Academic Counseling Service
Given the academic counselor's guiding and advisory role in student academic performance, newly admitted international students are assigned an academic counselor each year. Each counselor is responsible for advising an average of eight students. For students in the Basic Sciences and Physiopathology Stages, counselors are selected from the basic science faculty and supervised by the head of the Basic Sciences Academic Counselor Unit. During the clinical phase, students are assigned a clinical counselor supervised by the head of the Clinical Academic Counselor Unit. Academic counselors are expected to evaluate each student's academic progress.
New international students receive an explanation of the academic counselor program during orientation workshops. The academic counselor attends these sessions to meet their students. Student counseling files are provided to counselors, who then enter student information. Counselors are responsible for approving course selections to stay informed of each student’s academic standing and any challenges they may face. Generally, counselors evaluate each student's academic and psychological well-being through regular meetings and close communication, holding sessions at least three times per semester. By reviewing midterm and final exam scores, counselors assess student performance and, if necessary, confidentially inform the School of Medicine’s Academic Counselor’s Officeand the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Global Strategies and International Affairs (GSIA) of any concerns. Student progress is reassessed in subsequent semesters to monitor improvement.
For psychological counseling, counselors evaluate student psychological well-being through ongoing sessions and close communication. If specific issues arise and the student consents, counselors will confidentially refer them to the Counseling and Lifestyle Center, which provides English-speaking counselors for international students. Results of counseling sessions with psychologists and psychiatrists are confidentially reported to the head of the School’s Academic Counselor’s Office and the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for GSIA and recorded in the student's file.
To ensure the Academic Counseling Program's effectiveness and to maximize support for international students through strategic planning and the implementation of targeted measures, the Directorate for International Education Development and the Center for International Student Academic Progress regularly monitor international students’ academic progress, student evaluations of counselors, the identification of at-risk students, and counselor performance.