The Offices of Medical Student Education (OMSE) seeks a Clinical Epidemiology Coil Director for the Foundation Phase, with an anticipated start date of July, 1 2026. A coil refers to a longitudinal curricular thread integrated at defined points across multiple courses.
The Offices of Medical Student Education (OMSE) seeks a Clinical Epidemiology Coil Director for the Foundation Phase, with an anticipated start date of July, 1 2026. A coil refers to a longitudinal curricular thread integrated at defined points across multiple courses. The Clinical Epidemiology Coil weaves clinical epidemiology and biostatistics content throughout the 18-month preclinical curriculum.
The Coil Director will be responsible for integrating clinical epidemiology and biostatistics content at designated points across the Foundation Phase curriculum. The Coil Director will collaborate with the nine other foundational science Coil Directors, the Course Directors, the Medical Science Directors, and the administrative team to oversee curricular content, organization, and assessments related to clinical epidemiology. The Coil Director is expected to teach the content through large group interactive sessions, including the Peer Accelerated Learning Session (PALS) model, throughout the Foundation Phase.
The Coil Director must be committed to ongoing curriculum evaluation and continuous quality improvement. This position reports directly to the Medical Science Directors.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Outcomes: Develop, design, and implement coil-level objectives the School of Medicine’s educational objectives and competencies.
- Content and Assessment: Develop curricular content appropriate to the achievement of the SOM’s educational objectives, using USMLE Scholar Rx as the primary content source. Scholar Rx includes Bricks adapted from the second edition of Health Systems Science. Responsibilities include working with the Medical Science Directors to select appropriate NBME exam questions for relevant medical science courses. The Coil Director may also be asked to collaborate with the Case Based Learning (CBL) to incorporate appropriate coil content into existing CBL cases and Clinical Reasoning Exams (CREs).
- Integration and Coordination: Clinical epidemiology content should be meaningfully integrated with the medical science curriculum of the corresponding course in which it is delivered. The Coil Director is expected to actively pursue opportunities for such integration in collaboration with Course Directors.
- Review and Improvement: Participate in regular review and revision of medical science courses in which clinical epidemiology content is taught. Work closely with the Foundation Phase team to continually improve and innovate coil content and strengthen its integration within each relevant medical science course.
- Supervision and Teaching: The Coil Director is expected to teach coil-specific content and work closely with the Medical Science Directors and Course Directors to ensure appropriate horizontal and vertical integration. All coil content will be delivered in a large group setting using the PALS model or other interactive methods agreed upon by the Medical Science team.
- Administrative responsibilities:
- Review and update all teaching materials on an annual basis to ensure content currency.
- Review all Scholar Rx Bricks relevant to the Clinical Epidemiology Coil; work with the Foundation Phase team to modify and select Bricks as appropriate.
- Serve as a voting member on the Foundation Phase Committee.
- Attend all Foundation Phase Committee meetings (currently scheduled for the first Thursday of each month, from 3:30-5:00 pm).
- Implement decisions made at Foundation Phase meetings pertaining to coil content and teaching methodology.
- Hold office hours during courses in which clinical epidemiology content is taught; maintain regular communication with students requiring additional support.
- Attend a minimum of two PALS and one CBL session during Spring 2026, in preparation for teaching responsibilities beginning in Fall 2026.
Qualifications
Required qualifications include the following:
- Expertise in clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated commitment to medical education and continuous curricular improvement.
Preference will be given to candidates who have experience teaching in undergraduate medical education (preclinical curriculum) and familiarity with competency-based curriculum design.
Compensation
The Coil Director will receive 20% salary support, subject to the institution’s educational salary cap, on an annual basis. Salary support will begin July 1, 2026.
Application Process
This is an at-will position; performance will be reviewed annually by the OMSE. Applications must include a curriculum vitae (CV) and a personal statement describing the candidate’s qualifications, teaching philosophy, and interest in this role. Applications and nominations should be submitted to: Kathleen (Kathy) Barnhouse, MD, Assistant Dean for Preclinical Curriculum [Kathleen_Barnhouse@med.unc.edu]. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 24, 2026
By applying, candidates consent to the review of all relevant teaching evaluations. Letters of support from the appropriate division chief or department chair will be solicited from select candidates following an initial application review. Final candidate interviews will take place in May 2026, with a selection expected by the end of May 2026.
Please direct all inquiries regarding this position to Kathy Barnhouse.