Chair Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Summary

The Chair of Osteopathic Principles and Practice/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OPP/OMM) provides academic, administrative, clinical, and scholarly leadership for the Department of OPP/OMM at the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. The Chair serves as the principal faculty leader responsible for the development, delivery, integration, assessment, and continuous quality improvement of osteopathic principles and practice throughout all four years of the curriculum.

The Chair ensures that osteopathic philosophy, principles, and osteopathic manipulative medicine are longitudinally integrated throughout the curriculum and support the development of the seven osteopathic core competencies, including medical knowledge, patient care, communication skills, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, systems-based practice, and osteopathic principles and practice/osteopathic manipulative treatment.

The Chair oversees departmental faculty, curricular operations, osteopathic clinical skills education, assessment activities, scholarly activity, and the integration of osteopathic principles and practice across preclinical and clinical education, in a manner consistent with the institutional mission and COCA accreditation standards.

This position reports to an Associate Dean or other designated senior institutional leader.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Osteopathic Curricular Leadership

• Serve as the principal faculty leader responsible for the development, implementation, oversight, integration, assessment, and continuous quality improvement of the OPP/OMM curriculum across all four years.
• Ensure the curriculum includes instruction in osteopathic principles and practice, including both observational and supervised hands-on application of osteopathic manipulative medicine.
• Ensure osteopathic principles and practice are integrated throughout preclinical and clinical education and support development of the osteopathic core competencies.
• Collaborate with course directors, clerkship directors, simulation faculty, and institutional leadership to integrate osteopathic content throughout the curriculum.
• Participate in curriculum mapping, curricular review, assessment, and program evaluation activities.
• Ensure alignment of OPP/OMM curricular content with institutional learning outcomes, COMLEX-USA preparation, competency-based education, and accreditation standards.
• Develop and oversee practical examinations, written examinations, competency-based assessments, osteopathic clinical skills assessments, and question banks.
• Maintain oversight of osteopathic laboratory instruction, simulation activities, clinical skills education, and osteopathic clinical application experiences.

Departmental Administration and Faculty Oversight

• Provide administrative leadership and operational oversight for the Department of OPP/OMM.
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, develop, and evaluate departmental faculty and staff.
• Assist with faculty scheduling, workload management, faculty development, and departmental strategic planning.
• Ensure faculty maintain appropriate licensure, credentialing, certification, and clinical competency.
• Participate in accreditation activities, institutional committees, faculty governance, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Support a collaborative, professional, inclusive, and student-centered educational environment.

Teaching and Student Development

• Teach osteopathic principles, osteopathic manipulative medicine, clinical reasoning, and related clinical skills in classroom, laboratory, simulation, small-group, and clinical settings.
• Provide formative and summative student assessment and timely feedback.
• Advise and mentor students regarding academic achievement, professional development, residency preparation, and osteopathic professional identity formation.
• Write letters of recommendation and support student career advising activities as appropriate.
• Promote professionalism, wellness, inclusion, accountability, and student success.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Participate in clinical activities that support the osteopathic educational mission of the institution.
• Provide osteopathic-focused patient care and clinical instruction consistent with departmental and institutional needs.
• Demonstrate and reinforce osteopathic principles and patient-centered care in clinical learning environments.
• Maintain active licensure, board certification, and continuing professional development consistent with institutional and professional requirements.

Scholarly Activity and Research

• Support and participate in scholarly activity related to osteopathic medicine, medical education, clinical outcomes, or related disciplines.
• Encourage and mentor faculty and student scholarly activity within the department.
• Collaborate with institutional leadership and faculty on educational and research initiatives.

Clinical and Graduate Medical Education Collaboration

• Collaborate with affiliated residency programs and clinical partners to support osteopathic education and osteopathic recognition initiatives.
• Support osteopathic faculty development efforts for community preceptors and clinical educators.
• Assist in strengthening osteopathic clinical integration within affiliated graduate medical education programs where appropriate.

Additional Responsibilities

• Complete student evaluations and assessments in a timely manner.
• Participate in committee assignments and institutional service activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean, Associate Dean, or designated institutional leadership.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine.
• Active, unrestricted medical license or eligibility for licensure in the State of Maryland.
• Active board certification from the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (AOBNMM) or Certificate of Special Proficiency in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (C-SPOMM).
• Minimum of five years of experience in osteopathic medical education with progressive academic leadership responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience in the development and delivery of osteopathic principles and practice curriculum at a college of osteopathic medicine.
• Demonstrated commitment to osteopathic medical education, faculty development, student mentorship, and academic leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with curriculum design, curriculum mapping, competency-based education, assessment, and accreditation processes.
• Experience with COMLEX-USA preparation and osteopathic clinical skills education.
• Experience in graduate medical education and osteopathic recognition.
• Record of scholarly activity, publication, presentation, or educational research.
• Experience with simulation, standardized patient education, or clinical skills instruction.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong leadership, organizational, administrative, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across academic and clinical departments.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor faculty and students effectively.
• Commitment to professionalism, inclusion, accountability, and mission-driven osteopathic medical education.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic academic environment.

Education -  Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine. 

Experience - Minimum of five years of experience in osteopathic medical education with progressive academic leadership responsibilities.  Demonstrated experience in the development and delivery of osteopathic principles and practice curriculum at a college of osteopathic medicine.  Demonstrated commitment to osteopathic medical education, faculty development, student mentorship, and academic leadership. 

Licensure/Certification - Active, unrestricted medical license or eligibility for licensure in the State of Maryland.  Active board certification from the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (AOBNMM) or Certificate of Special Proficiency in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (C-SPOMM). 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities - Strong candidates will have significant experience with curriculum development, clinical skill education (clinical cases, entrustable professional activities, and milestones), medical student assessment, student career advising (including the residency match system), graduate medical education standards, and standardized patient and simulation education.  Must have excellent written, verbal, management, administrative, and organizational skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities. Must be able to effectively interact with administration, faculty, staff, and students as well as build and unify teams.  Must have the ability and a track record of mentoring faculty and students.

Caring for Our Team
We offer a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees' well-being and professional growth. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance available starting the 1st of the month following date of hire, along with life insurance, & short and long-term disability coverage. Paid Time Off begins accruing from day one, and we also provide a 401k plan, an education assistance program, and an employee assistance program. Additionally, employees working evening, night, or weekend shifts may be eligible for a shift differential, adding even more value to your role.

Happy to Help

At Meritus, we believe in a collaborative and caring work environment. Interactions are an opportunity to learn, listen and to be there for one another. Therefore, we provide warm welcomes, hospitality-driven closures, and are always Happy to Help.