Assistant/Associate Professor & Physician Assistant Learning Specialist, 12 Month Salaried (College of Medicine)

Responsibilities

The Learning Specialist will be responsible for the development, implementation, and assessment of a structured intervention program for physician assistant students who have need of support to achieve academic success. This role requires expertise in the science of learning, strong pedagogical skills, and experience supporting students with academic difficulties in a rigorous academic environment. The specialist will also contribute to educational research and will provide data for curriculum evaluation.

Academic Support and Intervention (Primary Focus – 85%)

• Student Success Program: Develop and execute a structured, evidence-based academic intervention program for PA students in need of academic support. This includes planning and facilitating appropriate activities, as well as developing and monitoring success metrics.
• Small Group Instruction: Lead small group teaching sessions focused on developing metacognitive skills, effective study strategies (e.g., retrieval practice, spaced repetition), time management, test-taking skills, and effective resource utilization specific to the medical curriculum. Collaborate with faculty to integrate basic and clinical science expertise as the context for applying developing cognitive skills.
• Individual Coaching: Provide one-on-one academic coaching as part of higher level personalized intervention plans.
• Assessment and Monitoring: Track student progress, attendance, and outcomes within the intervention program, providing regular reports to the School of Physician Assistant Practice Program Director and other relevant faculty.
• Liaison with Office of Student Counseling Services: Collaborate with faculty in the Office of Student Counseling Services to identify and refer students requiring additional mental health support.

Educational Research and Curriculum Evaluation (10%)

• Research: Participate in scholarly activities and research including the outcomes of the structured intervention program and the efficacy of various instructional and learning strategies.
• Curriculum Evaluation: Provide analytic data on Student Success program participation and outcomes to the Curriculum Committee for curriculum courses and phase reviews. Participate with the Student Success team and with the Student Progress Committee sharing individual student academic progress outcomes.

Service (5%)

Committee participation and service consistent with the College of Medicine mission.

Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree: An earned PhD or EdD from an accredited institution in Education, Cognitive Psychology, Educational Psychology, Educational Neuroscience, Science of Learning, or a closely related field and a record of achievement in teaching, academic research, and service.
• Expertise in Learning Science: Documented background and training in the science of learning, including familiarity with contemporary cognitive load theory, memory retrieval mechanisms, and metacognitive strategies.
• Experience in Academic Support: Experience providing academic support, coaching, or remediation specifically to under-performing PA or medical students or students in other rigorous professional health science programs.
• Program Development: Proven ability to design, implement, and assess structured academic support or intervention programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Academic Support: A minimum of four years of experience providing academic support, coaching, or remediation specifically to under-performing PA or medical students or students in other rigorous professional health science programs.
• Medical Education Experience: Previous experience teaching a basic or foundational science course (e.g., Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology) in a health professional school.
• Board Certification Examination Familiarity: Deep understanding of the content and structure of standardized examinations including PANCE, USMLE Step 1 or other similar examinations to aid students with successful preparation strategies.
• Data Analysis: Experience with quantitative and/or qualitative educational research methods and statistical analysis.

Helpful

The Florida State University College of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated and highly skilled Learning Specialist to join the School of Physician Assistant Practice. This is a critical faculty role to foster the academic success of pre-clinical and clinical year Physician Assistant students.