SA-4201 Academic Support

1.0      Purpose

To provide comprehensive, student-centered academic support and remediation resources that promote academic success, professional development, and wellness across all phases of the VTCSOM curriculum.

2.0      Background

VTCSOM is committed to supporting students in the pursuit of their academic goals. To that end, using a holistic approach, VTCSOM seeks to provide the following:

• Evidence-based guidance for learning and cognition in the medical education setting (e.g., metacognition, spaced repetition, retrieval practice)
• Guidance and support regarding factors that can interfere with optimal performance, including time management skills, self-advocacy, self-efficacy, and response to feedback   
• Early identification of students who are experiencing academic difficulties
• Guidance and support for students who demonstrate academic deficiencies and/or who need to remediate components of the curriculum
• A comprehensive Peer Educator Program
• Support through the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 preparation and study periods
• Accessible resources to meet the individual needs of students, including counseling services, accommodations support, and wellness programming

3.0      Peer Educator Program

The Peer Educator Program was established to provide students with a peer support option and offers one-on-one (1:1), large group, and walk-in options during Phase 1 as well as a Step 2 preparation series in Phase 2. Students interested in receiving peer support can contact the Assistant Director of Academic Counseling and Enrichment Services or the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs & Director of Academic Counseling and Enrichment Services. 

4.0      Phase 1 Academic Support

Academic support for students in Phase 1 is coordinated by the Assistant Dean for  Student Affairs & Director of Academic Counseling and Enrichment Services in partnership with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation, and Strategic Analytics, and other faculty and/or administrative professionals as needed. 

Academic support begins prior to student matriculation. Students receive a welcome letter from the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs outlining support services and offering suggestions for learning in the medical education setting. During M1 Orientation, students receive an overview of services provided during the four-year curriculum. An initial foundation for studying in medical school, as well as information about resources available to assist students, is provided through introductory coursework in the Profession of Medicine and Identities (POMI) course designed with the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs & Director of Academic Counseling and Enrichment Services (ACES). Students have an open invitation to meet with the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to proactively discuss their academic background, approach to study, and effective ways to study while in medical school. At the start of Phase 1, students are each paired with a faculty coach with whom students meet with six times over the course of Phase 1. The coaching program is nested within the Profession of Medicine and Identities (POMI) course. 

Over the course of Phase 1, students receive ongoing support from various faculty and/or administrative professionals (e.g., PBL facilitators, content expert faculty) as they engage in a balance of frequently delivered assessment types that allow real-time reflection and adaptation. Phase 1 curricular faculty are available to students Monday-Friday for academic support by appointment. Individual faculty who observes a student struggling with material, formative exams, and/or engagement in the learning setting will reach out to the student individually and/or contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to offer additional support. When appropriate, individual students are connected with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) and/or encouraged to connect with the on-campus VT Cook Counseling counselor to discuss matters that may be interfering with academic success. 

At the conclusion of each exam period (in-course and final), exams are reviewed, when possible, and students are encouraged to refer questions to content expert faculty. Students who remediate or are at risk (i.e., miss an established threshold) are either encouraged or required (in a personalized learning plan) to reach out to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs & Director of Academic Counseling and Enrichment Services (ACES) for academic support. 

Students are encouraged to seek assistance if they: (a) are at risk of failing a course, (b) have achieved a borderline but passing assessment, or (c) are experiencing learning difficulties. Academic support is provided by a variety of individuals including: 

• Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
• Faculty members 
• Director of Phase 1
• Director of Phase 2
• Director of Phase 3
• Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
• Associate Dean for Educational Affairs
• Associate Dean of Assessment and Program Evaluation 
• Associate Dean for Student Affairs 

5.0      Student Remediation

The primary objective of the VTCSOM remediation program is to help students identify weaknesses in knowledge and/or various skill sets uncovered by the assessment modalities employed in each course, clerkship, or rotation. Students work cooperatively with the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, Phase Director, Associate Dean of Assessment, Evaluation, and Strategic Analytics and content expert faculty to develop a remediation plan to address deficiencies, and then the student is re-assessed. The student’s remediation plan may include referral to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss learning and cognition strategies (e.g., cognitive processing strategies, time management skills, peer educator program support) and/or support services (e.g., counseling, accommodations support). 

6.0      Phase 2 & 3 Academic Support

The Clerkship Directors, Directors of Phase 2 and Phase 3, the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, Associate Dean of Assessment, Evaluation, and Strategic Analytics, and the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, in partnership with the Associate and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, provide Phase 2 academic support.  

For each of the required clerkships of four weeks or greater, the Clerkship Director (or their appointed proxy) holds a formative feedback meeting with each student at the midpoint of the rotation. Furthermore, the Clerkship Director discusses progress toward completion of the clerkship passport as well as assessments from various faculty members. Clerkship Directors will contact the Director of Phase 2 if there is concern a student is at high risk of clerkship remediation, at which time the Director of Phase 2 will meet with the student and the Clerkship Director to discuss support options (e.g., referral to ACES, personal counseling). 

