Academic Advisor Office
Mission
Academic advising promotes intellectual discovery, encourages students to take advantage of both in- and out-of-class educational opportunities, and helps them identify and achieve their goals. Our Academic Advisor is a trained professional in learning assessment, that has no role in the students’ academic assessment and/or promotion. The most important mission of the Academic Advisor is to assist students in developing educational goals that are consistent with program competencies. She serves as a liaison between faculty and students to help students achieve their academic goals. The Advisor also helps students identify appropriate resources through orientations and workshops. In collaboration with Personnel from the Deanship of Student Affairs, the Academic Advisor guides students in the development and approval of their academic study and/or remediation programs, and reviews their study plans for USMLE exams.
General services provided by the Academic Advisor:
- Study Strategies
- Time Management
- Test Taking Skills
- Study plans
- Lecture Note Taking
- Other
Academic Advising System
SJBSM has designed a system of academic advising that provides students with a layered system of academic support to assist them in achieving their academic goals. This system integrates the efforts of faculty members, Year Coordinators, Course/Clerkships Directors, Student Affairs personnel and students, that contribute individually and collectively on behalf of each student’s performance. The system is monitored by the Academic Advisor, who ensures that the individuals that intervene have no role in making assessment and/or promotion decisions in relation to the students.
The system is described as follows:
- Early Intervention: upon admissions, first year medical students complete an inventory during orientation week that includes personal information; learning style; and time management skills. Mandatory interviews take place during the first semester where the results are provided and discussed with students, including recommendations on appropriate study techniques. After students begin their clases. students that score below the standards are identified and referred to peer. The Academic Advisor conducts follows up on tutoring sessions and students at risk.
- Detailed assessment –using data from subsequent exams, a risk analysis is done for all students by the Learning Assessment Office. The Academic Advisor uses this information to develop an individualized academic plan for high risk students.
- Continuous monitoring – the Academic Advisor provides continuous monitoring to students conducting midterm evaluations, and following up meetings to discuss individualized academic plan.
Additional resources available for students:
- Personal Counselor - the Counselors main responsibility is to provide personal guidance to students, individually or in groups, with the intention of helping them identify and deal with situations that may affect them, and that, in some way, may obstruct their academic progress and personal development.
- Reasonable Accommodation Program – this program promotes and ensures that students with a documented disability are not denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under the educational programs and activities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and applicable state law.
- Career Advisor – The main goal of the Career Advisor is to assist students in learning how to make good career decisions, not only in choosing a specialty (for MD students), but throughout their career, by means of a thoughtful career planning process.
- Tutoring – students at academic risk receive academic tutoring from fellow students through a peer to peer tutoring program. The tutoring program offers assistance to students in courses in which they are encountering academic difficulties. The tutoring program is mandatory. Students who serve as tutors are identified and recommended by Course Coordinators, and must be available to invest time in the tutoring program. They receive support from faculty in organizing and selecting the appropriate educational materials and methodology for tutoring, and a stipend for their work.
- Library – the Library facilities are divided in the following areas: Study Room, Electronic Center, Computer Aided Instruction Laboratory (CAI), Individual Study Areas, Serial Publications Collection, Information Literacy Room, Audiovisual Equipment Room, Photocopiers Room, and collections of Reference, Reserve and Circulation. The printed and non-printed resources are diverse and specialized, and comprise the necessary and essential resources that student need to comply with the academic programs.
- Faculty research mentoring – during the fall semester in first year, students are assigned a faculty member as a mentor for their research project. Faculty research mentors assist the academic support system by providing structure and support to all medical students throughout the four years of medical education.
- Peer mentoring (Big Brother/Sister) – a peer mentoring/sponsorship program is promoted among medical students. Mentors follow up on students during their four years and provide informal advising that is flexible, proactive and positive in nature. These pairings are a unique element in the academic support system and serve as sounding boards for common, everyday questions relating to courses and administrative matters.
- Policies and procedures – polices have been set in place to provide for a safe and adequate learning environment where students may achieve their academic goals successfully such as student workload, health service, mistreatment, exposure to blood and airborne pathogens, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to bring to my meeting?
- To optimize the time in your academic meeting, be sure to bring any questions you may have about your academic success and any other items that may be relevant to setting up a plan for your academic success. This may include your planner, calendar, or other planning system that you may be using, recent notes or study sheets you've made.
Working Hours:
8:00 to 5:00 Monday to Friday
Resources:
https://www.literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html
http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/
https://learningnurse.org/personskills/time/tm-intro.php
Supporting Documents:
5 day study Plan
General Tips for Step 1
GPA Calculator
Post Exam Survey
Skills Evaluation
Steps for Making a Schedule
Study Tracker
Taking Lecturer Notes
The Study Cycle
Tips for Time Management
Weekly Schedule
