BACKGROUND: Liberia aims to build a high quality and sustainable health system, but faces a severe deficit of specialist physicians and other health care workers. As a result, the country is developing and implementing a new residency program to train specialist physicians in the initial areas of Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, and General Surgery. The program matriculated its first cohort in September 2013. The program rotates residents between urban, semi-urban, semi-rural and rural training hospitals. Due to limited human resources faculty members are based at institutions but expected to travel on occasion to share expertise across institutions.

 

II. SCOPE OF WORK 

The recruited Pediatrics Department Chair will set the vision and actionable plan for comprehensive delivery of training and clinical care by faculty and residents within the department, work with their colleagues to deliver a context-oriented curriculum, enhance the quality of the postgraduate medical education program, improve the quality of patient care through role modeling, support the sustainability of the training programs, and develop evidence-based clinical care guidelines and a culture of continuous quality improvement.  

 

The Pediatrics Department Chair will report to the Vice President of Physicians. The priorities of the Pediatrics Department Chair will be to represent department on the Faculty Board and Liberia Postgraduate Medical Council, act as the head of personnel (faculty members and residents) within department, set curriculum and schedule educational and clinical rotations, and mentor faculty members and residents within the department. More specifically, the scope of work for the Pediatrics Department Chair includes the following: 

 

Educational/Clinical Responsibilities (70%)

• Coordinate clinical education with Pediatrics Department Chair at A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine and Pediatrics Department Chair at each training hospital

• Develop a system to track and report learning metrics of individual residents

• Lead the development of curriculum and associated pedagogical approaches. 

• Organize and actively participate in seminar-based and clinical teaching in the areas of:

o Clinical core competencies

o General pediatrics

o Preventative medicine and school health

o Developmental and behavioral health

o Emergency and acute care

o Community and social pediatrics

• Support the developmental and professional needs of medical and graduate students, residents, fellows, other health professionals, staff, faculty members and community physicians.

• Engage in co-mentorship with department faculty members to develop clinical and teaching skills.

• Provide periodic on-call support.

• Participate in continuing medical education, including journal clubs.

• Organize and conduct seminars in evidence-based medicine, clinical epidemiology and other focused curricular modules.

• Develop, pilot and implement effective educational tools to enhance learning and teaching.

• Participate in formal, periodic evaluation of residents.

• Assist in development and/or enhancement of clinical guidelines and therapeutic/diagnostic approaches.

 

Research Responsibilities (10%)

• Identify and develop opportunities for collaborative research. 

• Develop and lead collaborative research teams within the training hospital and with partners.

• Produce research papers to be published in peer-reviewed journals

• Provide training and mentorship to faculty members, where applicable, in research methodology. 

 

Administrative Responsibilities (20%)

• Establish a vision for the department and effectively communicate how it contributes to the success of individuals, the College, institution, and profession.

• Enhance the structure and design of clinical training.

• Recommend revision to curricula and modules, where applicable.

• Recruit and retain talented faculty members to fulfill the needs and missions of the Pediatrics Department and College.

• Manage department staff, finances and resources effectively and efficiently, in accord with College policies.

• Develop a faculty mentoring program for the Pediatrics Department

• Support the development and implementation of administrative tools and structures required for residency operations, including the creation of trainee, faculty, and program evaluations tools.

• Set individual faculty member goals specific to talents, interest and responsibilities.

• Conduct formal, periodic evaluation of faculty members, at least annually.

 

III. QUALIFICATIONS

• Board certified or fellows of their respective colleges in the field of Pediatrics.

• Evidence of encouraging and supporting diversity among a Department’s constituents, creating an environment of professionalism, respect, tolerance, and acceptance.

• Demonstrated record of excellent clinical skills, a talent for teaching and interest in medical education.

• Demonstrated record of high quality medical research and leading collaborative research teams.

• Demonstrated ability to balance education, research and clinical care.

• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically, and to work flexibly and independently with multiple reporting relationships.

• Emotional intelligence and personal maturity, enthusiasm for working in a developing country, cultural flexibility and competence, and a passion for improving healthcare delivery. 

• Strategic and innovative thinking skills, and the ability to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

• Experience in evidence-based medicine, quality improvement, data-driven decision making and program evaluation.

• Professional experience in cross-cultural and low-income settings is strongly preferred

• English proficiency required.

 

Enquiries: Liberia Postgraduate Medical Council,

12th Street & Russel Avenue, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia

Tel: 231-(0)-8888-23866

Email: [email protected]