Director of Learner Development; DOLD

About the Job

Position Overview: The Director of the Office of Learner Development (DOLD) is a senior academic and administrative leader responsible for the design, execution, and continuous improvement of the medical school's comprehensive learner development, performance optimization, and wellbeing strategy across all campuses. The role exercises independent professional judgment and serves as the institutional authority on learner development, academic progression support, and wellbeing-informed educational practices within Undergraduate Medical Education (UME).

The Director establishes institutional standards, policies, and frameworks that promote academic success, milestone achievement, professional identity formation, and psychological wellbeing for a diverse medical student population. Drawing on expertise in learning science, assessment, and mental health-informed education, the DOLD guides system-level decision‑making related to learner support, remediation, and progression.

Guided by a three-stage public health-informed prevention model, the DOLD directs and oversees institution-wide primary, secondary, and tertiary learner development initiatives, ensuring consistency, equity, and effectiveness across campuses and phases of training. The Director partners with UME leadership to integrate learner development into curricular, assessment, and accreditation systems and to respond to emerging risks affecting learner performance and wellbeing.

Strategic Accountabilities:

• Establish and oversee a comprehensive, school-wide learner development framework that promotes academic performance, professional formation, and wellbeing for all medical students
• Direct all learner wellbeing strategy, programming, and evaluation across UME, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and accreditation standardsE
• Provide executive oversight of the embedded counseling program, including scope of services, ethical practice boundaries, supervision structures, and integration with learner development and academic support systems
• Design, implement, and continuously refine institution-wide educational interventions supporting learner transitions and preparation for high‑stakes assessments (Stage 1: Primary Prevention)
• Establish systems for monitoring learner performance, wellbeing, and progression risk, and direct targeted interventions to optimize outcomes (Stage 2: Secondary Prevention)
• Advise and support peer‑based learner development and wellbeing and mental health programs
• Exercise delegated authority to design, recommend, and oversee remediation and recovery pathways for learners with academic or professionalism concerns (coursework, examinations, milestone assessments, professionalism, and USMLE Step exams) (Stage 3: Tertiary Prevention)
• Evaluate outcomes of remediation and learner development interventions (e.g., subsequent academic performance, committee outcomes, Match success)
• Coordinate learner development services across campuses, including collaboration with Duluth campus learner development staff
• Serve as a central resource for learners, faculty, and staff regarding on‑ and off‑campus support services

Education and Training (Stage 1: primary prevention): The DOLD leads the strategic design and governance of learner development education across the UME continuum, identifying critical transition points, defining institutional expectations, and ensuring consistency across campuses and programs. Responsibilities include the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of institution-wide programming related to:

• Test‑taking strategies and performance optimization
• Wellbeing, stress management, and sustainable learning practices
• Preparation for USMLE Step examinations
• MS1 orientation and transition programming
• Clerkship transition programming (MS2)
• Residency application, Match preparation, and commencement transitions (MS3/4)

The DOLD also provides consultation, education, and training for faculty and staff regarding learner development, academic challenges, and wellbeing concerns, supporting a shared responsibility for learner success (LCME 11.3).

Direct Learner…