Associate Professor, Department of NMM/OMM – WesternU COMP

Associate Professor (Open Rank Faculty) Department of NMM/OMM

The role of Associate Professor in the Department of NMM/OMM is to train students according to the COMP Mission Statement. This is accomplished through excellence in curriculum, translational research, service and osteopathic clinical practice. The faculty member is expected to mentor and be a role model for students.

Required Qualifications

• Doctor of Osteopathy Degree
• Evidence in the application of osteopathic principles and philosphy and OMT in clinical practice
• Experience of 2-3 years in Family Medicine or other specialty
• Unrestricted State Medical License & Unrestricted Drug Enforcement Agency certificate
• Academic Qualifications necessary to qualify at the rank of Associate Professor

Preferred Qualifications

• Board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, or other specialty board
• Preference may be given to individuals possessing residency training in NMM/OMM and/or ONMM
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)

About the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP)Â

The mission of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) is to prepare students to become technically competent, culturally sensitive, professional and compassionate physicians who are lifelong learners and will serve society by providing comprehensive, patient-centered healthcare with the distinctive osteopathic philosophy.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

The successful Associate Professor applicant must possess these knowledge, skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• Able and willing to practice NMM/OMM as an adjunct to primary care medicine.Â
• Ability to communicate effectively with others, in person, in writing, and via other electronic means, such as telephone, email, and the internet
• Ability to interact effectively with administration, faculty, staff, and students
• Must possess strong organizational, management, and administrative abilities
• Have demonstrated proficiency in the field of Osteopathic Princioles and Practice

Essential Job Duties

• 10% Develops an integrated approach to osteopathic medical education between the Department of NMM/OMM and Western University of Health Sciences’ (WesternU) faculty, staff and administration.
• 10% Assists with integrating OPP into all aspects of the four-year academic curriculum at WesternU.
• 10% Participates in the first- and second-year didactic programs as a lecturer.
• 10% Participates as a facilitator in the third and fourth year clinical rotations programs as assigned.
• 10% Receives training as the OMSI discipline lead and curriculum with the eventual assumption of the OMSI discipline lead or co-discipline lead position.
• 5% Participates in professional organizations as assigned to represent Western U and the Department of NMM/OMM (e.g., AAO, AOA, Osteopathic Cranial Academy, etc.).
• 5% Provides service to the University and Community whenever possible.
• 5% Participates in community health projects as schedule by COMP, i.e. Community Driven Physicals, Health Screening, Health Fairs, etc.
• 20% Administers healthcare to the public, and to employees and students at WesternU, while instructing students in the clinic who are on their clinical rotations at the University’s patient care clinics and utilizes NMM/OMM as an integral component of the care provided.
• 10% Responsible for maintaining intellectual integrity and striving for academic excellence in his/her teaching.
• 5% Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so classified. The University/College reserves the right to add or change duties at any time, such as, participation in community health projects.

Physical Demands

Do the essential functions of this job require lifting? Yes

If yes, list maximum weight and duration

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by any employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms and stoop. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Duties are normally performed in a typical office or medical setting. The noise level in this setting is usually loud due to working in an open area.

Department of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (NMM/OMM)

The mission of the Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Medicine (NMM/OMM) Department at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) & COMP-Northwest is threefold:

• To educate and train current and future healthcare professionals in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine,
• To research Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine,
• To promote Osteopathic patient care.

NMM/OMM Pre Doctoral Teaching Fellowship Program

The Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Pre Doctoral Teaching Fellowship Program is a twelve-month training program integrated within the student’s third and fourth clinical clerkship years. An additional year is added to the student’s osteopathic medical training to accommodate his/her clinical clerkship and fellowship obligations. The fellowship program affords students the opportunity to teach the science and art of osteopathic principles and practice (OPP). It also allows the interested student to practice and perfect his/her skills while working under supervision of experienced osteopathic physicians.

The goals of the fellowship program are to help develop future osteopathic physicians who:

• Have the ability to teach applications of osteopathic philosophy and principles in practice
• Have advanced skills in osteopathic diagnosis and manipulative treatment
• Contribute to advancing the discipline of neuromuscular medicine/osteopathic manipulative medicine through education, research and clinical practice

The NMM/OMM PDT Fellows are respected members of the teaching, research, and service team in COMP’s NMM/OMM Department. The position requires a strong commitment to the department faculty, peers, patients, and to the students who depend heavily upon the Fellows’ assistance and expertise.

