Student Services

The student affairs efforts will concentrate on four areas: career advising, student wellness and resilience, student resources and the physician development coaching program.

We encourage you to begin your student services search with the SOM Office of Student Affairs staff so that we may be able to direct and to refer you appropriately.

Career and Professional Development

The Director for Career and Professional Development, along with the Career and Professional Development Coordinator, will oversee the delivery of a robust Career and Professional Development program. This team will also supervise the advising system for the exploration and selection of medical specialties that will maximize our student’s competitiveness in the Match.

Counseling and Mental Health Services

Counseling and mental health services are provided to Burnett School of Medicine enrolled students through the TCU Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) as a service of the university and at no charge to students. The Counseling and Mental Health Center provides a variety of professional services, including short-term counseling, psychiatric consultation, and referrals. Counseling services are provided by licensed psychologists, licensed professional counselors, licensed social workers, and graduate level trainees under the supervision of a licensed staff therapist. Psychiatric services are provided by a board-certified consulting psychiatrist. Students are encouraged to schedule their healthcare appointments during the “white space” in the curriculum, but will be allowed an excused absence from educational hours for mental health and other healthcare needs.

For more information, visit TCU Counseling and Mental Health Center

IT Services

TCU has created a page for students to assist in online learning, find it at TCU Keep Learning. There is also a dedicated IT help line specifically for the school of medicine. The number is 817-257-8972. Normal IT call ticketing is still the recommended way of submitting most issues. To submit a ticket, visit it.tcu.edu

Financial Education and Scholarship

The school of medicine is dedicated to assisting medical students in understanding, applying for and securing financial aid for a medical education. Additionally, we are committed to personal financial wellness and deliver sessions in budgeting, debt management/repayment plans and strategies, amongst other topics at times that are important to your journey in and after medical school. Students are unique in their needs and we will do our best to work with any situation.

For more information, contact us at MDfinancialaid@tcu.edu

Physician Development Coaching Initiative

The Physician Development Coaching Program will pair each student with a coach upon their arrival. This coaching relationship will continue throughout their time spent at the school of medicine and will support the development of a professional identity in addition to monitoring the academic progress of our students.

Professionalism Resource Officer

The school of medicine is committed to the highest professional standards for its students, faculty and staff. Identifying and addressing professionalism concerns at an early stage, and through multiple channels, is vital to ensuring support for all.

The Office of the Professionalism Resource Officer (PRO) exists to receive professionalism concerns at any time from anyone regarding our faculty, staff and students. In addition to opportunities to approach school of medicine leadership, faculty and staff at any time, the school of medicine also provides a clear and simple means for students, faculty and staff to share concerns confidentially and/or anonymously. The PRO serves an essential and confidential role in addressing these concerns.

The PRO seeks to address professionalism lapses directly with the individual involved in a constructive, non-confrontational and confidential setting. If a professionalism concern rises to the level of a SOM policy violation, an honor code violation or a Title IX violation, the matter will be forwarded to the appropriate investigating body and the person(s) bringing the concern will be so notified if their identity is known to the PRO.

CLICK TO VIEW THE ONLINE REPORTING FORMS

How to Contact the Professionalism Resource Officer

Mary Elizabeth Herring, J.D.

Professionalism Resource Officer

Cell: 979-224-0824

m.e.herring@tcu.edu

Student Disability Services

Student Affairs Student Success Guide to Disability Services

The Burnett School of Medicine (SOM) complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. Applicants for admission and current students, with or without reasonable accommodations, must be able to satisfy the technical standards for acceptance into, progression through, and graduation from the school of medicine.

The Burnett School of Medicine works in compliance with the disabilities services policy set forth by Texas Christian University (TCU). Newly admitted and current school of medicine students with documented disabilities can be considered for academic accommodations by following protocol laid out by Student Disability Services (SDS).

Accommodation-Request Procedure for Newly Admitted and Current SOM Students

• Accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, a student seeking an academic accommodation should contact Stacy Mason, TCU Director for Access and Accommodations, at studentaccommodation@tcu.edu or 817-257-6567. To apply for accommodations with The Office of Student Access and Accommodation at TCU, all students must present relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports that meet TCU’s official guidelines.
• Each eligible student must present TCU’s Access and Accommodations office with verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports that meet the university’s official guidelines (see Documentation Requirements).
• TCU’s Access and Accommodations staff will have the student complete an intake packet, which includes a procedures acknowledgment form, a release of information form, and a student information sheet, when they submit their documentation for accommodation consideration (Intake Appointment Fact Sheet).
• Documentation presented to the TCU Access and Accommodations office and/or their designee shall be reviewed by the appropriate university professional(s) to verify the existence of a disability.
• Each student’s application is handled on an individualized, case-by-case basis. The review is an interactive process, along with student input and dialogue using relevant documentation.
• Further documentation may be required to substantiate the claim of a disability or to assist the university in determining appropriate accommodations.
• The TCU Access and Accommodations office shall prepare a letter to a School of Medicine representative concerning specific, reasonable academic adjustments for the student. The Office of Student Affairs in conjunction with the TCU Access and Accommodations office will partner with the student to ensure the accommodations are met.
• The Office of Student Affairs will coordinate with the student necessary meetings with faculty members to ensure that outlined accommodations are in place.
• The Office of Student Affairs will document the School of Medicine’s accommodation plan and will keep it on file until it expires or is amended on advisement from Student Disability Services.

