Student Life
All UMass Chan Students
Academic Support Services
| Academic counseling | Tutoring | Test-taking |
Our goal is to help all learners in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Graduate Medical Education achieve the most comprehensive and meaningful educational experience possible. We encourage you to access the resources of the Center for Academic Achievement.
The CAA is made up of the Center for Academic Achievement, as well as Academic Enrichment Programs which work together in order to provide comprehensive services to students, residents, and fellows. Students seen for academic enrichment may be encouraged to receive clinical enrichment services and vice versa.
Clinical
Clinical students, residents, and fellows should contact Tracy Kedian, or Lisa Shay for the following concerns:
- Clinical skills related to working on the wards
- Clinical interviewing
- Clinical problem solving and decision making
- Patient communication
- Patient oral presentation
- Patient notes
- Performance on OSCEs
- CCE shelf exam performance
- Step 2 CS, Step 2 CK, Step 3, COMLEX, NP, In-Training exams, or Board Certification exams- if concerns relate to clinical problem solving or fund of knowledge
- Clinical Skills Electives
- Independent Study Courses
- Study skills as related to clinical work
Pre-Clinical
Pre-clinical students should contact Christine Woolf, Director of Academic Enrichment Programs for the following concerns:
- Performance in courses
- Test taking skills
- Study skills
- Time management
- Error analysis of exams
- Memorization
- Organization
- Reading comprehension
- Note taking
- Step 1, NCLEX, and MCAT preparation
- Step 2 CK, Step 2 CS, Step 3, COMLEX, NP exams, In-Service Training exams, and Board Certification exams- if concerns relate to developing a study schedule or developing more efficient and effective ways to study
How we operate
We generally begin by meeting with the client in order to develop a needs assessment which lays the groundwork for the collaborative development of an individualized educational plan. We decide together how often to meet and how to proceed. Sometimes a few sessions is all that is needed and at other times a one month Clinical Skills Elective is chosen.
For more information about the Center for Academic Achievement, please go here.
Appropriate Treatment of Learners
The UMass Chan Medical School (“UMass Chan”) is committed to providing a supportive and respectful learning environment that fosters mutual trust and understanding between learners and the educational community. Accordingly, UMass Chan has developed an Appropriate Treatment of Learners (“ATL”) policy to address concerns regarding the inappropriate treatment of learners by a member of the educational community. When the ATL standards are upheld, the educational environment supports optimal teaching, learning and professional development of learners. The Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO) is responsible for the ongoing oversight and periodic review of this policy.
The ATL policy defines some behaviors that represent inappropriate treatment of learners. It also describes the procedure for reporting complaints and the follow-up of such allegations. UMass Chan is committed to conducting investigations thoroughly, promptly and impartially. All students should expect to be treated with respect, and to learn and work in a safe environment. All individuals who interact with students are expected to behave in accordance with the ATL policy, which applies to all UMass Chan faculty, staff, residents, fellows, nurses, administrators and others who interact with learners.
Inappropriate treatment of learners occurs when behavior by a member of the learning community shows disrespect for the dignity of learners such that it interferes with their learning process. Examples of such behaviors include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Humiliation of learners
- Verbal attacks towards learners
- Inappropriate anger or harsh language when addressing a learner
- Lack of communication with a learner
- Requiring a learner to perform tasks that belittle the learner
- Requiring a learner to perform personal services, e.g. babysitting, errands, shopping, etc.
- Insulting conduct to a learner
- Disregard for learner safety
The ATL policy does not address sexual harassment complaints, violence/hostility in the workplace, or discrimination. The reporting and investigation of these complaints are addressed in other policies, including the Title IX Incident policy, Violence and Hostility in the Workplace policy, and the Discrimination Complaint Policy and Procedure, respectively. Each of these policies can be found on the DIO website.
Learners who believe they have been subject to inappropriate treatment in the learning community are responsible for reporting their complaint to the DIO as soon as possible. In addition, any member of the learning community who becomes aware of inappropriate treatment of a learner is strongly encouraged to report the issue to the DIO for further investigation.
For more information, including definitions, policies and procedures for reporting suspected inappropriate treatment, students are encouraged to contact the Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO). Confidential consultation and assistance with reporting are also available in the Office of Student Affairs.
(revised 03/2017)
Clery Act
Our campus complies with the federal Clery Act. Prior to October 1st of each year, our campus publishes the Annual Security Report, which contains campus safety information. The most recent report can be found on the following web page:
View Clery Act
Title IX
It is the policy of the UMass Chan Medical School (“UMass Chan”) [the University of Massachusetts Worcester (“UMW”)] to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq., and its implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 106, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities operated by recipients of Federal financial assistance. Sexual harassment of students, which includes acts of sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX. Sexual violence refers to physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent due to the victim’s use of drugs or alcohol or due to an intellectual or other disability. A number of acts may fall into the category of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, non-consensual video or audio taping of sexual activity, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking incidents and sexual coercion. All such acts of sexual violence are forms of sexual harassment covered under Title IX.
The language, terms and requirements of this Policy supersede and supplant any inconsistent or conflicting language in any other UMass Chan policy. The UMass Chan employee to whom claims shall be reported under this Policy and who shall be responsible for administering this Policy is UMass Chan’s Title IX Coordinator – as designated by UMass Chan's Provost.
