Abstract
PurposeFirst-year students negotiate new professional culture with a certain amount of excitement and anxiety. There are different approaches for offering guidance. In this study, the authors present Weill Cornell Medical College's experience with an advising program for first- and second-year students.MethodsFifty faculty advisors were each assigned 1–3 first-year students who they would follow for 2 years. The responsibilities were outlined to both faculty and students. The program was evaluated using an anonymous questionnaire.ResultsFor the two classes surveyed (2011 and 2012), most students met their advisors once. For both classes, the most frequently discussed issues were general adjustment to medical school, academic life, and the professional life of the advisor. Summer research and career opportunities were also discussed. Most students were satisfied with the advising program. Satisfaction increased with an increase in visits. Most students who did not meet their advisors established an advisor relationship on their own.ConclusionsAn advising program was established at Weill Cornell Medical College that satisfied most of the students. It is important to evaluate its format regularly, from both student and advisor perspectives, in order to ensure its continued success.
Highlights
First-year students starting in medical school negotiate a new professional culture with a certain amount of excitement and anxiety
We present our current experience, and the evaluation of this advising program, as another alternative and to identify factors that would be useful to incorporate in future adjustments to our advising system
Summer research and career opportunities were discussed less frequently, students were encouraged to discuss these topics, and the level of satisfaction was slightly higher for summer research and career opportunities for the Class of 2011
Summary
First-year students starting in medical school negotiate a new professional culture with a certain amount of excitement and anxiety. The literature suggests that many medical schools use different formats with some degree of success. Examples of these formats include using focus groups to identify important parameters [1]; allowing mentoring relationships to evolve through informal rather than assigned studentÁfaculty contact [2]; randomly matching groups of students to a faculty member who meets with a small group of students weekly [3]; assigning an individual advisor to each student, with an attempt to match them using background information [4]; dividing the student body into groups, each headed by a faculty member who directs a very structured program (5Á7); establishing advisory colleges, with students distributed in them, and integrating this into wellness programs and personal development programs [8, 9]; linking advisory functions with the responsibilities of following the advisee’s academic progress and writing the first draft of the Dean’s Letter [10]; using an electronic journal to keep advisors up to date on their advisees’ progress [11]; using alumni as career counselors for medical students [12]; and assigning a faculty member to attend classes during the first and second years [13]. First-year medical students are assigned to a second-year medical student to advise them on a smooth transition to medical school
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