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Student Affairs

First-Year Orientation

Orientation week provides first-year students with a formal introduction to Brown.

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First-Year Orientation

Orientation week provides first-year students with a formal introduction to Brown.

Dear MD Class of 2028

Welcome to The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University! We are looking forward to seeing you at Orientation and getting to know you over the next four years. Orientation officially begins bright and early on Thursday, August 1, 2024. We cannot wait to begin your medical school journey with you!

These pages will be updated regularly.  Please check back in to make sure you have the most updated information.  In the meantime, congratulations on your acceptance to  The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University!

Most importantly, please activate your Gmail@Brown account as soon as possible, if you have not done so already; that will be the only email address we use to communicate with you. Please follow these instructions to activate your Gmail@Brown account:

                   1. Go to myaccount.brown.edu
2. Select Log in and Manage Account
3. Type in your username and password (same one you had for your secondary application)
4. A profile page appears with all your information.  Scroll to the bottom to see your Brown ID number.  You will need this number to set up your email account.
5. Scroll back up the profile page and on the left side is a list of options; select Activate your Google Account
6. Follow the steps

Advice

The "Getting Your House in Order" document for some time-saving tips for incoming medical students.  

Carefully consider how you will transition any needed medical and/or mental health care to Rhode Island. Brown University Health Services is a wonderful resources for primary and urgent care for all Brown Students. You may also elect to establish a new primary care physician outside of Brown; please check with your insurance to find a physician in network. In addition, the medical school has a dedicated therapist (Laurice Girouard) who is available to meet with all medical students. For those students who may be interested in other or additional mental health support, zencare.co is a wonderful resource. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of the Office of Student Affairs for further support in this (or any!) area.

 

Medical Requirements 

Please see this Brown Health Services site, detailing the medical requirements and forms that you need to complete prior to beginning your clinical rotations. You may submit these requirements and forms online via your patient portal; your Brown username and password are the same as those you used to access your secondary application with us. Please note that you cannot access the patient portal until you've activated your Brown email account (see above). The medical requirements submission deadline was June 1, 2024, so make your appointments as soon as possible.  

(Extension requests: email both ams-records@brown.edu and nursing@brown.edu)

 

Additional Required Training

All matriculating students are required to complete training on Bloodborne Pathogens and HIPAA. These are both due August 6, 2024. Combined, these should take about 90 minutes.  Information on how to complete this training will be available soon.

 

Academic Accommodations

To apply for academic accommodations due to a disability, please visit this website. On this site, the section titled "Accommodations," the process for requesting accommodations is outlined and you will find a link to a form that needs to be completed . Please submit your request for accommodations as soon as possible in order to allow time for processing.  You can apply for accommodations now, prior to the start of medical school.

For questions, please contact our Learning and Accessibility Specialist of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Nicole Kaimer at nicole_kaimer@brown.edu.

 

Biography

Each year, we put together a composite of individual student biographies to give to your course leaders, advisors, etc. so they will know a little about you before classes start. These bios may also be shared across other departments at Brown (i.e., clinical departments). All students are required to submit a brief bio (3-5 sentences) via this form by July 9.

 

Brown ID Card

All students in the MD Class of 2028 must visit the Brown Card Office prior to Orientation to pick up their new Brown ID card.

  • Students Who Already Have a Brown ID:  You do NOT need to submit a new photo to the Brown Card Office for your new ID.  Your old photo is still in their system. If you would like a new photo, you must visit the Brown Card Office in person during normal business hours to have a photo taken. 

  • Students Who Don't Already Have a Brown ID:  You need to submit a photo to the Brown Card Office on or before July 28 which will be used to create your ID card.  To submit your photo, please log in to the secure area of Banner, go to the Applicant and Student section, and use the link for Brown ID Online Photo Submission.  If you fail to upload your photo prior to July 28, you will need to stop by the Brown Card Office upon your arrival to Providence (69 Brown Street, 5th Floor, Room 511) between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm (summer hours) to have your photo taken. 

 

        Student Health Insurance

It is important that Brown University students have access to comprehensive medical care while enrolled with us. All students are automatically enrolled in the University's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Participation in SHIP is mandatory unless you are enrolled in another comparable health insurance plan. The effective dates of coverage are July 15, 2024 through August 14, 2025. Each student's account will be charged the $5,166 Health Insurance Fee (assessed entirely in the Fall semester), as well as a Health Services Fee, which covers the cost of basic medical care at Health Services and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). If you choose to waive SHIP, you will need to provide proof of comparable coverage and submit an online waiver form before the bill is due to be paid August 1. The waiver process is managed by Student Health Services. If you waive SHIP, you can still receive treatment at Brown Health Services.

