Academic Success
Every student is unique, which is why we offer a personalized approach to ensure they have the tools and support they need to succeed. - Dr. Stacey Rose - Associate Dean for Student Success and Professional Development
As a part of the ASCEND framework, fostering academic success for our students includes a vast array of interventions and co-curricular experiences. Click each item to learn more about what we offer.
Every student is assigned an Advisory Dean upon entry to PSOM. Advisory Deans conduct mandatory as well as optional meetings with their students individually throughout their time in medical school. In addition to having an advisory dean, students are also given pre-clinical as well as clinical support from select faculty and staff to support the transition to medical school, managing time and studying as well as managing stress and well being.
By the end of the first year, each PSOM student develops an Individualized Learning Plan that is reviewed and monitored in collaboration with their Advisory Dean. ILPs and goal setting exercises are revisited throughout each student's medical school journey to ensure that individual goals and benchmarks are met along with interventions that support those goals and academic persistence.
Making the transition to medical school can be hard even for the brightest of students. Many students inevitably find they need academic help somewhere along the way to becoming a physician. PSOM offers internal as well as external resources to all students when they find the need for additional help. Internally, students have access to Student Resciliance Team members who help build confidence, find new study strategies and more in their peers. Within the broader university, PSOM students can also get help from learning support specialists in the Weingarten Center for Academic Support and Disability Services.
Pre-clinical students can be paired with an upper-level student who has particular strength in various academic subjects. There are peer tutors for each content-area students are exposed to in the classroom. This program is overseen by Dr. Eric Goran - Director of Coaching.
Throughout the Pre-clinical phase PSOM offers a myriad of workshops and seminars for students above and beyond the core curriculum. Some the of topics covered include - Maintaining a Growth Mindset, Prepping for STEP and Self Exams, Learning from Failure etc. These talks and events are led by key faculty and staff within the Penn Medicine community.