the six HMS MD Program Objectives and associated Competencies. The ADAE is also responsible for the ongoing evaluation of the MD curricular program as a whole, ensuring continuous quality improvement of all courses, clerkships, themes, tracks, and phases.

A search committee being chaired by Dr. Dalrymple looks forward to receiving CVs and letters of interest that should detail the candidate’s unique qualities and experience for the role being applied for, a statement of contributions to diversity, and details of what current activities the candidate would plan to give up to devote the 50% time required. If you are interested in applying for one of these new roles, please submit your letter of interest, along with your CV, to the appropriate Qualtrics link below.  Please submit all materials no later than September 12, 2022 at 5:00 PM.

Associate Dean for Curriculum:  https://hms.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_81GOAVSpWdPKZ0y

Associate Dean for Assessment and Evaluation: https://hms.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyQqIwcPDbuUsQK

The successful candidates for these roles will possess an exemplary track record of medical educational leadership and a proven understanding of the HMS curriculum and associated assessment and evaluation methods including emerging challenges and innovative opportunities in undergraduate medical education. Each candidate must have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion and be an experienced and committed leader, manager, teacher, and collaborator who furthers HMS’s mission and commitment to excellence in medical education. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply, and we hope to have both roles in place later this fall term, and no later than January 1, 2023. A full description of these two new roles, qualifications for each, and associated responsibilities can be found attached.