Student Opportunities for Engagement

Students are appointed to key committees at the medical school to give them a representative voice in decisions that will impact their learning experience. These committees include: 

• Medical Education Committee (MEC) 
• Preclerkship Curriculum Subcommittee (PCS) 
• Clerkship Curriculum Subcommittee (CCS) 
• Electives Curriculum Subcommittee (ECS) 
• Appropriate Treatment in Medicine Committee (ATM) 
• Learning Environment Oversight Group (LEO) 
• Vertical Integration Groups (VIGs) 

Each course (PISCEs, Doctoring, and LEADS) forms Student Advisory Committees throughout the preclerkship curriculum to respond to medical students’ concerns that arise and to allow for student-faculty dialogue about the course in a timely fashion. All students are encouraged to bring any concerns about the course, sessions, online materials, or interview exercises to one of their SAC representatives or curriculum committee representatives. A group of students who are curriculum committee representatives (MEC/PCS/CCS/ECS) will serve as longitudinal members of all SACs to ensure recurrent themes throughout the year are shared with the course directors. 

Learning Environment Sessions are a student-created, faculty-supported opportunity for students to discuss their clerkship experiences in a peer-led session. This was originally created to provide a space for students to discuss mistreatment and rough experiences with peer support available to them in real time.  

The Learning Environment Sessions are coordinated by two 4th year student leaders. Individual sessions are coordinated by 4th year students.  

After each session, a summary of the feedback is provided to the Medical Education Office, who works with the clerkship director to review and address concerns. 

Students provide feedback through evaluations and surveys throughout the medical curriculum. These include:  

• End of Experience evaluations, completed for each module/course/clerkship 
• Individual educator evaluations, completed for each module/course/clerkship 
• Learning Environment Survey, completed annually (Note: The Graduation Questionnaire is reviewed in place of this for M4s) 
• Preparedness for Clinical Education survey, completed after the first block in the core clerkship year 
• End of 3rd year survey, completed after the first block of 4th year 

The Medical Education Office reviews all responses in aggregate to identify any positive or negative trends in the student experience.  

Each course/clerkship undergoes a peer review process once every three (3) years. The peer review team is comprised of a peer director (serving as the team lead), a faculty member from within the course/clerkship’s discipline, and a student who has already completed the course or clerkship being reviewed. The Peer Review team reviews course/clerkship data and provides a summary of summary of strengths and potential area of opportunity for improvement to the course/clerkship director and the Medical Education Office.  

The mission of Medical Student Wellbeing is to promote effective behaviors that increase resiliency, improve the overall quality of life, and decrease burnout, which can be carried throughout medical school, residency and beyond. Engaging with resources and learning habits and behaviors that support the various dimensions of wellbeing help nurture an environment that promotes inclusive, safe, and optimal learning for students. Wellbeing highlights include:

• Monthly Wellness Committee meetings with Student Affairs, student-led Wellness Initiative and SCOMSA liaisons to learn student needs, plan events, and increase awareness  
• Program of targeted wellness events throughout the year related to the wellbeing wheel
• Intellectual wellbeing integrated through a robust advisor network of Core Advisors (AME), Student Affairs Deans, Field Specific Advisors, Peer Advisors  
• Academic Enhancement Office programming for direct support, Peer Tutoring, Accommodations, and more  
• Multiple student activity groups with opportunities to create a community-centered environment inside and outside the classroom