FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCES

Congratulations and welcome to Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine! We are excited that you will soon be part of the SCNM community and we have created this page as a resource for you.

As a new student you will be inundated by information from a variety of sources. Your first year in medical school can be life changing.  At SCNM we understand that for many of you, you may be the first in your family to continue your education in a professional medical degree program.  Transition to medical school doesn’t need to be complicated.

For this reason, SCNM has instituted various services and benefits that are developed to ease your transition into medical school.

Important Dates

Orientation: Spring (February 4 – 6, 2009);  Fall (August 5– 7, 2009)
Classes Begin: Spring (February 9, 2009); Fall (August 10, 2009)
Final transcripts due: Spring (April 6, 2009);  Fall (September 28, 2009)

New Student Orientation Program

The New Student Orientation program at SCNM was designed with you in mind. Three fun and information-filled days help students acclimate to the campus, medical center and to each other to ensure that you hit the ground running when courses begin.

Areas covered in the three-day program include:

• Faculty and staff introductions
• What is expected of you
• Budgeting/Financial Aid information
• Support services
• Professional organizations
• How to succeed in the ND program
• Student clubs and organizations

In addition, SCNM's admissions staff and current students organize local area field trips to provide students with the opportunity to become acquainted with the area and with each other. Students come to SCNM from all over the world and our Orientation program is a great beginning to a positive learning experience.

If you are an accepted student, you must log onto MySCNM for more information on your upcoming Orientation program.

SCNM Student Mentor Program

During New Student Orientation, you will be linked to a current student who will serve as your Peer Mentor through your first year of the ND program.  Each Peer Mentor is specially matched with incoming students with whom they have the most in common. For example, if a new student is originally from Michigan we would match him/her with a mentor from the same area, if possible.

Time is set aside in the Orientation program for mentors and mentees to get to know one another and get insight on what to expect each quarter. The Student Affairs Team plans a fun event for all mentors and mentees to come together: roller skating, trips to the Botanical Gardens, and much more.  We are committed to the success of our students from day one.

Faculty Mentors

Upon admission to the program, you will be assigned a faculty member who will serve as your mentor throughout your degree program. This faculty mentor is available as a resource to monitor and evaluate your academic progress. Your faculty mentor is available to meet with you periodically to offer support and assist you in your academic and professional development at SCNM.

Doctoré Development Center (DDC)

The Doctoré Development Center (DDC) is a formal tutoring center staffed by paid upper-class students in good academic standing. These students provide free one-on-one tutoring in a structured environment helping with specific course content, study skills, time-management, and general advice for students struggling with the intensity of the program. The DDC is a key element in the retention of our students. It is facilitated by the Dean of Students who oversees tutor selection, orientation, scheduling, and communication between tutors, students, faculty, and administration.

Grand Rounds (Open Forum)

All students are invited to sit in on Grand Rounds. Many new students cite it as an inspirational and motivational experience, often helping to solidify or integrate the basic medical science coursework taken in the first two years of the program.

In medical Grand Rounds, case histories are used to illustrate the clinical presentation of diseases to provide a context in which participants can review basic information, and to focus discussion on several possible ways to frame and address the problem. Various medical students and physicians present their perspectives on the etiology, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan for a patient’s presenting problem(s). Naturopathic therapeutics is the main focus of the presentations.

Student Services Center (One-Stop-Shop)

The Student Services Center is a “one-stop-shop” serving students by integrating financial aid, registration and records, admissions, and support functions. Here students can obtain enrollment forms, general student records and registration information, and personal assistance at one location from staff that are cross-trained in all of the Student Services offices. The Student Services Center is open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Meet the Student Services Specialist.