Phase 1 Overall Support

The transition to medical school can be both rewarding and overwhelming. The sheer amount of information that needs to be learned over a short period of time can be challenging. Many students could improve the learning strategies required to manage the pace, depth, and structure of medical school. The Tulane Office of Medical Education provides several resources to support the students in this journey.

Orientation

At Tulane we understand the importance of providing support to our first-year students in their transition to medical school. During orientation we provide them with tools and techniques they can begin implementing from day one. Some of the topics covered in this presentation are mindset for learning, maintaining motivation, effective learning cycle, and time management.

Learning Specialists

The Office of Medical Education has two full time learning specialists dedicating to supporting students in all phases of medical school. Students are encouraged to stop by or reach out at any time to make an appointment for help with time management, study strategies, test taking assistance as well as learning some coping mechanism.

Office Address: 

Suite 232, 2nd floor, Murphy building, TUSOM.

Dr. Dolly Anadkat (danadkat@tulane.edu)

Dr. Paula Majeau (pmajeau@tulane.edu)

PAL Tutors

Once in medical school, students may find that previous methods of studying are no longer effective in producing positive results. For many students, this may be the first time they have faced the possibility of failing an exam or not keeping up with course material. The PAL program aims to support student success by providing the resources needed to improve academic performance.  This service is available free of charge to current medical students who have been referred by the Office of Students Affairs and/or a Course Director.

PAL Tutors and T4 students also lead weekly group sessions to review and recap material learned during the week. These sessions are open to all students and dates, times and sessions recording are available on eMedley.

For More information, please go here

Concept Mapping Group Sessions

With high volume of information in medical school, students often feel compelled to rote memorization. One learning strategy that has been shown to be highly effective is the use of concept mapping which not only helps promote conceptual learning but also helps remember information in an integrated manner. For many this is a new skill that needs to be explicitly taught. OME offers a large group session followed by small group sessions to learn and practice this skill. The initial session is led by faculty and learning specialists and utilizes near peer tutors in small groups to allow for individual practice and immediate feedback.

Accommodations

Students who require accommodations in medical school are encouraged to reach out to the Goldman Center on the uptown Tulane Campus to ensure that these accommodations are in place when classes begin. If a student is unsure if they should apply for accommodations, they are welcome to reach out to the Learning Specialists to get the guidance they need.

Contact : Dr. Paula Majeau (pmajeau@tulane.edu)

Mindfulness and learning in medical school

Medical school is recognized as both a fulfilling and high stress period in a student's life. The basic science years when students are dealing with a large volume of information are a stressful time in and of itself and the anxiety and burnout experienced by medical students is at an all-time high. Both students and medical school administrators increasingly recognize the importance of wellness. Various researchers have studied the effectiveness of a structured program on "mindfulness-based stress reduction" in medical students. Students who participated in these programs reported improvement in psychological wellbeing. Mindfulness research has shown a remarkable effect on not only reducing stress but also in enhancing cognitive function; these areas include increased focus and attention, enhanced memory and retention, improved leaning, logical thinking, and decision making. Based on the results, students who incorporate mindfulness in their curriculum could potentially reap benefits academically and personally.