Academic & Career Advising
See below for Additional Advising Resources.
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to outline the options and expectations for academic and career advising at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM).
Background: All undergraduate medical students have both required and optional opportunities to seek academic and career advice. Having access to faculty and staff at PSOM is an important resource for students and provides them with guidance and mentorship during their medical school career. Advising starts on the first day of medical school and continues until graduation. There are multiple different advising structures designed to support students’ individual needs at various stages of medical training. These include: House advisory deans, Doctoring preceptors, Career advisors, Residency planning advisors, IDEAL MEd assistant deans, associate deans, and others. A house advisor is assigned upon matriculation to PSOM and acts as a longitudinal mentor for the duration of medical school. Advising is also built into the Doctoring curriculum, as students form relationships with their preceptors and fourth year student facilitators. Students are matched with additional career advisors in their field of interest on request. Shadowing opportunities in areas of interest can also be arranged through the Office of Student Affairs. The staff within the Office of Student Affairs are an additional source of information and are invaluable advisors for students as they navigate medical training.
Policy
Through regular meetings with advisory deans, career advisors, IDEAL MEd assistant deans, associate deans, and other faculty, students can explore career and academic interests under the guidance of faculty and staff. Minimum requirements for the House advisory dean meetings and Doctoring preceptor one-on-one meetings are detailed below. There are no minimum requirements for career advisory meetings, though it is recommended that students meet with these advisors regularly, especially as they prepare residency applications during the final year.
House Advisory Dean Meeting Requirements: Students are expected to meet with their assigned House advisory dean a minimum of once per semester during Core 1 (first 1.5 years) and once per semester during Core 2.
Doctoring Preceptor Meeting Requirements:
- Doctoring 1A, 1B, 1C: Students are to meet with their assigned preceptor at least once per semester.
- Doctoring 2: Students should arrange at least two, but preferably three, meetings with their assigned faculty preceptor during the course of the clerkship year (Core 2).