Assistant or Associate Professor in the Anatomy Department

Faculty Position Call
Anatomy Department - Division of Surgery 
School of Medicine
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

The School of Medicine invites outstanding candidates for a full-time academic position as an Assistant or Associate Professor in the Anatomy Department

Main Purpose

The main objective of this position is to develop and continuously improve educational programs in the Department of Anatomy, with a focus on promoting academic excellence and strengthening practical skills of undergraduate and postgraduate students in various careers of the Faculty of Medicine. The essential mission of this position is to lead and enrich the educational experience, ensuring alignment with the highest academic and professional standards, promoting applied research, encouraging cooperation between different disciplines, and extending the department's reach to the community and other educational entities. Likewise, the position aims to prepare students for their future professions in the healthcare sector, creating an academic environment that goes beyond the mere transmission of information, focusing on integral growth and professional preparation of students, and supporting their successful transition to future careers in the healthcare field.

Main challenges

• Design of innovative didactic material: Creating and adapting didactic materials that are both informative and attractive, taking advantage of digital and visual resources to facilitate the understanding of complex Anatomy concepts.
• Diversity of students: Adapting teaching strategies to meet the diversity of learning styles of students, ensuring that all can achieve a deep understanding of Anatomy.
• Effective evaluation: Developing evaluation methods that accurately measure student learning and comprehension, providing constructive feedback that promotes their academic and professional development.
• Promotion of teaching and research projects: Leading teaching and research projects related to Anatomy, promoting critical thinking and the scientific method, and encouraging students to participate in them.
• Leading and collaborating to develop independent research in the field of morphology or related disciplines, leading to the generation of new knowledge with projection on human health.
• Research resource management: Ensuring the efficient acquisition and management of funds and resources allocated to research in Anatomy, improving opportunities for innovative projects.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration: Working together with professionals from other disciplines within the Faculty to develop an integrative approach to teaching Anatomy, enriching the clinical and applied context of the subject.

Technical competences

• Expertise in Anatomy: possessing a deep and up-to-date knowledge of human anatomy, including its clinical applications.
• Pedagogical skills in Higher Education: demonstrating effective competencies in teaching and learning methodologies tailored to the university level, including strategies to foster active participation and critical thinking in students.
• Curriculum and educational materials design: skills to develop and structure curriculum programs, as well as create innovative and relevant educational materials that facilitate anatomy learning.
• Academic assessment: experience in creating and implementing assessment methods that effectively measure students' performance and understanding in anatomy, providing constructive feedback.
• Use of educational technologies: Competence in integrating technologies and digital resources in teaching to enhance the learning experience and improve the understanding of complex anatomical concepts.
• Research in Morphology: Ability to conduct and promote independent research, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field of morphology and enriching academic content with current advancements and perspectives.
• Effective Communication: outstanding skills in communication, both oral and written, to convey complex information clearly and comprehensibly to students and professionals related to the courses.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: ability to collaborate effectively with professionals from other disciplines within and outside the School of Medicine, fostering an integrated and cohesive approach to anatomy teaching.

Required experience

• Teaching experience in Anatomy: minimum of 3 years of experience teaching Anatomy at the university level, demonstrating an effective track record in educating health science students.
• Development of didactic material: experience in creating and adapting specific didactic materials for Anatomy teaching, including the use of anatomical models, simulations, and digital resources.
• Design and execution of assessments: experience in designing and administering academic assessments in Anatomy, with the ability to provide constructive feedback that fosters student learning and continuous improvement.
• Participation in research: experience in participating in or leading research projects in the field of Anatomy or related areas, preferably with competitive projects, publications, and presentations at relevant conferences.
• Use of educational technology: experience in integrating information and communication technologies in teaching, including online learning platforms, anatomical software, and interactive digital tools.
• Continuous training: track record of active participation in courses, workshops, and seminars for professional development related to Anatomy teaching and higher education.
• Collaborative work: experience in collaborative work with multidisciplinary teams, contributing to educational, research, or clinical projects that demonstrate an integrative and cooperative approach.
• Creativity in teaching: experience in implementing creative approaches in teaching that stimulate innovation and interest in Anatomy.
• Leadership in outreach projects: track record in leading outreach initiatives that connect Anatomy with the community and professional sectors, strengthening the social and practical relevance of the discipline.
• Management of Interdisciplinary Projects: experience in managing and coordinating projects that integrate diverse disciplines, expanding the scope and application of Anatomy.
• Promotion of applied research: background in promoting and conducting applied research that contributes to the field of Anatomy and its clinical or technological applications.
• Contributions to pedagogical innovation: demonstrated experience in contributing to pedagogical innovation, improving teaching methodologies and practices in Anatomy.
• Language proficiency: competence in English or other relevant languages for academia and research in Anatomy, facilitating access to international scientific literature and participation in global academic events.

Application instructions

Applicants must send the following documents to the head of the Anatomy Department, Dr. Sebastián Irarrázaval (sirarraz@uc.cl) specifying in the subject line of the email: "Application for an academic position in the Anatomy Department "

1. A teaching mission statement indicating why the applicant should be considered for the position. The applicant should be as specific as possible by providing examples of the plan to transfer knowledge to undergraduate and graduate students.
2. A research statement indicating the lines of research developed to date, and the short- and long-term objectives of the applicant's research plan. Possible collaboration networks with other researchers and plans for interactions with scientists in Chile and other countries should be included.
3. An updated curriculum vitae (in English and Spanish)
4. If available, copies of five recent Web of Science publications (past 5 years) that are relevant to the context of the application.
5. At least 2 letters of recommendation, which must be sent by email directly by the signatories to sirarraz@uc.cl.

The applicant will receive a response from this email address confirming that the documents have been received.

The CV should be organized as follows:

1. Personal information: name, address, contact telephone number (with country and city codes), email address.
2. Education: all academic and professional titles, indicating the dates and institutions that granted them. If the applicant is currently enrolled in a doctoral program, please indicate the expected date for the degree.
3. Educational experience (university or institution, courses taught and years).
4. Professional experience (employer, duties, years).
5. Research: List of Web of Science journal publications, other publications such as reports, books or book chapters, conferences attended, research projects specifying funding sources, patents, etc.
6. Others: awards, computer skills, languages and any other relevant basic information.