Because Dr. Robert Athanasiou is scheduled to retire as medical director on June 30, the Office of Student Life is searching nationwide for a new medical director. Three doctors will prescreen candidates, and a recruitment team led by Director of the Union Rick Hartt will sort through resumes and pick the most suitable physician.
The recruitment team consists of 12 people representing different groups throughout campus. Two students, a faculty member, two health services members, and other Rensselaer staff members represent their respective groups. These people in turn will form subcommittees to discuss the viability of the candidates. The members of these subcommittees will be trained on how to review candidates effectively. Human resources will also help the recruitment committee move through the search process.
A thorough review of the candidates is necessary because the medical director affects curricular and co-curricular activities, said Hartt. The medical director has many opportunities to interact with students within the health center as well as through participation in other Rensselaer activities. The committee has a vast array of members representing different groups at Rensselaer to ensure the new director will be attuned to students’ needs. All of the members are students or have regular contact with students.
In addition to basic certifications, New York State certification, and at least five years of progressive experience, the new medical director will be expected “to provide administrative, medical, and clinical leadership to the student health center. The pe`rson has to be sensitive to student needs,” said Hartt.
The committee has already met once to brief its members about the search process. Hartt said that an aggressive schedule will allow a new medical director to be hired before students leave. The committee’s goal was to have resumes to review by March 21, have phone interviews with candidates from the end of March through the beginning of April, and finally have a recommendation by the third week of April for Eddie Knowles, vice president of student life. Eventually, prospective medical directors will be interviewed by the recruitment committee.
Knowles feels confident that the candidate pool will be strong. “For any MD looking to work with a defined population … [this] presents an interesting opportunity for a doctor not working in a campus setting,” he said.
The committee wants to ensure that the new medical director has past experience that will transfer readily to a college environment. Hartt said that the new director needs to understand how to maintain an advising role while taking on a directing role under certain circumstances such as emergencies. The importance of this position also requires that the medical director have a varied skill set and effective communication skills. The committee will evaluate all of the candidates with strict criteria to pick a person who fits best within the Rensselaer campus.
