Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine was established in 2012 upon a robust foundation of collaboration between Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo's two teaching health systems – Beacon Kalamazoo and Bronson Healthcare, which includes Bronson Children’s Hospital.

Opportunity

At Western Michigan University Homer Styker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed), the Department Chair provides academic Leadership for the discipline. The chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine reports directly to the Dean, President, and CEO of WMed. The Chair of Family and Community Medicine provides strategic and operational leadership for the department, guiding a team of faculty, staff, residents, fellows, and learners. The Chair serves as a role model in clinical practice, teaching, research, and service while championing the department’s mission of advancing health equity for all in southwest Michigan. The role includes recruiting, mentoring, and developing faculty, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation, and ensuring the quality of educational programs for medical students, residents, and fellows. The Chair provides leadership in clinical programs, oversees practice sites and partnerships with affiliates, encourages faculty and learner participation in research, and represents the department and medical school regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Chair role is 0.3 FTE, with continued engagement in clinical care, teaching, and scholarly pursuits. The position requires a leader of national stature with a proven record of accomplishment. The chair must serve as a role model for and represent both faculty and learners. 

Responsibilities include:

• The Chair will oversee the department’s educational programs for medical students, residents, and fellows, ensuring that content, delivery, and assessment align with accreditation standards and offer exceptional learning experiences.
• The Chair will also promote innovation in curriculum and program development, working collaboratively with other department chairs, program directors, and educational leaders.
• In clinical practice, the Chair will act as a physician champion for the medical school’s programs, providing oversight of clinical activities across multiple practice sites, including federally qualified health centers. Building and maintaining effective partnerships with hospital affiliates, faculty throughout the community, and other stakeholders is a central aspect of the role. Maintains and leads a department that fosters and supports a large interdisciplinary community of faculty educators, residents, and students.
• In addition to education and clinical care, the Chair will foster and expand the department’s research and scholarly portfolio. This includes encouraging and supporting faculty, residents, and students in research projects, modeling active participation in scholarly activity, and assisting faculty in pursuing funding and collaborative opportunities.
• The Chair will also oversee the department’s processes for evaluating research proposals, ensuring the quality and impact of scholarly work, and disseminating results through presentations and publications.
• Responsible for the recruitment, mentorship, administrative supervision, and evaluation of all employed, contracted, and volunteer faculty in the Department.
• Oversees curricular enhancements through implementation of adult learning principles and integration of advanced technologies into curriculum delivery by the biomedical science faculty.
• Develop interdisciplinary research teams that will produce significant and innovative research.
• Participates in the evaluation of the basic science curriculum.
• Serves at the pleasure of the dean of the medical school.
• Demonstrates the highest level of personal and professional commitment, enthusiasm, integrity, and support of the medical school and its mission, vision, and values.
• Aligns the department with all aspects of the medical school; and strives to achieve excellence in all aspects of department operations.

Qualifications

• MD or DO degree with a minimum of eight years of clinical experience required.
• Board certified in Family Medicine and be eligible for medical licensure in the State of Michigan.
• Meets qualifications for appointment at Full Professor at WMed.

About Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed)

We are committed to excellence and health equity through transformative medical education, high-quality, patient- and family-centered care, innovative research, and community partnerships within a welcoming, supportive, and engaging culture. Our vision is health equity for all in Southwest Michigan through innovation in the practice and study of medicine.

The medical school is a collaboration of Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo's two teaching health systems, Beacon and Bronson Healthcare. The medical school is a private nonprofit corporation supported by private gifts, clinical revenues, research activities, tuition, and endowment income. WMed is the recipient of a $100 million foundational gift and the Empowering Futures Gift, a philanthropic commitment of $300 million to support the mission of the medical school. WMed contributes to the economic vitality of Southwest Michigan through the services we provide, as well as the creation of 1,600 new jobs, with an estimated annual economic impact of $353 million in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties.

WMed is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Higher Learning Commission. The medical school offers a comprehensive, innovative four-year Doctor of Medicine degree program as well as a Master of Science degree program in Biomedical Sciences. We train physicians in 10 residencies and four fellowships accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. To support our educational mission, we have Joint Accreditation for interprofessional continuing education, which incorporates accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

WMed Health is the clinical practice of the medical school with more than 300 providers offering comprehensive primary care and specialty services in several locations throughout the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek areas. Faculty in the Department of Pathology serve as the Office of the Medical Examiner for counties throughout Michigan and northern Indiana.

The W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus located in downtown Kalamazoo serves as the primary educational facility with student study and social spaces, team-based learning halls, faculty and administrative offices, a state-of-the-art Simulation Center accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, basic science research labs, as well as toxicology and forensic pathology labs.

WMed builds upon Kalamazoo’s century-long foundation of drug discovery and medical device development with a strategic investment in clinical, laboratory, community, and educational research. The Center for Immunobiology, Center for Clinical Research, Research Histology Lab, Innovation Center, and Human Research Protection Program contribute to the medical school’s advancement of knowledge through innovation and discovery. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer in compliance with applicable State and Federal law.