GME Education Specialist

Department

BSD SUR - Education

About the Department

Operating since 1927 on a strong foundation of multidisciplinary clinical and academic excellence, the University of Chicago Department of Surgery's mission is to meet the most challenging and complex health problems on both a local and global scale. Many of our faculty members are known for their contributions to the advancement of groundbreaking surgical procedures and techniques, including minimally invasive surgery. In addition to our department's clinical work, our scientists pursue a diverse range of basic, translational, and clinical research projects, including studies on the gut microbiome, tissue bioengineering, stem cell research, cancer, and immunotolerance. This ongoing work and achievement would not be possible without the cohesive effort and commitment of the faculty and staff. We are looking for high energy, collaborative individuals who share our commitment to improving the health of patients in the community and beyond.

The General Surgery residency program, for which this Education Specialist position serves as a full-time Program Coordinator, is one of the University of Chicago Medicine’s largest residencies. As a flagship program, and a parent program to several specialty Fellowships, General Surgery’s continued accreditation plays an integral role in the success of the Department.

Job Summary

The General Surgery Education Specialist would serve as an integral member of the program leadership team, supporting the Program Director and Associate Program Directors in the administration of the General Surgery Residency training program at UChicago Medicine. The Education Specialist oversees daily operations of the Residency program, leads process improvement initiatives, enhances the learner experience, and partners with institutional stakeholders to ensure operational excellence and compliance. This role is highly collaborative and will work with the Education Manager and Education team in the Department of Surgery, sharing best practices and exploring innovations within medical education. This position requires a high level of organization and accountability to ensure all trainee, programmatic, departmental, institutional, and national requirements are met and maintained.

Responsibilities

• Regulatory Compliance: Maintains up-to-date and in-depth knowledge of program requirements from the ACGME and the American Board of Surgery. Ensures trainees meet clinical and professional expectations, monitoring work hours and case logs via MedHub and ACGME ADS. Interprets and applies ACGME, GME, and hospital policies to support compliance, including proper procedure for licensing, moonlighting, annual contracts, and credentialing. Prepares, edits, and maintains letters of agreement for off-site rotations, related malpractice extensions, and program change proposals to GME. Maintains records for and participates in site visits and internal reviews. Understands the curriculum, educational goals, policies, and standards of the program. Maintains program handbooks and trainee resources.

• Administration: Provides support and meets regularly with the program director concerning program management issues, activities, and projects. Maintains databases with trainee, faculty, and alumni data. Develops and distributes monthly/yearly schedules, maintained in MedHub. Evaluates and standardizes office procedures and effectively troubleshoots and resolves issues. Attends internal GME and Education meetings. May participate in the Department’s Education Strategy committee. Independently communicates to outside organizations, including but not limited to ACGME and GME, regarding complex regulatory matters.

• Trainee Support: Provides administrative supervision and support to trainees. Functions as a liaison between residents, departments, attending physicians, administration, and outside institutions. Advocates for and actively supports the well-being of General Surgery residents. Manages materials for specialty-specific trainee exams and assists with proctoring exams. Supports or creates individual learning plans as needed. Fields questions and assists trainees in day-to-day challenges.

• Budgets & Financial: Tracks and processes resident reimbursements, collaborating with Section administration on program budgets. Responsible for recurring purchases for the training program and processing trainee reimbursement requests. Identifies and evaluates methods for improving workflow and cost effectiveness.

• Trainee Recruitment: Coordinates all aspects of annual recruitment and MATCH processes, including oversight of ERAS and Thalamus, as well as planning and coordinating candidate interviews, related social events, creating marketing materials, and maintaining program website(s). Assists Program Leadership with application management and review, ‘rank list’ entry, and certification in the National Residency Matching Program.

• Evaluation: Facilitates the evaluative processes of the trainees, program, faculty, and rotations. Conducts internal and external program evaluations and improvement surveys. Researches, compiles, and analyzes data concerning program performance.

• Human Resources: Oversees department-level trainee orientation, and corresponds with new trainees about on-boarding requirements and credentialing. Verifies trainee status and activities as needed. May screen program applicants for compliance with prerequisites.

• Event Coordination: Organizes meetings and prepares and distributes materials for conferences and lectures. Collaborates with Section Administration on Section Education events and the planning and coordination of the Graduation event. Duties include coordinating catering, room reservations, preparing schedules and itineraries, and communicating with guests.

• Supervision: Provides administrative supervision and guidance to trainees regarding administrative issues, due dates, and deadlines. May guide and train new coordinators.

• Coordinates and interprets requirements of the training program, including accreditation, duty schedules, evaluation process, resident/fellowship recruitment, Match process, orientation and employees relations.

• Has a moderate/high level of authority in reporting and ensuring compliance with procedures regarding licensing, moonlighting, annual contracts, and initial and re-credentialing of trainees.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Graduate degree in a related job discipline, including public health, education, or administration strongly preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years in a GME or UME capacity strongly preferred.

• CAMEG certification highly regarded.

​Preferred Competencies

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.

• A high degree of demonstrable competence in basic office management platforms, including Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, and Zoom. Basic web building and Canva use strongly preferred.

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations and information with absolute discretion.

• Ability to maintain calm and courteous demeanor and to work productively despite heavy workload, competing priorities, complex problems, and tight deadlines.

• Excellent problem-solving skills.

• Complex event management and organization skills.

• Ability to use appropriate resources to resolve an issue.

• Ability to follow an issue through to resolution.

• Considerable skill in working both independently and as a team member.

• Ability to take initiative, organize, and complete projects with minimal supervision.

Working Conditions

• Office Environment.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover Letter (preferred)

Job Family

Healthcare & Medical Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$60,000.00 - $90,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

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