The Office for Student Affairs provides support to students who require specific learning assessments and counseling. The following resources are in place:
Programs and Resources for Academic Excellence
The Office of Student Affairs works with medical students around adjustment to medical school, study strategies and effective ways to make the most out of courses, clerkships and study resources.
The Director of Programs and Resources for Academic Excellence has available office hours on MARC, or can be reached by email or phone: Lauren Linkowski, EdD, lauren.linkowski@mssm.edu, 212-241-1425.
Peer Tutors
The Peer Tutoring program aims to provide more intensive support to students who need assistance beyond a single course or who require remediation in course work. The program also serves students who need help with clinical skills or clinical reasoning. The tutors are hiredar medical students who have had intensive training in recognizing and addressing learning barriers and in helping students develop the tools to improve their performance.
USMLE Step Preparation
USMLE Step 1 Preparation
Resources: In an ongoing effort to make the most useful Board resources accessible to all students, every second year student will be given a 6-month subscription to the UWorld question bank beginning in January and a 12-month subscription to Pathoma. Students will also receive a voucher for a free NBME CBSSA practice exam to use when starting dedicated study.
The Department of Medical Education monitors students' needs and may add to or change these resources accordingly
USMLE Step 1 Review Course: Each May, at the start of the dedicated study period for Step 1, a board-review course is offered to all students free of charge. An external test preparation and tutoring company delivers the course. Sessions review question strategy, high-yield content in a variety of subjects, and advice on how to study in dedicated. Students may attend in person, or watch recordings online.
USMLE Step 2 Preparation
Resources: Every third-year student will be given a 12-month subscription to the UWorld question bank, considered one of the most useful tools for success on NBME Shelf exams and Step 2 CK.
USMLE Step 2 CK Review Course: Each July, at the end of third year, a board-review course for Step 2 CK is available to students for elective credit, free of charge. The course is delivered by an external test preparation and tutoring company and reviews high yield topics in each discipline on the exam, as well as test-taking strategy. All students may access course materials and recordings online.