About the role
Position Summary
The Assistant Director of Career & Experiential Learning for Clinical Healthcare Pathways supports the advising, experiential learning, and pathway development efforts for students pursuing clinical healthcare careers, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and related health professions. Reporting to the Director of the Health Professions Advisory Office, this role integrates advising, experiential learning, mentorship, and employer/community engagement into a coordinated student experience that supports progression from exploration through professional school application and placement. The Assistant Director plays a key role in helping students identify and access clinical experiences, mentorship opportunities, healthcare-related service, and experiential learning opportunities that strengthen readiness for competitive healthcare pathways and professional training programs.
About the Work Unit
Career Advancement and Engagement (CAE) connects Vanderbilt students with meaningful career opportunities through advising, experiential learning, employer partnerships, and industry engagement. The division is transitioning to a pathway-based model that integrates advising, experiential learning, and employer engagement across key industries and professional pathways.
Within this structure, healthcare pathway leaders support students pursuing both clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers through coordinated advising, experiential learning, alumni engagement, and employer/community partnerships. This integrated model helps students connect academic preparation to healthcare professions while expanding access to meaningful experiences and professional opportunities.
Key Functions and Expected Performance
Student Advising & Career Preparation
Provide individual and group advising to students pursuing clinical healthcare profession
Support students in navigating healthcare career exploration, experiential preparation, and professional school application planning
Help students develop professional narratives, application readiness, and long-term pathway clarity
Guide students through milestone progression from exploration through application and placement
Experiential Learning Integration
Connect students to clinical, service-based, research, and community healthcare experiences
Support development and coordination of experiential learning opportunities aligned with healthcare pathway goals
Help students translate healthcare experiences into professional competencies and application readiness
Coordinate with healthcare providers, faculty, and community partners to expand experiential opportunities
Mentorship & Community Engagement
Support development of healthcare mentorship and alumni engagement initiatives
Build and maintain relationships with healthcare organizations, providers, and community partners
Assist in connecting students with physicians, healthcare professionals, alumni, and mentors
Support pathway-specific events, panels, and experiential programming
Programming & Student Engagement
Develop workshops, panels, and programming related to healthcare pathway preparation and readiness
Support student organizations and pathway-based engagement initiatives
Assist with communication and dissemination of healthcare-related opportunities and experiences
Contribute to pathway-specific resource development and student education material
Data, Outcomes & Continuous Improvement
Track student engagement, experiential participation, and pathway progression
Support reporting related to healthcare pathway participation and outcomes
Identify opportunities to improve student access, engagement, and readiness
Assist in developing scalable approaches to healthcare advising and experiential learning
Supervisory Relationships
This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility but may oversee student workers, mentors, or program participants connected to healthcare pathway initiatives.
This position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of HPAO
Education and Certifications Bachelor’s degree required Master’s degree in higher education, counseling, public health, healthcare administration, student affairs, or related field preferred
Experience and Skills
Minimum 3–5 years of experience in healthcare advising, higher education, student development, experiential learning, or related fields required
Understanding of clinical healthcare professions and professional school pathways preferred
Experience supporting students pursuing healthcare careers or professional school preparation preferred
Strong advising, coaching, relationship-building, and communication skills required
Experience coordinating experiential learning, mentorship, or healthcare-related programming preferred
Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and coordinate across academic and healthcare environments
Familiarity with career management platforms and student engagement systems preferred
Commitment to student development, equity of access, and pathway-based student support required