Western University of Health Sciences

For 40 years, Western University of Health Sciences has had a special mission: Educating tomorrow’s health-care professionals with a combination of scientific excellence and a humanistic, compassionate approach to patient care. WesternU is one of the largest graduate schools for the health professions in California. Alumni rank among the top leaders in health care and medicine throughout the country and the world.

The University is home to more than 3,800 students in nine health sciences colleges and 20 degree programs, as well as more than 1,100 employees, and its main campus in Southern California is one of the most thriving enterprises in the Pomona and Inland valleys. WesternU Pomona, encompassing 22 acres, has helped transform downtown Pomona into a thriving mix of retail, commercial and educational enterprises.

The University also operates an osteopathic medical campus in the Pacific Northwest, in Lebanon, Oregon. This campus, known as COMP-Northwest, welcomed its inaugural class of 107 osteopathic medical students in July 2011, and has grown to more than 400.

All of the health care programs have professional accreditations, and the University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

WesternU – Colleges & Degrees

• College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (founding college)
  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• College of Health Sciences
  • HS, PA, PT, OT
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
  • Master of Science (MS) in Health Sciences
  • Master of Science (MS) in Physician Assistant Studies
  • Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
• College of Pharmacy
  • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
  • Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• College of Graduate Nursing
  • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
  • Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN/FNP)
  • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
  • Master of Science Nursing Entry (MSN-E)
  • Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate
  • Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) Certificate
• College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
• College of Dental Medicine
  • Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
• College of Optometry
  • Doctor of Optometry (OD)
• College of Podiatric Medicine
  • Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
• Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
  • Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS)
  • Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)

History of WesternU

Western University of Health Sciences embarked on a special mission when it opened its doors in 1977 as the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP): educating tomorrow’s health care professionals with a combination of scientific excellence and a humanistic, compassionate approach to patient care.

From an inaugural class of 36 students in 1978, enrollment in the College grew to more than 400 by 1986. That same year, the addition of the Master of Science in Health Professions Education program paved the way for what would become the College of Health Sciences. Meanwhile, the University continued acquiring former Pomona Mall buildings, remodeling them and converting them to educational use.

The campus kept growing over the next decade, with enrollment jumping dramatically in 1996, when the addition of a College of Pharmacy coincided with the campus’s name change to Western University of Health Sciences.

1998 was another landmark year for WesternU, as the College of Graduate Nursing was founded in March, and the College of Veterinary Medicine – the first veterinary college in Southern California, and still one of only two such colleges in the state – was established just five months later.

Western’s first foundation-up construction project, the Veterinary Clinical Center, opened its doors in August 2008. One year later, the University welcomed inaugural classes in three new colleges — Dental Medicine, Optometry, and Podiatric Medicine. In conjunction with that academic expansion, the University further expanded the physical campus, erecting a 180,000-square-foot Health Education Center, a Patient Care Center, and a 600-car parking garage. A ninth school, the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences, welcomed its inaugural class in January 2010.

College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) – History

The College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), was established in 1977 as a direct and important response to a critical shortage of primary care physicians in the western United States. Philip Pumerantz, PhD, accepted the invitation of the college’s board of directors to become the founding president in September of 1977. In January 1978, COMP received pre-accreditation status from the American Osteopathic Association. Provisional accreditation status was achieved in July of 1978 and full accreditation in February 1982. In August of 1996, in order to better reflect its stature, COMP was restructured into a university with a new name: Western University of Health Sciences.

Learn about some of the exciting opportunities happening at the Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) by visiting their website link here. 

Location – Pomona, CA

Pomona, CA is a city of approximately 150,000 people located in the Pomona Valley of California, approximately 30 miles east of Los Angeles. The climate is Mediterranean with a large amount of year-round sunshine. The area is known for frequent city-wide activities including farmers markets, hikes/trails, classic home tours, etc. While the overall cost of living in Pomona is nearly 12% lower and housing costs are a substantial 28% lower than the California average.