Vice Chair, Department of NMM/OMM

Vice Chair, Department of NMM/OMM – WesternU COMP

Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) is conducting a nationwide search for an experienced physician/leader of osteopathic medicine to serve as the next Vice Chair, Department of NMM/OMM. The incoming Vice Chair will lead a dynamic multi-campus faculty and staff dedicated to the common goal of providing students with a strong foundation in clinical medicine using the guiding principles of Osteopathic Medicine.

The ideal candidate for this leadership role is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) with current AOA or ABMS board certification, demonstrating substantial teaching experience, proven academic accomplishments and established program-building expertise.

Required Qualifications

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree.
• Current American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (AOBNMM).
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in teaching and academic leadership in a medical education setting
• Unrestricted California licensure & Unrestricted Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) certificate.

Details

The incoming Vice Chair will represent and lead COMP in every aspect relating to NMM/OMM, requiring key involvement both external and internal to COMP. Externally, the incoming Vice Chair of NMM/OMM will participate in discussions with peer department chairs at other osteopathic colleges and medicals schools and professional organizations to foster and promote a strong working relationship with COMP. Internally, the Vice Chair has many specific duties and responsibilities, including management faculty resource allocation and academic planning/implementation/oversight for the OMM Department. The Vice Chair will also provide leadership and direction for the research efforts and professional development of departmental faculty and collaborate with the Department Chairperson to help meet the mission and goals of COMP.

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.

The role of the Vice Chair 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.

Department of 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.

The Department of NMM/OMM is led by Dr. Rebecca Giusti, Associate Professor & Chair.

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.

Western University of College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP)

COMP remains committed to ushering a new generation of osteopathic physicians who serve their patients with purpose, passion, and proficiency. The faculty and staff at both campuses inspire a shared vision of a student-centered, inter-professional approach to learning with a meaningful emphasis on humanistic health care. We strive to model the way for our students and alumni by being leaders in our profession, our communities, and in the realm of academia. Today’s advanced technology and the ever-growing body of medical knowledge continue to move COMP and COMP-Northwest into a new era of medicine. A vigorous desire to heal combined with their strong medical education makes our students stand apart from the rest. Our students thrive in a culture of patient-focused care because they practice on a foundation of professionalism, benevolence, and respect. They understand that while they practice the art of medicine with their heads, they must never forget to use their hearts.

COMP History

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.

WesternU’s Welcomes New President

Western University welcomed Dr. Farias-Eisner as the third permanent president in its nearly 45-year history on March 1, 2022. Dr. Farias-Eisner joins WesternU most recently from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was the Director of the Henry Lynch Comprehensive Cancer Research Center and Chief Academic Officer in the School of Medicine. He was also Associate Dean of Women’s Health and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the School of Medicine at Creighton.

“I am humbled and honored to be the next president of WesternU,” Dr. Farias-Eisner said. “WesternU’s mission of producing health care professionals in a humanistic tradition instantly drew me to the institution. Not only is WesternU guided by core values that deeply align with mine, but my entire career has been about advocating for equity, inclusion, respect, empathy and trust. I am excited to begin my journey with our campus community and engage with WesternU’s world-class students, faculty, and staff. And I am equally looking forward to connecting and building relationships with our communities in Lebanon, Pomona, and beyond.”

Location

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.