Preclinical Advising Program

Medical school is an arduous journey, and every aspiring physician needs guidance to navigate the rigorous academic and professional challenges that lie ahead. The Preclinical Advising Program provides personalized guidance and clear behavioral expectations for first and second-year medical students in a professional learning environment. The Foundational Sciences subcommittee of the SOM Curriculum Committee has been tasked with redesigning the program to make it more effective for both students and faculty for the 2023-24 Academic year.

Students are assigned dedicated advisors at the outset of their medical education and meet with them twice a year. Discussions encompass course adaptation, preparedness, professionalism, evaluations, and addressing school-related concerns. The first initiative of the redesign was to revise the sample questions provided to Faculty Advisors that guide these discussions. For example, these questions were modified to better align with the student’s progression through medical school. The second initiative was to provide faculty advisors with an up-to-date repository of resources that they may reference to address specific school-related concerns that may arise in discussions with students. This helps ensure that all faculty advisors and disseminating the same, vetted, information with the students.

Lastly, a narrative evaluation is then completed by the faculty, which plays a pivotal role in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), vital for residency applications. Therefore, the third initiative of the redesign was to provide faculty advisors with more structured guidance on how to write effective, specific, and meaningful descriptions of students in their narrative evaluations.

The Preclinical Advising Program is a cornerstone of holistic student support, ensuring our students thrive academically and develop as future physicians. We thank all those who have been involved in this program, especially our advisors. If you are interested in serving as a faculty advisor in the program, please contact the SOM Office of Medical Education or email Maryam Syed at msyed@umc.edu to learn more.