Medical school can be a very challenging, time-consuming journey.  In an effort to address this, Study Buddies was established with the purpose of helping each student master the material presented in their coursework.  Class-specific, discussion-based groups led by colleagues, Q&A forums, and an ANGEL-based online networking system are just some of the study tools Study Buddies has created for their fellow students. 

The newly established group has seen recent success during the fall semester. Numerous group members who took summer 2005 Gross Anatomy spent time in the lab during the fall semester to help their colleagues.  Additionally, weekly discussion groups were set up in an effort to tackle the class material presented and to field any questions and concerns the students had.

Study Buddies hopes to remain an integral part of the success students are seeing in each of their classes.  The utilization of “smart classrooms” with projection technology provides an opportunity to incorporate visual study aids and assist in comprehension of the overwhelming amount of information that we are expected to grasp. Histological slides, for instance, can be analyzed while discussing physiology lecture material. Furthermore, efforts are being made to strengthen communication between students and faculty and to hopefully have faculty attendance during some of the discussion sessions for answering questions.

It is the hope of Study Buddies that their current efforts will continue in subsequent medical school classes and that each student will utilize the help the group provides.   Medical training can be challenging, but by working together, a seemingly overwhelming journey can become a much more doable one.

Contact Info:

hagetale@msu.edu - Taleb Hage

olearym2@msu.edu - Melissa Kathleen Wolinski

Administration:

Faculty Advisor: Gillian Bice, PhD

President & Founder: Taleb Hage

Vice Presidents: Melissa Wolinski & Mitchell Peabody

Discussion Coordinators: Emily Geib

Faculty Liaison: Daniel Weber

Publicists: Niamh Condon & Aubrey J Parsons