Longtime faculty member Nicolette McGuire, PhD, will help students from one milestone to the next in her newly created role, guiding them through their entire medical school journey.
Dr. Nicolette McGuire to direct OUM’s new focus on Academic Transition and Student Engagement
Medical school is a journey with several important phases. Helping students transition from one of those milestones to the next and keeping them engaged throughout is paramount. To assure even greater success in this process, OUM has established a new administrative role to lead the way.
Longtime faculty member Nicolette McGuire, PhD, has been named the new Director for Academic Transition and Student Engagement. She has taught the Reproductive and Endocrine system-based modules (SBMs) for the past nine years and before moving east to Ontario, was the Provincial Director of Research for the Ministry of Health in British Columbia, Canada.
“We are extremely fortunate to have a long-time faculty member, admired by her students and advisees, now expanding her commitment to their success,” says Randell Brown, PhD, OUM Professor and Vice Chancellor. “Dr. McGuire has enthusiastically embraced this new role, which takes her well beyond the classroom to help guide our students through their entire medical school journey.”
She assumes management of OUM’s new 12-week Introduction to Medicine program which began in January to prepare and engage entering students as they navigate the rigors of medical school. She will teach Biology for the introductory course, continue teaching her SBM courses, and retain her students as their Academic Advisor.
Some of Dr. McGuire’s new responsibilities will include coordinating New Student Orientations, designing/implementing/reporting on the Annual Student Survey and overseeing regional student conferences and University graduation ceremonies. She will also look toward development of student community service-based programming and strengthening connections to OUM’s alumni community.
“I look forward to becoming more involved and invested in our students’ journeys,” says Dr. McGuire. “I am pleased to work with students throughout each phase of their medical education, beginning with Introduction to Medicine. Like all of my colleagues, our ultimate goal is seeing our students graduate and become talented, competent physicians,” she says.
Dr. McGuire earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Victoria in British Columbia and her PhD in Reproductive Endocrinology from the University of California Berkeley. Read more in her Faculty Profile previously written for OUM News.
(June 2021)