Medical Student Handbook

Advisory Dean Program

Table of Contents Handbook Homepage POLICIES & GUIDELINES - Privacy & Access to Academic Records - Disabilities Technical Standards Policy - Assistance for Individual w/Disabilities - ADA Ombudsperson - Mistreatment of Medical Students - Sexual Harassment - Assessment Data - Religious Observance - The U.S. Medical Licensing Examination - Alcohol Use On School of Medicine Property - Impairment Due to Substance Abuse - Self Disclosure in the Course of Learning - Confidentiality - Teaching Exercises with Student Subjects - Video Equipment Use - Regulatory, Health and Other Requirements --- Infection Control --- In-Service Education Competency Exam --- Certification in Use of Clinical Information System --- Medical Student CPR Certification --- University Health Requirements MD Student Responsibility, Conduct, & Academic Policies ACADEMIC ISSUES - Verification of Eligibility for Matriculation - Verification of Academic Credentials - Completion of Required Experiences - Remedial Work - Completion of Academic Deficiencies - Grading Policy up to Class of 2002 - Double Helix Grading Policy - Student Assessment Guide --- Comprehensive Assessments - MD with Distinction - AOA and Dean's Letter Rankings - In-Depth Experience - Plagiarism - Absences from Classes & Academic Responsibilities - Policy on Time Away From Clerkships - Class Attendance - Leaves of Absence - Year-Out Fellowships - Drop/Add Deadline Policy SUPPORT SERVICES - Academic Support Services - University Health Service - Counseling and Mental Health Services - Chaplain's Office - Division of Medical Informatics - Women in Science, Dentistry & Medicine (WISDM) - Assistance for Pregnant Medical Students - Miner Library ADVISING & STUDENT ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS - Advisory Dean Program - Student Enrichment Programs - Student-Sponsored Symposium CONSUMER & LEGAL ASSISTANCE - Integrity Hotline - University Housing - Executing Legal Documents - Consumer and Legal Assistance OFFICES FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION - Medical Education - Student Services Center - Advisory Deans - Student Affairs Office - Registrar's Office - Financial Aid Office - Bursar's Office - Office for Ethnic & Multicultural Affairs - Admissions Office - Medical Alumni Affairs - Student Enrichment Programs - Graduate Studies - Offices for Educational Research - Curricular Affairs Office - Facilities for Students - Student Computing DOUBLE HELIX CURRICULUM MEDICAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES

Rochester students arrive from diverse origins to join a profession with shared values: compassion; the understanding care of patients; learning, investigating, and uncovering the secrets of health and illness. This is an exciting transition, but it may also be challenging. In an effort to ease this transition and to enhance a supportive learning environment, Rochester has incorporated an innovative model of student advising. The advisory dean program at Rochester is designed to enhance the personal and professional development of medical students throughout the course of their undergraduate medical education. This program helps facilitate the many transitions that students face during their medical school tenure, including college student to medical student; classroom to clinic office; medical school to residency. Regular small group and individual meetings with an advisory dean help to foster relationships and ultimately assist in each student's growth and development in medicine.

First year medical students are introduced to their advisory dean during orientation week. Initial individual meetings allow students and advisory deans to meet and learn about each other. Weekly informal small group lunch meetings are designed to foster open discussions of special issues facing medical students today including transition to medical school, ethical issues in clinical medicine and biomedical research, and the changing health care environment. One of the goals of these discussions is to help foster professionalism in our students. Additionally, these meetings give students a direct opportunity to express their thoughts about the curriculum and the school. The ability of advisory deans to get to know students on a personal level throughout their tenure in medical school is invaluable.

During the second year of medical school, small groups meetings are held on a twice-monthly basis. In addition to continued discussions of professionalism, the meetings continue to facilitate the students' thinking about their careers in medicine. Students are also encouraged to meet with their advisory deans on an individual basis to address plans for their curriculum for the final two years of medical school.

Monthly meetings are held with third year students on their clinical rotations. These meetings incorporate case-based discussions of ethical dilemmas that students have encountered. Through advisory dean facilitated peer discussions, individual students are able to better understand their responses to clinical situations and how their professional development may be shaped, positively and negatively, by those around them. Career advising continues in both small group and individual settings with the advisory deans.

In the final year of medical school, advisory deans focus their efforts with students on an individual basis. Career advising, including preparation of the Dean's Letter and individual student residency applications (personal statements and curriculum vitae), and assistance with the transition to residency are the central focus of the advisory dean system.

The connection of each advisory dean with a small cohort of students (25) in each class has helped to foster a trusting relationship and has enhanced students' personal and professional development into physicians. The advisory dean system is a model advising program for undergraduate medical education.