HMX Pharmacology Curriculum Lead

HMX 

HMX is an educational initiative at Harvard Medical School dedicated to creating fully online courses on foundational and cutting-edge topics in medical science. These courses are led by Harvard Medical School faculty, working in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of experts in biomedical visualization, assessment, and the science of learning. The instruction is based on principles derived from educational research to improve learning and retention, and relies on best practices in scientific visualization.

Description 

Reporting to the Associate Director of Curriculum in the Office for Online Learning (HMX), the Pharmacology Curriculum Lead is responsible for providing content and pedagogical expertise in the development of the HMX Pharmacology courses and for contributing to overall curriculum team development and research goals. The Pharmacology Curriculum Lead is responsible for overseeing the curricular design/development, evaluation, and maintenance/improvement of the HMX Pharmacology series. This includes responsibility for instructional design, creation of course materials, and management of course faculty. The Pharmacology Curriculum Lead is also expected to contribute to the overall efforts of the HMX Curriculum team by mentoring curriculum fellows, providing oversight to HMX interns working on the pharmacology courses, and contributing to the development of new teaching modalities and educational tools, including the possibility of live (remote) teaching sessions. 

The Pharmacology Curriculum Lead will also hold a non-tenure-track lecturer appointment within Harvard Medical School. While the primary responsibilities are focused on online education, HMX recognizes the value of in person teaching experiences and is supportive of curriculum leads maintaining a presence in such additional activities as desired. 

The Pharmacology Curriculum Lead will work remotely but is expected to be available and present for production purposes as needed at Harvard Medical School in Boston. This is a full-time position designed for early career scientist-teachers who are interested in an academic pathway involving curriculum development and teaching. Please note that HMX would alternatively consider structuring this as a part-time role for a more senior level candidate who would like to focus on pharmacology/therapeutics education as a significant component of their work. The ideal start date for the position is on or before October 3rd, 2022. 

Responsibilities

Course Production and Teaching 

• Develop the curriculum for each new HMX Pro Pharmacology Course or Topic, in collaboration with other course faculty

• Create course materials, teaching students through videos, problem sets, assignments, and assessments, in collaboration with faculty and the creative media team 

• Work with the curriculum coordinator to manage the completion of course materials, the creation of new courses on the learning management system, and the quality assurance of the courses

Strategy and Faculty Relations

• Contribute to the long-term planning of the HMX Pro Pharmacology series, including research, topic selection, and identification of potential faculty 

• Recruit and lead communication with course faculty, managing primary, clinical, and contributing faculty relationships

Curriculum Team Development

• Mentor the HMX curriculum fellows, providing guidance on HMX processes and procedures, and advice and feedback on aspects of course development 

• Contribute to curriculum team efforts to brainstorm, create, and ensure the quality of new teaching modalities and curricular materials across course series 

• Provide consultation for pharmacology-related content in other HMX courses

Research

• Contribute to research investigating the impact of the program on student learning and engagement

Course Maintenance and Updates

• Evaluate the effectiveness and continued accuracy of existing Pharmacology materials; recommend and implement updates to the courses

HMX Intern Oversight

• Provide expertise, guidance, and feedback to the HMX interns moderating the Pharmacology courses; help recruit interns for advanced course topics

Interactive Development

• Design and participate in the build of explorable interactive diagrams for teaching complex concepts in pharmacology

Basic qualifications

• An earned M.D. or Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences, preferably in pharmacology 

• A strong content background and experience teaching pharmacology or closely related topics (e.g., therapeutics, chemical biology, drug development) in a higher education setting

Desired qualifications and qualities

• Excellent organizational, time management, and planning skills

• Well-developed writing and self-editing skills, with an intense attention to detail

• Track record of working in highly collaborative team settings

• Commitment to tackling new topics and problems with creativity and enthusiasm

• Demonstrated interest in teaching or a track record of excellent teaching, in-person or online, including a passion for helping students visualize and understand complex concepts

• Strong interest in online education and the applications of technology in higher education

• Willingness to teach in new ways, including appearing on camera, writing excellent assessment questions, and creating “whiteboard” style teaching videos

To apply:

To be considered for this position, please email a single pdf document containing: a letter of application that addresses your interest in and qualifications for the position, a curriculum vitae, and a statement of teaching philosophy. Please also send the names and contact information of three references. These references will be contacted early in the application screening process. 

Address applications to Kate McDonnell-Dowling, PhD

Associate Director of Curriculum, HMX

kate_mcdonnell-dowling@hms.harvard.edu