Becoming a Teaching Assistant

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Teaching Assistant! First-year medical students will receive an application and an invitation to apply for a Teaching Assistant position in February. Applicants must complete and submit a completed application no later than the second week of March.

The Director of Student Success will screen applications and offer interviews to candidates who meet all desired qualifications. Applicants who do not meet all desired qualifications but demonstrate relevant strengths may be offered an interview on a case-by-case basis.

Interviews are given individually and are co-facilitated by the Director for Student Success and a current Teaching Assistant. Candidates are asked a series of questions and asked to give a 3-5 minute lesson on a topic of their choosing. Candidates are then evaluated based upon their application and interview responses using an established rubric

A review panel consisting of faculty, staff, and current TAs are consulted for feedback regarding previous experiences with candidates. These stakeholders are encouraged to share insights they may have into candidates’ qualifications, academic capabilities and professional aptitudes for the TA position.

Current TAs are also invited to attend a meeting with the Director for Student Success to share and discuss candidates’ characteristics gained through the interview process, prior tutoring sessions, and/or other interactions at the Foster School of Medicine. The MSTC staff collectively creates a tentative selection for the next cohort of TAs, pending feedback from other stakeholders. Once feedback is received, the Director of Student Success will finalize the selection and offer positions to the selected candidates.

Teahcing assistant chart - Application for TA Position Sent to MS1s, Interested Students Submit Applications, Director of Student Success Reviews Applications, Interviews Offered to Qualified Candidates, Director of Student Success asnd Current TA Facilitate Interview, Candidates' Application and Interview Evaluated Using Established Rubric, Feedback on Candidates Sought from Campus Partners to Create a Tentative Selection, Director of Student Success Finalizes Selection and Sends Notification to Selection, Students Who Accept Position Proceed to hiring Process with Human Resources