EDITOR’S NOTE:
“Chip” Gerald D. Dodd, MD, is chairing the search committee tasked with finding the next man or woman to lead the Department of Family Medicine (DFM). Dr. Dodd has taken the time to meet with faculty and staff within the department to ask questions and learn about what is important to the DFM team. We sat down with Dodd for a quick review of what to expect over the next few months.
“Chip” Gerald D. Dodd, MD
Professor and Chair
Michael Manco-Johnson Endowed Chair
Department of Radiology
1. You are chairing the search committee tasked with finding the next chair for the Department of Family Medicine. How large is the entire search committee, describe the make-up of the committee and, in general, where do they come from?
Dr. Dodd:
There are 10 members of the committee, 6 women and 4 men from 5 departments including medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, radiology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, and a representative from the Office of Professional Excellence.
2. What is your search time line?
Dr. Dodd:
The job description and advertisement have been broadly placed in Family Medicine journals and job boards, as well as ELAM and multiple diversity sites. I have directly contacted five strong candidates and encouraged them to apply. We have received multiple CVs to date.
The committee will meet the second week in December to review the CVs of applicants to choose approximately 8 candidates for Skype interviews. The interviews will be held the 2nd full week in January.
After the Skype interviews the committee will choose a smaller number of candidates for in person interviews to be conducted shortly thereafter.
After the second set of interviews the committee will present a list of 3-5 candidates for the Dean’s consideration.
All activities up to this point are confidential. The Dean will then bring some of the candidates back to the campus for more extensive interviews.
The goal is to have the new Chair start next summer.
3. What are you, as a committee, looking for in a new chair for DFM? And, how much is your focus grounded in input from and knowledge of the department?
Dr. Dodd:
I and some of the members of the committee have held 5-meetings with members of the Department of Family Medicine to gain knowledge about the department and receive input regarding the desired qualities of the next chair.
Specific desired qualities/perspectives include: visionary, self-assured, ability to work with and rely on other strong leaders, active clinically, nationally known, open to learning and adapting, great interpersonal skills, strong mentor, understand and support the broad community engagement the department has created, a deep understanding of health policy and how it impacts the department/specialty, value the entire team of people needed in and out of the department, ability to support and expand existing relationships with our hospital partners and the community throughout the state, ability to support a broad research portfolio, and have a keen interest in a quality educational program.
4. From your perspective, what, if anything, makes this search different from others? Is there anything about our department that makes this search less than run-of-the-mill?
Dr. Dodd:
The fact that the department is one of the best in the country should draw a strong pool of applicants. The recruitment of an excellent chair is essential to the continued success of the department.
5. What is your message to DFM faculty and staff who may be apprehensive about this process and the ultimate transition to a new chair?
Dr. Dodd:
The search committee is committed to finding a terrific new chair and with the excellent reputation of the department should be successful.