Additional Services for Second Year Medical Students

• Individual counseling in study skills, test taking and time management is available to second year medical students. Many  medical students procrastinate, do not study efficiently and/or approach learning as rote memorization.   Students who self-refer or are referred by deans, faculty or staff attend counseling sessions that pertain to learning and preparation for exams. 
• Individual tutoring is available to second year medical students upon recommendation of the Associate/Assistant Director, Dean or faculty member. When a tutor is requested, an individual assessment is first made by the Associate/Assistant Director as to whether the student has academic difficulties or problems better dealt with by individual counseling. Some obstacles to academic success, which may require remediation, may not be amenable to individual tutoring.
• Step 1 preparation group sessions meet weekly, from November to January for approximately 90 minutes each. These tutorials are conducted by MS3 & MS4 student tutors. The Step 1 tutorials utilize board-style questions that pertain to the unit students are studying at the time.
• Step 1 Seminar is offered to second-year students who do not initially pass the Step 1 exam to assist them in preparing for the repeat exam. The seminar is facilitated by faculty, fourth-year medical student tutors and Academic Services  staff. Adjunct to the seminar, the Associate Director meets with the individual students to assess their test-taking skills and monitor their preparations and readiness for their second attempts. A Step 1 Independent Study Course is also offered to students who cannot participate in the Seminar.