The Clerkship Director will provide guidance to the student on the best means of preparation for completing the task. For instance, students who are not successful at the end-of-clerkship OSCE will review the tape of the encounter while receiving guided, specific feedback on their performance. Students who do not pass the written examination will be given resources for preparation prior to the remediation of the examination.

Students in good academic standing who receive grades of Unsatisfactory (U) for the composite of assessments will need to remediate the clerkship or elective and will be placed on academic probation. The terms of the remediation are determined by the Clerkship Director and Director of Phase 2 or Phase 3. A remediation contract is created and is signed by the Clerkship Director, the student, and the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education. The goals and objectives for the remediation will be communicated clearly to the student.

7.0      Preparation for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 

VTCSOM provides a longitudinal Step 1 preparation process, including a series of presentations by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, an 18-month subscription to the UWorld Step 1 question bank at the beginning of the M1 year and a cadre of recorded webinars provided by Clinical Strategy, LLC. Clinical Strategy, LLC, is an outside vendor contracted by VTCSOM to assist students in optimizing their test-taking strategies as they prepare for USMLE Step 1. Students have access to on-demand Step 1 details in the Student Affairs Canvas site and receive presentations at key timepoints along the academic timeline including an April Q&A session, a July Step 1 overview, and a September student panel.  Each of these sessions offers timely details into the exam structure, exam registration, accommodations application details, NBME exam fee assistance details, support resources, and exam readiness guidance. Students have an open invitation to meet with the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss the Step 1 process at any time along the journey. VTCSOM has incorporated the Comprehensive Basic Science Exam (CBSE) into the curriculum. Additionally, VTCSOM provides each student with a limited number of vouchers for the purchase of NBME Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessments (CBSSA) with expanded feedback.  

Once the Step 1 Intensive Study Period (ISP) arrives, students are provided guidance from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs based on study progress. Students are further guided as they use the VTCSOM provided NBME CBSSA vouchers to guide future study, offer additional resources, or inform decisions about next steps. Students are strongly encouraged to self-advocate, lean into support, and engage in iterative dialogue with the Associate and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Students are encouraged to study for the Step 1 exam until they have achieved the recommended threshold to sit for the exam. This threshold changes over time, so communication with the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs is strongly encouraged.  

In the event a student is not ready to take the Step 1 exam by the 3rd Monday in February (start of Intersession 1), the student is required to have a conversation with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss next steps. Potential outcomes of that conversation could include a 1-2 semester leave of absence (LOA) or continuation of the curriculum into Phase 2 with the expectation that the student takes Step 1 by March 15th following the last clerkship.  

If a student fails Step 1, then the student is required to meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss the next steps. Outcomes from this conversation include continuation of coursework in Phase 2 with the expectation that the student will retake Step 1 by March 15th following the end of the last clerkship, and/or MSPPC review and learning plan. Additional details on the potential outcomes of the Step 1 exam timeline are described in the Step 1 exam flowchart. If a student fails Step 1 on a second attempt, then the student will be referred to the MSPPC for a dismissal hearing. See the Academic Deficiencies section of this handbook for additional details.

To support students during the Step 2 preparation process, students receive Step 2 guidance during timely intersession lectures, and a subscription to the UWorld Step 2 question bank at the beginning of the clerkships. Throughout the academic year, students have on-demand access to resources in the student affairs Canvas site. Students are encouraged to reach out to the Associate and/or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs with any questions about the Step 2 journey. Each student takes the Comprehensive Clinical Science Exam (CCSE) at the end of their clerkships.  Once students begin the Step 2 intensive study period (ISP), VTCSOM provides students a limited number of vouchers to purchase NBME Comprehensive Clinical Science Self-Assessment (CCSSA) practice exams to help guide them as they study for the USMLE Step 2 exam. During the Step 2 intensive study period (ISP), students are offered additional guidance as they use their CCSSA vouchers. Individual students who are not scoring in a range of commensurate with their intended specialty of choice are encouraged to discuss implications with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Students who fail Step 2 are required to meet with Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss the next steps. See the Academic Deficiencies section of this handbook for additional details. 

8.0      References

• Office of Educational Affairs
• Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
• Associate Dean for Educational Affairs
• Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation, and Strategic Analytics
• Director of Foundational Science Curriculum (Phase 1)
• Director of Clinical Clerkships (Phase 2)
• Director of UME-GME Transition and Electives Curriculum (Phase 3)
• Office of Student Affairs
• Associate Dean for Student Affairs
• Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
• Assistant Director of Academic Counseling and Enrichment Services

9.0      Approval and Revisions

Approved by Student Affairs