 

Orientation Schedule 

August 1, 2, 5 & 6, 2024

Downloadable schedule (click here)

Please note this is a draft schedule so be sure to visit regularly for updates!

Peer Mentoring

The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University has a tradition of pairing first-year medical students (M1's) with second-year (M2) pals--i.e. Al's Pals. Al's Pals is a student run program, and our goal is not only to assist M1's in getting settled into AMS and Providence, but also to build lasting friendships and community between and among the classes.  More information to follow at Orientation.

 

Community Mentor

As part of the Doctoring Program, you will spend a half day 6-7 times per semester with a community-based physician mentor, practicing with your mentor's patients the clinical skills you learn in class.  Mentor site placements in Year 1 are  random, unless you indicate that you are willing/able to commute to your site.  Mentor placements range from about .5 miles to 40 miles from the Medical School. Most sites outside of Providence do not take more than 20 minutes by car. We advise that you have access to a car at least one day per week to travel to your mentor site, but recognize that this is not possible for all students.  

In July, you will receive an optional survey, to be completed only if you opt to commute to your mentor site  in which you may indicate your specialty preference for a mentor (which will be strongly considered given mentor availability but not guaranteed). If you do not opt to drive to your site, you will receive a mentor placement in the Providence area accessibly by shuttle or bus. Year 1 placements will be assigned in late August.

In your second year of Doctoring, you will be assigned to a different mentor.  You will also have the opportunity in Year 2 to indicate preferences for your placement (i.e., geographic location, clinical setting, Spanish-speaking population, or mentor specialty).

 

Computer Requirement

All exams are administered electronically on ExamSoft; therefore, students are required to have an iPad or other device (e.g., laptop, tablet, etc.). You can view ExamSoft's minimum system requirements for iPads, Macs, and PCs via their website.

Individual tech support from the Office of Medical Education will be available to students during orientation. It's perfectly acceptable to bring what you have and then wait until orientation (or later!) to make a decision on what works best for you. Discounts at the Brown Bookstore are available to you as a medical student (with your Brown ID).

 

Diagnostic Equipment for Doctoring I

It is required that each student have their own stethoscope for the Doctoring course by the end of August for vital signs practice. For your convenience, a medical equipment representative will be on hand during the Community Resources Fair on 8/5 at noon.  You will be able to purchase any Doctoring equipment at that time, should you wish.

  • Recommended equipment includes a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, tuning fork, reflex hammer, oto-ophthalmoscope. Please note that the only items on this list that will be used during your first semester in Doctoring is the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. 

I-9

If you have any plans to work - IT fellow, peer tutor, etc. -  more info available soon.

 

Lockers

Students will receive their combined locker/mailbox 4-digit number during Orientation.  The lockers/mailboxes are located on the second floor of the Medical School building, in the academy suites.  Students will need to provide their own combination locks.  Your address will be:  Your Name, Brown University, The Warren Alpert Medical School, Box G-XXXX (insert your 4 digit box number), Providence, RI 02912. More information on mail services is available here.

 

MD28 Calendar

The MD28 Class Calendar is available online. Please add it to your favorites.  

Note, this is a live calendar and subject to change!

 

Parking and Shuttle Information

The Alpert Medical School of Brown University has a parking garage adjacent to the building. Parking spaces can be purchased once you have your Brown ID Card.  If you wish to acquire a University parking space in the garage, you will need to first register your student and vehicle information on the Transportation Office's webpage.  Once completed, you can visit the University's Transportation Office. Please bring your Brown ID, along with a valid vehicle registration and insurance card, and inform the staff that you are a student at the Alpert Medical School and that you are there to get your parking assignment for the garage.  You will be issued a University sticker for your vehicle and an access card that will be required for you to get in and out of the garage.  By registering for University parking, you will be responsible for compliance with all University parking regulations, which may be found on their webpage. Please note that the garage has a maximum number of available reserved spaces, so parking may not be available.

There is ample bike storage and shuttle service running to and from the Medical School from various locations on campus and the hospitals. More information is on the Transportation Office site.

 

Wellness Center Access Form

To receive access to the 4th-floor Wellness Center and adjacent fitness room at 222 Richmond Street, students must complete the online release form here.  Students will need their Brown ID number to complete the form, and it will take 48 hours to process.

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Providence RI 02912 401-863-1000

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First-Year Orientation