Documentation Requirements

Because the provision of accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the current impact of the condition(s) on academic performance and access to educational activities, it is in an individual’s best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation.

Comprehensive documentation should include the following seven components:

• evidence of existing impairment;
• background information (e.g., current and previous history, interview, review of records, etc.);
• relevant testing;
• specific diagnosis;
• rule-out of alternative diagnoses or explanations;
• rationale for accommodations request that is appropriate to postsecondary settings; and
• school plans, such as a history of accommodation from (a) previous institution(s), an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a Summary of Performance (SOP), or a Section 504 Plan, are useful but may not, in and of themselves, be sufficient documentation to establish the rationale for accommodations.

The TCU Access and Accommodations office generally requires documentation of a disability from within the last three years. For students with physical/systemic disabilities, mental health disabilities, cognitive disabilities (such as traumatic brain injury), and other disabilities that are subject to frequent change or are impacted by medication or other treatments, documentation should be current and within the past 6-12 months (determination will be made on a case-by-case basis).

Evaluation for Disabilities

Students who have never been evaluated for a disability or those in need of updated documentation must be assessed by a qualified provider/evaluator.

The name, title, and professional credentials of the provider/evaluator, including information about license or certification (e.g., a licensed psychologist), the area of specialization, employment, and the state/province in which the individual practices, should be clearly stated in the documentation.

The TCU Access and Accommodations office can assist students in finding a qualified professional for assessment. Contact studentaccommodation@tcu.edu for assistance obtaining appropriate documentation.

Appeals Process

Students who wish to appeal a decision regarding appropriate accommodations shall do so in writing to the Chief Inclusion Officer/Title IX Coordinator, who shall decide the appeal.

• The Chief Inclusion Officer/Title IX Coordinator’s decision may be appealed within 7 calendar days in writing to the TCU Provost, whose decision may be appealed within an additional 7 calendar days in writing to the TCU Chancellor.
• At any step during such an appeal, the person requesting the appeal may confidentially consult with appropriate professionals/advisors within or outside of the university.

Accommodations and Implications for USMLE

The United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®), the three-step examination for medical licensure in the U.S., provides reasonable and appropriate accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for individuals with documented disabilities.

The USMLE provides general guidelines for requesting accommodations, which includes submission of the Request for Test Accommodation Form, a personal statement, an evaluation by a qualified professional, and relevant objective records of impaired functioning. Receiving accommodations during undergraduate medical education does not guarantee that a student will receive USMLE accommodations.

In its consideration of accommodation requests, the USMLE relies heavily on records of demonstrated impaired function, making it important for School of Medicine students to seek approval for and utilize accommodations early in their medical education.

Student Records, Registration and Credentialing

The School of Medicine is dedicated to protecting student records and other data collected throughout medical school. Students are required to maintain credentialing documentation (i.e. immunizations, criminal background, and clinical paperwork) for continued enrollment and clinical rotations, so it is important that students adhere to all requests in a timely manner. Our office also verifies enrollment status for loan deferments, jury duty, insurance discounts, in addition to official transcripts and other documents required for medical licensure.

For more information, contact us at MDrecords@tcu.edu.

Student Success Navigation

The Burnett School of Medicine Student Success academic-support program is a comprehensive and collaborative team-based advising model intended to help students thrive in our innovative, problem-based-learning curriculum. The Student Success team assists students in finding the strategies and processes best suited for their learning, retention, and application of material presented in the curriculum. Our goal is to help students develop and improve individualized skills they continue to utilize as medical practitioners and lifelong learners.

Physician Development Coaches are the first members of the Student Success team new enrollees meet. Upon enrollment, each student is assigned a Learning Community led by two Physician Development Coaches. Coaches monitor their students’ academic progress and encourage professional identity formation by meeting frequently with students to review their progress, identify resources, and plan for next steps.

Coaches may advise students (or students can make an appointment on their own) to see a Student Success Navigator. This member of the Student Success team is a learning specialist whose role is to help students find and employ the best methods and strategies for their learning. Student Success Navigators are not medical-content experts; they complement the critical-thinking and advanced-processing skillset the TCU School of Medicine curriculum provides its graduates.

The Student Success program also facilitates a peer-tutoring program, which employs second-year medical students to serve as academic mentors for first-year students. Peer tutors further the mission of the Student Success program by focusing their support efforts on process and learning improvement.

Thrive: Medical Student Wellness

The Burnett School of Medicine has developed the THRIVE wellness curriculum. THRIVE is the longitudinal, integrated and collaborative system of instruction, learning and support for the School of Medicine students focusing on their well-being.

Veterans Services

Veterans Services is committed to ensuring that military and veteran students successfully make the transition from the military environment to campus life, and are assisted in their progress toward completing their academic degree. For more information, see TCU Veterans Services