MD’24: Fourth-year students are engaging in both local and audition/away rotations in specialties of their choosing as they prepare to launch into the year-long residency application process. In addition to their clinical experiences, students are actively participating in a series of class meetings hosted by the Office of Career Development within the Office of Student Affairs, as they work to put together their CVs, personal statements, and other components of their  residency applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service  (ERAS).  ERAS  officially opens to students on September 6, 2023 and all completed applications are made available to residency programs on September 27, 2023 along with each student’s  Medical Student Performance Evaluation (former Dean’s letter).

MD’25:  Third-year students are currently fully engaged in clinical rotations and have already completed their first round of shelf examinations. In addition to clinical experiences in the core disciplines, students also have an opportunity to explore additional areas of interest through a variety of clinical electives and independent studies. To ensure that students continue to feel supported in their transition from the classroom to the clinical setting, they will engage in Wellness and Learning Environment Rounds hosted by our Assistant Dean for the Learning Environment and Chief Wellness Officer. These sessions allow the medical school administration to understand student experiences in the clinical space, address any concerns, and provide immediate support and connection to resources. While students rotate through various clinical departments and health systems throughout their third year, they have an opportunity each month to return to the medical school for Chat, Process, Reflect (CPR) sessions where they can reconnect with classmates and have a safe space to discuss personal experiences in small groups facilitated by fourth-year peer mentors and Mary B. Arnold mentors.

MD’26: Second-year students completed their final exam of the 22-23 academic year on May 25, 2023.  The majority of students are engaging in a variety of research and scholarly activities over the course of the summer with many staying here in Rhode Island to fulfill service, leadership, and advocacy roles while also exploring a variety of specialties through shadowing clinicians in our affiliated health systems. The class will reconvene with an Introduction to Year 2 on August 7, 2023 and then launch into the Cardiovascular Block that same day.

MD’27: First-year students are all encouraged to enjoy their summer vacation! They  have all received important information from the Offices of Student Affairs and Medical Education, including the full academic calendar and an outline of other expectations, in an effort to  facilitate a smooth transition to medical school. While pre-studying for Year 1 courses is not required, nor recommended, we do ask students to engage in some light summer reading with three required chapters of Dorothy Robert’s book, Fatal Invention,  prior to the start of their Health Systems Science course.  This book has been highly regarded by our students and exemplifies our commitment to diversity, equity, and anti-racist values within our medical school community and curriculum. All students are expected to be in-person for our week-long Orientation which starts at 8:00 am on August 1, 2023 at The Warren Alpert Medical School. We look forward to the start of a terrific semester and to meeting parents at the White Coat Ceremony on September 23, 2023.  Additional details will be forthcoming.

PLME: Following a national search, Sandy Saintonge, MD, MPH, has been appointed associate dean for the Program in Liberal Medical Education. She will begin her appointment July 12, 2023. Dr. Saintonge received her undergraduate degree in economics from Hunter College in 1992 and medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College in 1999. She completed residencies in pediatrics and preventive medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell. She also earned a master of public health degree from Columbia University. After completing her training, Dr. Saintonge served as an attending physician at NY Presbyterian Queens in pediatrics and emergency medicine. She was associate program director for the Preventive Medicine residency program at Weill Cornell from 2009 to 2011 and an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics and clinical public health at Weill Cornell. In 2018, Dr. Saintonge was appointed medical clinical professor in the Sophie Davis Bio-Medical Education Program/CUNY School of Medicine, where she served as course co-director for the professional foundations course and developed and taught a career advising curriculum for all four years of medical school. She also served as a medical student advisor in the Office of Student Affairs. In this role, Dr. Saintonge assumed primary responsibility for and oversight of the career preparedness curriculum, programming, events, and related activities. She advised students on academic, career, and personal issues, including at-risk monitoring to promote academic progress, wellness, and a positive learning environment. She also served as the interim assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at CUNY School of Medicine, formulating a strategic plan for DEI and developing programs and initiatives that promote and advance the school’s mission.