Medical School Support Services

Counseling, psychosocial, and academic support are offered to provide a sustaining environment for the retention of underrepresentedand disadvantaged medical students.

• Summer Prematriculation Program: a 4-week academic program  developed for underrepresented and disadvantaged students accepted into the first year of medical school. The program is designed to facilitate the student's academic, environmental, and emotional adjustment to medical school, and provide a mentoring and primary care clinical experience with minority community physicians. The Prematriculation program consists of basic science lectures and classes in time management, test taking, and study, note taking, and memorization skills. A 3-day Career Enrichment Workshop and a 2-day Cultural Competency Workshop is also conducted. During the last three weeks of the program, students participate in Community-based Ambulatory Preceptorships, where they are placed in off-campus clinics and community physician offices.
• Counseling and Academic Monitoring: ODCE staff work with the Student Affairs Office and course directors to identify and intervene with students having academic difficulty. Counseling sessions and tutors are also provided as needed.
• Big Brother/Big Sister: Each enrolled freshman is paired with an upperclassman that provides peer support. This program is offered in conjunction with the Student National Medical Association.
• Mentorship Program: "A Young Healers" mentorship program was established to allow minority physicians in the community an opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences with minority and disadvantaged medical students, act as role models, and provide medical students with an opportunity to rotate on clerkships within their office and practice.
• USMLE, Step I Review: A USMLE, Step I Review is offered to assist second-year students with passage of the USMLE, Step I exam. The review consists of didactic lectures given by LSU senior faculty members that cover all basic science disciplines. Also, ODCE will provide a Stanley Kaplan Computer Program for 25 disadvantaged students. These students will receive a customized online database of practice questions and explanations that allow instant on-screen feedback with tracked cumulative performance records.