Student Organization Updates
Dean’s Council: New Year, New Goals
By Ifeoma Nwadei, MS2
Ifeoma Nwadei and MS2 Rep Emily Bethea make plans for the upcoming year.
Pritzker’s Dean’s Council consists of elected representatives from the four classes of medical students at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. During the academic year, the Dean’s Council meets monthly to communicate the thoughts and concerns of Pritzker students to Pritzker’s deans. Currently, the council is dedicated to conducting internal evaluation of the Pritzker student body, improving the medical student experience at Pritzker, and exercising effective medical student organization oversight. As we embark on the 2008-2009 academic year, the council aims to enhance commitment in these 3 areas through pursuit of the following 2 goals:
- Regularly assessing and addressing Pritzker’s Vital Signs
- Effectively supporting and encouraging collaboration, longitudinality, and sustainability of medical student organizations
In the past, the student representatives on the council have served as effective liaisons between the Pritzker student body and the Pritzker administration. However, at different times of the academic year, the individual needs of the four respective student classes, their “vital signs” essentially, may not always overlap. We deem it essential and have made the commitment as a council to focus on these individual vital signs in order to effectively evaluate the needs of not only the Pritzker body but those of the individual Pritzker student. Additionally, the council aims to further support the sustainability of our student groups by emphasizing the importance of having short and long-term organizational goals, effective and timely transition of organizational leadership during Student Organization Transition Week, and adequate involvement and/or mentorship of upperclassmen medical students as well as faculty advisors.
As we, the council, start a new school year working toward these goals, I want to remind the Pritzker student body that the success of the Dean’s Council is 100% founded on effective communication between Pritzker students, their student representatives, and Pritzker’s deans. Therefore, I want to encourage the Pritzker student body to make use of this effective relationship with the goal of making your medical student experience here everything that it should be. We are looking forward to a remarkable school year!
Dean’s Council Chair,
Ifeoma Laju Nwadei
