The Iowa City VAMC is seeking a physician to serve as the Co-Director for the VA Advanced Fellowship Senior Physician Scholar/Program. Support for 10% effort will be provided.

The Iowa City VAMC provides a premier training program dedicated to developing clinicians and scientists with health services expertise to support the expansion of high-quality health services research and development at local and national levels.

The VA Advanced Fellowship in Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) is designed to provide two years of post-residency, post-doctoral research, education, and clinical learning opportunities to eligible physician, dentist, nursing, and associated health professionals. The Advanced Fellowship program is essential to fostering system transformation and developing the Learning Health System (LHS) workforce needed in the future.

[Read our story about the launch of this fellowship at Iowa in 2021.]

Required qualifications for the Program Co-Director include: MD degree or equivalent, active license to practice in the medical field, prior research, mentoring experiences, and a demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed publications in a health services research focused on one or more of the 8 LHS competencies:

1. System Science;
2. Research Questions and Standards of Scientific Evidence;
3. Research Methods;
4. Informatics;
5. Ethics of Research and Implementation in Health Systems;
6. Improvement and Implementation Science;
7. Engagement, Leadership, and Research Management;
8. Health Equity

Prior/current grant support in health services research and/or implementation is desired. Formal training in medical education (e.g., MME), prior knowledge of the VA healthcare system and learning health system competencies are favored. Candidates are expected to have at least three to five years post-graduate training.

The Program Co-Director-MD will work with the current Program Co-Director-PhD to lead the Iowa City Advanced Fellowship program. Expectations of the Advanced Fellowship Program Co-Director include participating in:

• Recruitment of Fellows – with a focus on recruiting physicians
• Provision of direct mentorship and/or facilitation of mentoring for fellows
• Attendance at one national meeting for the program (travel support provided by the VA when available)
• Preparation of an annual summary report
• Facilitation of new fellow onboarding (typically late June/July)
• Participation in didactic sessions and regular meetings with fellows
• Management of the IC Advanced Fellowship program and development of local curriculum
• Assistance with grant preparation if program sites are recompeted
• Coordination of fellows clinical care (for clinicians) or health care system improvement activities (for non-clinicians) with the Iowa City VAMC

Support for the position is provided by a 5-year grant through September 30, 2027. Appointment is subject to approval of the VA Office of Academic Affiliations.

Questions about the position: Please contact Michelle Mengeling, PhD – Advanced Fellowship Co-Director at michelle.mengeling@va.gov

To apply, send current CV and a one-page letter of interest to michelle.mengeling@va.gov by 9/30/2023.

[Related: Read testimonials from the first fellows at Iowa on the program.]