Program Overview
The Advisory College is designed to provide academic and personal support to students throughout their medical school experience. Every student is assigned to one of seven colleges, forming a community with two faculty College Advisors and peers from multiple cohorts. Partnerships with College Advisors are longitudinal, lasting until graduation. College Advisors cannot formally evaluate students in the academic setting or serve as a medical provider to avoid any conflicts of interest.
College Advisors assist students through a series of lunches, required one-on-one meetings, and social events. Students are always welcome to request meetings with their college advisors at any time. All students can expect required, one-on-one College Advisor meetings at the following times:
MS1 Foundation Phase
- First semester between August and September (focus: adjusting to medical school and study habits)
- Second semester between January and March (focus: summer opportunities)
MS2 Foundation Phase
- First semester between August and October (focus: Step 1 preparation)
MS3 Application Phase
- First trimester between March and June (focus:transitioning to clinical duties and shelf exams)
- Second trimester between October and November (focus: fourth year scheduling)
MS4 Individualization Phase
- June to August (focus: MSPE and career counseling)
- September to January (focus: residency interviews and rank order list)
A College advisor is different than a student’s career goal advisor. College Advisors focus on personal development and offer broad advice on career goal planning. The career goal advisor is focused on giving specialty-specific help and interacts with students in the later years of medical school.