Academic Advising is one of the four integral pillars of our COMPASS Program.
Academic advising is primarily facilitated through the Dean’s Advising Academy Leader Program. At UCF COM, students have an advisor who follows them throughout their four years of medical school. Students may also choose additional Residency Career Advisors, particularly when they are pursuing a specialty not represented in pool of available Core Advisors (e.g., radiation oncology). Dean’s Advising Academy Leaders provide advisement, guidance, and support in three domains – academic advising, career advising, and personal wellness – through one-on-one interactions with their student advisees.
The Dean’s Advising Academy Leaders’ role in the M.D. COMPASS program is focused on academic advising and designed to offer both structure and flexibility, periodic structured “checkups” and provide consistency to all students across the advising program. Dean’s Advising Academy Leaders have the flexibility to meet with their advisees more often in groups or individually depending on the needs and preferences of their students.
The Office of Student Affairs provides resources to Dean’s Advising Academy Leaders for advising and meeting the needs of students, including suggested discussion topics for meetings with advisees, templates for Match Check-Ups, sample student CV’s, access to the AAMC’s Careers in Medicine website (including advisor support materials, such as advising checklists), access to student academic performance and other resources.
Dean’s Advising Academy Leaders (AAL) are assigned to students during their M1 orientation. For questions about advising assignments, or if students would like to request an advisor change, please contact Soraya Smith.
SASS offers a variety of resources to help students learn as efficiently and effectively as possible. Our goal is to support all students as they adapt their study skills, test taking strategies and personal habits to the demands of medical education. We understand that the amount of material and the pace of the curriculum can present difficulties for many students, and our office is committed to working with students through those challenges. Our office strives to provide support, assistance and resources that will encourage life-long learning. The Office of Student Academic Support Services is located on the second floor, in COM 205. The following are some of the resources available through the Office of Student Academic Support Services:
- Free learning resources
- Preparation for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2
- Study Skills & Test Taking Strategies
- Writing Assistance
For more information and resources visit the SASS section of GPS.