The mission of the Office for Medical Student Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) is to promote medical student success, development, and well-being through an integrated holistic student affairs environment that is based upon longitudinal relationships, robust programming, and personalized initiatives. We aim to create a thriving experience during your time in medical school and are proud to work collaboratively with students, faculty and staff to discover, design, and implement activities, programs, and initiatives that build community, empower a sense of belonging, and maintain a supportive learning environment. You will find us planning activities on- and off-campus for all students to enjoy, including traditions like Match Day.
Through a tailored approach, you receive academic counseling and support, career planning and development, and wellness and personal support from matriculation to graduation and beyond.
The Office of Student Affairs is located on the first floor of the Jane B. Aron Hall Residence Hall, known by students as “Aron Hall.” In addition to The Pantry, a food and resource pantry for all students, you will also find other key student support services and study spaces located on the first floor of Aron Hall.
Meet the Team
Gwendolyn Casiano
Program Coordinator
Daniel Conover
Program Coordinator
Devin Cox
Program Assistant
Tara Cunningham, EdD, MS
Senior Associate Dean, Student Affairs
Monica Dweck, MD
Director, Career Planning Services
Alicia Hurtado, MD, MA
Associate Dean, Medical Student Wellbeing and Student Affairs
Lauren Linkowski, EdD
Director, Programs and Resources for Academic Excellence
Jillian Palmer, MA
Assistant Director, Student Affairs
Learning Community Program
From the moment you join the ISMMS family, you are added into a Learning Community team that includes peers from your class and others, led by a physician with support from a social worker and a student. Each of these individuals serves a unique role and provides a robust opportunity to engage in a longitudinal and vertical relationship throughout medical school. In all, there are 10 Learning Communities at ISMMS.
Faculty Advisors are practicing physicians within the Mount Sinai Health System who have no role in assessment or advancement of their students and serve as the first point of contact for students for academic, career, and professional development. Each advisor meets with their students at least twice a year to develop goals, reflect on academic performance, create clinical schedules, and other important tasks that align with the milestones toward graduation. Additional meetings occur as often as a student desires.
Wellness Advisors are clinical social workers within the Mount Sinai Health System who provide personal counseling and support to their students to manage both normative and individualized challenges associated with being a medical student. Each advisor meets with their students twice in the first year and annually thereafter, or as often as a student desires.
Student Leaders are a group of selected fourth-year students who serve each learning community as a peer-to-peer resource and who help organize events and activities.
Meet the Learning Community Faculty and Wellness Advisors
Student Events
In addition to frequent wellness events, the Office for Medical Student Affairs acknowledges students’ achievements and plans annual events for students, family/friends, and the community to join in the celebration. Besides these, we look forward to co-creating new traditions with our students, too.
Additional Student Services
Student services provided outside of our office are also very important to the ISMMS experience. We work with these teams to ensure that students have adequate access and experiences.
- The Center for Multicultural and Community Affairs (CMCA) offers an array of academic and non-academic resources and advising through a holistic lens for medical students who are underrepresented in medicine and science and from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The Office of Student Financial Services provides comprehensive information and services about how to finance your education. We offer a wide range of financial assistance options, including fellowships, part-time employment (work-study programs and other opportunities), loans, and scholarships.
- The Medical Student Research Office helps students find mentors in specific fields and areas of research, offers training in research communication skills, and navigates and advises around the required scholarly product for graduation.
- The Office of the Ombuds is available to any medical student to give counsel and feedback around academic, career, or personal concerns. They are also available to informally discuss any situation students have encountered around harassment, discrimination, or other unfair treatment, interpersonal disputes in need of a neutral third party, uncertainty about or unfair application of a policy, or knowledge of misconduct. This office is a confidential resource for students except in cases where legal action is needed (e.g., unlawful discrimination or harassment, assault/harm to student or patient).
- The Office of the Registrar upholds the integrity of our students’ records and serves as the repository and analysis center for all enrollment-related data projects.
- Student Disability Resources works to provide a physically and educationally accessible educational environment so that each student is viewed on the basis of ability, not disability.
- The Student Health Center provides a wide range of health services for all student, including immunization and health screenings/physicals required for training.
- The Student and Trainee Mental Health (STMH) program provides a wide range of mental health services for all students and at no cost, regardless of insurance plans.