Assistant Director of Healthcare Careers

POSITION OBJECTIVE

Reporting to the Director of Pre-Professional Advising and Career Outcomes, the Assistant Director of Healthcare Careers will collaborate with the Healthcare Careers team in the Career Center to develop a comprehensive health advising program for current undergraduates, select graduate students, and alumni of the undergraduate programs at Case Western Reserve University. The assistant director will serve as a source of information and advice about preparation for health professions (medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, pharmacy, public health, veterinary medicine, nursing, etc.) and support the Healthcare Career Interest Area. The assistant director will assist in the hiring and training of Healthcare Careers Graduate Assistant(s) and work closely with the Career Consulting Intern(s) for the healthcare Career Interest Area.

The assistant director will directly advise students in the healthcare career interest area and assist students with the career decision-making process from career exploration to post-graduate outcomes, including attending medical school or other professional health programs, entering the workforce and finding full-time employment, gap-year opportunities, and consulting. In this role, the assistant director of healthcare careers will design and deliver individual and group advising sessions aimed at students at various stages of their undergraduate work; prepare print and electronic advising resources; meet with individual students and alumni to provide guidance and respond to questions; and prepare composite letters of recommendation as requested by students applying to health-related graduate programs. This position will work closely with the admissions office of Case Western Reserve University and other health professions admissions offices at other institutions.

The assistant director of healthcare careers is also responsible for contributing to the assessment of the health professions career advising program and developing innovative initiatives to better prepare students for careers in the healthcare field and will support the organization of the Health Professions Career and Graduate School Fair. The assistant director of healthcare careers will partner with the Career Center's Employer Relations team on employer development and outreach for healthcare related opportunities, including internships, shadowing, full time jobs and gap-year opportunities. In addition, they will work closely with the Undergraduate Research Office and Center for Civic Engagement and Learning teams for research and community service opportunities.

Essential Functions

• Design and deliver individual and group advising sessions aimed at students at various stages of their undergraduate and select graduate work. Execute and enhance a developmental series of advising sessions that address the preparation and concerns of students planning to explore, apply, enter, and advance in a health-related career, starting with sessions for prospective undergraduates and continuing with sessions for new students beginning their health profession curriculum and for students engaged in a health focused professional school application process. Advising services within the Career Interest Area of Healthcare will include major and career exploration discussions, information about research, clinical, and community service opportunities to explore and test their interests in health-related careers, internship and practicum search, resume and cover letter feedback, mock interviews, guidance for gap-year opportunities, and information about applying for jobs or advanced education. Advise individual students about the application process to professional schools in healthcare, including reviewing drafts of their essays and providing guidance about appropriate sources for letters of recommendation, and tips on preparing for the MCAT, DAT, and other standardized exams. Help refer students to Four Year Advisors and faculty advisors on campus and provide basic support for academic advising and course selection. Support students in handling uncertainty and disappointment, and redefining goals. Advise and support student organizations related to health professions. (40%)
• Develop and deliver programming aimed at introducing students to the range of career opportunities in healthcare, drawing on admissions officers, alumni, employers, and other professionals in these careers. Invite and host representatives of health profession schools and related programs and employers for presentations to students. Lead, organize, and execute annual signature Career Center program, Multiple Mini Interview Day. Create, compile, and maintain reference and resource materials about health professions, including information on medical school and other advanced programs, scholarships and funding sources for unpaid internships and graduate school applications, job and internship boards, industry trends, professional associations, and other relevant resources. Advise and support student organizations related to health careers. Support the Director of Pre-Professional Advising and Career Outcomes with the coordination and execution of a Health Professions Career and Graduate School Fair. (22%)
• Serve as lead advisor and writer for composite letter process, preparing composite letters of recommendation requested by students applying to health-related graduate/professional programs in medicine and dentistry. Contribute to regular updating and enhancement of the Medical School Application Process and Preparation Canvas course to support composite letter applicants. (20%)
• Build relationships with faculty and staff across campus, particularly departments that teach courses that form part of the curricula that lead to health-related graduate/professional programs, providing information about the expectations of health-related graduate/professional programs, our students' success in the admissions processes, and areas of potential curricular reform. Participate in the training of faculty serving as academic advisors to share information relevant to advising students planning to attend health-related graduate/professional programs. Generate, analyze, and share data and reports about health profession admissions selection criteria and the acceptance rates of applicants from Case Western Reserve University to those programs and departments in collaboration with the director of pre-professional advising and career outcomes. (10%)
  
  
  

Nonessential Functions

• Provide information to the Undergraduate Admissions Office to help admissions officers respond to questions from prospective students and their families concerning preparation for health-related graduate/professional programs, participating in group sessions and admissions open houses, as requested. (5%)
• Develop professional relationships on a national level with admissions organizations related to health professions, as well as admissions officers of programs to which Case Western Reserve University students and alumni apply or should consider applying. (1%)
• Support large, medium, and small scale events at Career Center including career fairs, networking events, and other workshops and events. (1%)
• Perform other duties as assigned. (1%)