Health Professions Coordinator

UMass Boston•Boston, MA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Health Professions Coordinator provides strategic leadership and university-wide direct support for undergraduate students across five colleges, as well as UMass Boston alumni, who are exploring or preparing for careers in health-related professions. The position is based in the College of Science and Mathematics and serves as the central institutional lead for inclusive, interdisciplinary health professions pathways, and reports to the Dean of the College. The Coordinator designs, leads, and evaluates high impact programming and mentoring frameworks that support student access, preparation, and successful progression into health professions, including but not limited to medicine (MD/DO), nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, physical and occupational therapy, optometry, podiatry, veterinary medicine, and physician assistant careers. This role collaborates closely with faculty, university-wide student success and career units, student organizations, and internal and external partners to ensure coordinated, equitable, and data informed pathways. The Coordinator exercises a high degree of independent judgment, programmatic leadership, and cross college coordination in advancing institutional goals related to student success, access, and post graduate outcomes in healthcare fields. The position is pivotal for strengthening student recruitment and success at UMass Boston and entry into competitive health profession careers.

Requirements

PhD. in a Life Sciences discipline, preferably with some pre-health focus
Nine years of relevant experience in higher education, student advising, academic program development, health professions preparation, or a closely related area
Teaching experience in a classroom setting including demonstrated ability to communicate complex scientific, academic, or professional preparation concepts to undergraduate students
Ability to work with faculty and advising units across colleges to coordinate student support, align pathway expectations, and advance shared student success goals
Strong emphasis on holistic advising, student success and data-informed programming in support of health professions pathways
Positive, can-do, supportive, encouraging mindset
Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize work
Demonstrated organizational ability and strong attention to detail
High degree of initiative, self-direction and resourcefulness
Strong oral and written communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills
Strong commitment to student support and success
Strong commitment to university and student service

Nice To Haves

Prior mentoring experience and/or teaching experience in a college or university setting is strongly preferred
Previous mentoring interactions and working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and interests strongly preferred
Prior experience with evaluation methods and data management is preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the university‑wide lead for undergraduate and alumni health professions pathways, providing strategic direction, coordination, and continuous improvement across colleges, academic departments and student support units
Design, implement, and assess comprehensive pathway models that integrate academic preparation, experiential learning, mentoring, and professional development to support student progression toward competitive health professions programs
Develop scalable programming that supports students at varying stages of readiness, including early exploration, competitive preparation, and application phases, with attention to equity, access, and measurable student outcomes
Establish clear frameworks, timelines, and milestones aligned with diverse health professions requirements and communicate these expectations to students, faculty, advisors, and campus partners
Provide direct and programmatic support for undergraduate students across five colleges as well as UMB alumni interested in exploring careers in healthcare-related fields
Develop and implement structured advising processes, tools, and resources to streamline pathways and applications to programs in healthcare careers
Mentor students from historically underrepresented, first‑generation, and non‑traditional backgrounds to reduce barriers to health professions access and promote equitable preparation for competitive application processes
Support students and alumni to make decisions around feasible healthcare career options based on academic preparation, professional goals, experiential readiness, and program requirements
Promote student understanding of application timeline and processes, including exploration of suitable schools, entrance test preparation, personal statement guidance, application submission, identification of appropriate references, and interview preparation
Help current students and alumni develop a competitive portfolio to support their applications, including research, experiential opportunities, professional development, and conference abstracts
Support students in understanding prerequisite sequencing, experiential expectations, competitive benchmarks, and professional norms across health disciplines
Develop student acumen in cover letter writing, scientific resume development, personal and scientific research statements, and professional communication related to health professions applications
Provide a customized university cover letter, as appropriate, to support student applications
Partner with faculty across CSM and other colleges to align course offerings, experiential learning, and pathway preparation with health professions requirements and student progression needs
Collaborate with university‑wide advising, career services, enrollment management, student success, and graduate/professional school pipeline units to promote coordinated services, consistent messaging, and effective student referrals
Serve as a liaison to student organizations related to health careers, supporting leadership development and coordinated programming that advances student engagement, preparation, and community-building
Represent UMass Boston in cross‑institutional, regional, and professional health pathway networks and cultivate partnerships that expand student access to information, mentorship, and experiential opportunities
Develop and lead workshops, seminars, and cohort‑based programs on health professions preparation, application readiness, and professional competencies that address student needs across multiple stages of pathway development
Coordinate exposure opportunities including panels, site visits, alumni engagement, shadowing, and external partnerships to expand student awareness of health careers and strengthen readiness for professional pathways
Support development of research, clinical, service‑learning, and internship pipelines aligned with health careers in collaboration with faculty, campus partners, alumni, and external organizations
Collect, analyze, and report data related to participation, outcomes, persistence, and post‑graduate placement to evaluate program effectiveness and inform decision-making
Use data to identify equity gaps, inform program refinement, and support institutional planning related to health professions pathways and student success outcomes
Maintain documentation, tracking systems, and reporting structures to ensure accountability and transparency and continuity of pathway operations
Develop and maintain pathway resources, digital content, and communication materials that provide clear, accurate, and accessible information for students, alumni, faculty, and partners
Lead outreach and recruitment efforts to ensure broad awareness and access across colleges and strengthen UMass Boston’s visibility as a pathway for students pursuing health professions careers
Communicate clearly with students, faculty, and partners regarding expectations, timelines, and opportunities to support coordinated engagement and informed participation
Supervise student employees, peer mentors, or graduate assistants as assigned and provide training, guidance, and oversight to support program delivery
Oversee day‑to‑day operational aspects of health professions pathway initiatives, including scheduling, logistics, and coordination of programs, events, communications, and student-facing services
Manage special initiatives, pilots, or externally funded projects aligned with health professions preparation from planning through implementation and assessment
Perform other related duties as assigned