POSITION OVERVIEW
Salary range: The salary range for this position is $1750,000 to $250,000\. This position includes membership in the Health Sciences Compensation Plan, which provides for eligibility for additional compensation. The salary range listed is for base compensation only and may be adjusted depending on qualifications and experience. The salary range does not include variable compensation and is subject to the individual department compensation plan.
APPLICATION WINDOW
Open date: April 6, 2026
Next review date: Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Tuesday, Apr 6, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
UC Davis has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For more details, including the full position profile and to submit inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications, please see the Isaacson, Miller website for the search Program Director for the Physician Assistant Program \| Isaacson, Miller. Electronic submission of materials is required. Please direct additional inquiries to Aku Ammah\-Tagoe, aammah@imsearch.com who is leading this search.
The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis seeks an experienced and collaborative leader, educator, and scholar to serve as the next Program Director for the Master of Health Services – Physician Assistant Studies Program (PA program). Reporting to the Associate Dean for Academics at the School of Nursing, the Program Director will provide leadership and strategic direction to the PA program, ensuring the program fulfills its mission, achieves optimal student outcomes, maintains full ARC\-PA accreditation, and advances the School’s commitment to preparing exemplary healthcare professionals who serve diverse communities, including rural and underserved populations. This role is an opportunity for a leader committed to excellence in physician assistant education and service to engage and inspire a dedicated community of faculty, staff, and students as the PA program enters its next chapter.
UC Davis Health, situated on a contemporary 140\-acre campus in Sacramento, California, serves as home to a number of institutions, including the School of Nursing, School of Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, a fully accredited Children's Hospital, and an NCI\-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As the region’s only academic health center, UC Davis Health is focused on discovering and sharing knowledge and providing the highest quality of care. UC Davis is one of the nation’s premier public research universities, with academic and research excellence across a broad array of disciplines, a vibrant health\-science enterprise, an outstanding campus community, and a focus on sustainability.
The PA program is built on the principles of interprofessional education, leadership, and health equity. Ranked 35th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, the program has enjoyed high demand – including more than 2800 applicants for 65 seats in the Fall 2025 cohort – and a high caliber of enrolled students. The school’s dedicated faculty come from across the health sciences and health professions, supporting an interprofessional learning model. The program is also distinguished by its commitment to advancing health in California’s underserved communities, with clinical placement sites and partnerships throughout the state. Students graduate with strong foundations in evidence\-based practice, prevention, and patient education, alongside the skills and competencies necessary to serve diverse constituencies within a rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem.
As part of a world\-class academic healthcare system, the PA program has access to unlimited opportunities for collaboration across the health sciences, which the new Program Director will be expected to tap into and nurture. The Program Director will champion excellence in curriculum and clinical education, strengthen partnerships across the School of Nursing, UC Davis Health, and the broader community, and position the program as a national leader in preparing physician assistants. This is a pivotal moment to build on the program’s strong foundation, expand its reach and impact, and further UC Davis Health’s mission to advance population health and promote equity for all communities.
To advance the mission of the Physician Assistant Program, the Program Director will successfully address the following opportunities and challenges:
- Provide strategic leadership to grow and sustain the PA Program’s impact.
- Lead accreditation processes and develop internal systems to ensure ongoing compliance and excellence.
- Advance clinical and didactic education to develop exemplary healthcare professionals.
- Recruit, support, and inspire the dedicated Program faculty.
- Diversify funding mechanisms and expand resources.
- Steward impactful collaboration and community engagement, both internally and externally.
- Meet the requirements of ARC\-PA for PA directors nationally.
- Professional competence in primary care, physician assistant education and leadership preferred.
- Experience with ARC\-PA accreditation process.
- Demonstrated proficiency in the teaching of students and creative teaching experience in an academic institution.
- Experience in leading curriculum improvements and change as well as continuous quality improvement based on available evidence.
- Excellent communication skills to effectively work with students, staff, faculty, medical director, patients and other professional colleagues as an effective interdisciplinary team member.
- Experience in establishing and maintaining clinical partnerships and exercising creativity in problem solving and developing unique clinical partnerships.
- Ability to adhere to university policies and procedures.
- Cover Letter (Optional)
- Curriculum Vitae \- Your most recently updated C.V.
- Statement of Teaching (Optional)
- Statement of Research (Optional)
- Authorization to Release Information Form \- This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form.
- 3 required (contact information only)
- “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
- UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
- UC Anti\-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
- APM \- 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment
QUALIFICATIONS
Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
All candidates must either be a American Board of Medical Specialties or American Osteopathic Association specialty board certified allopathic or osteopathic physician or be a certified physician assistant (PA\-C) and have a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.) in a health\-related field, and possess or be eligible for physician assistant licensure in the state of California. Applicants must be eligible to serve as a Physician Assistant Program Director per the ARC\-PA national guidelines.
Candidates must meet the following qualifications to be appointed as program director:
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Document requirements
Reference requirements
Apply link:
Help contact: fjramosjr@ucdavis.edu
ABOUT UC DAVIS
As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.
To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.
UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco\-free campus (
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state for federal law.
Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986\. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub\-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E\-Verify check. More information is available at:
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400\.
UC Davis is also a national leader in inclusive practice. There are numerous links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our administration, campus rankings, locations, campus safety, sustainability, visiting UC Davis and UC Davis Health.
The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net\-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
JOB LOCATION
Sacramento, CA