CARE website: Campus Assault, Resource, and Education site (for sex discrimination and violence)
You can contact the Diversity and Inclusion Office by calling 508-856-2179.
T.H. Chan School of Medicine Students
Area Housing
The UMass Chan Medical School campus does not have onsite housing facilities. However, most of our students find convenient housing in the local community. Students are encouraged to use the housing board located just outside of the student lounge (which advertises local listing for housing/roommates).
Employment Opportunities
Faculty mentors provide projects on which UMass Chan Medical School's T.H. Chan School of Medicine students work for pay during an 8-week period in the summer before or after their first medical school year. Approximately 25 students participate annually. Students are required to prepare a professional poster that is presented at a fair in the fall of each year. For more information about this program, please go here.
Graduate Achievements
Match summaries
2026: Matched 172 students at 75 sites for their first year of residency. The specialties with the highest number of matches (61) are in primary care (internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics), representing 35 percent of the Class of 2026. There were 13 matches in psychiatry. Top match locations: UMass Chan Medical School, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Yale/New Haven Hospital, UConn School of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
2025: Matched 140 students at 60 sites for their first year of residency. The specialties with the highest number of matches (60) are in primary care (internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics), representing 43 percent of the Class of 2025. There were 11 matches in emergency medicine. Top match locations: UMass Chan Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Brigham, UMass Chan-Baystate
2024: Matched 164 students at 72 sites for their first year of residency. The specialties with the highest number of matches (80) are in primary care (internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics), representing nearly 50 percent of the Class of 2024. Other top matches were in emergency medicine (14) and obstetrics & gynecology (11). Top match locations: UMass Chan Medical School, Brown University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Brigham, UMass Chan-Baystate
2023: Matched 149 students at 71 sites for their first year of residency. The specialties with the highest number of matches (66) are in primary care (internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics), or 44 percent of the Class of 2023. Other top matches were in obstetrics & gynecology (14) and emergency medicine (10). Top match locations: UMass Chan Medical School, Massachusetts General Brigham, Boston Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, UMass Chan-Baystate
2022: Matched 163 students at 82 sites for their first year of residency. The specialties with the highest number of matches (69) were in primary care (internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics), or 42.3 percent of the Class of 2022. Other top matches were in emergency medicine (15) and obstetrics and gynecology (14). Top match locations: UMass Chan Medical School, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Brigham, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
2021: Matched 166 students at 72 sites for their first year of residency. The specialties with the highest number of matches were in primary care (71) including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics & gynecology, equaling 42 percent of the class. Other top matches were in emergency medicine (17) and general surgery (12). Top match locations: UMass Chan Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Baystate Medical Brigham, Yale New Haven Hospital
2020: Matched 133 students at 63 sites for their first year of residency. Specialties with the highest number of matches (61) were primary care (internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics). Other top matches were anesthesiology (12) and emergency medicine (11). Top match locations: UMass Chan Medical School, Massachusetts General Brigham, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital
Honor Code
As a community of scholars and future physicians, the honor code carries with it a responsibility to mutually assure the integrity of the community. This reflects the obligation of licensed physicians to maintain the ethics of the profession.
It is expected that each student will make a personal commitment to abide by the UMass Chan Medical School Honor Code, which includes both self-monitoring and reporting violations.
The Honor Code applies to all students at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. All students who are enrolled in a degree-granting program from the T.H. Chan School of Medicine will be held to the Honor Code until they receive their final degree(s). The Honor Board consists of faculty and students with a chair named by the dean.
Consequences of violations may include self-assessment and remediation; others may require course repeat, service work or even dismissal. Categories of violations are tiered and cumulative.
Please see Honor Code policy in its entirety at Honor Code Policy.
Learning Communities
Beginning in academic year 2010-11, T.H. Chan School of Medicine students are members of Learning Communities, established to allow more interclass interaction where students can learn from each other as they will when they are out in the real world. All entering first-year students are assigned to one of six houses, each with regionally significant names. These social and academic homes are overseen by faculty mentors, who act as advisors, teachers and career development coaches.
All students are placed in one of the following houses: Blackstone, Brightwood, Burncoat, Kelley, Quinsigamond, and Tatnuck, represented by the following house seals.
Licensure Pass Rates
Step 1
| Year | National Pass Rate % | T.H. Chan School of Medicine Pass Rate % |
| 2020 | 98% | 100% |
| 2019 | 97% | 100% |
| 2018 | 96% | 100% |
Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills)
| Academic Year | National Pass Rate % | T.H. Chan School of Medicine Pass Rate % |
| 2020 | 95% | 97% |
| 2019 | 95% | 97% |
| 2018 | 95% | 99% |
Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge)
| Academic Year | National Pass Rate % | T.H. Chan School of Medicine Pass Rate % |
| 2020 | 98% | 100% |
| 2019 | 98% | 98% |
| 2018 | 97% | 100% |
Major Affiliate Sites
In addition to teaching affiliates with UMass Memorial Health Care hospitals at the University campus and Memorial campus, and our Regional campus at Baystate Health, the Medical School has teaching affiliations with St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester and with hospitals in western Massachusetts. Other Massachusetts hospitals support undergraduate medical education through provision of required clerkships and electives.
Students are required to travel to sites within a one-hour driving distance from UMass Chan Medical School. Housing is provided for students doing required clerkships at sites that are more than an hour from UMass Chan Medical School. These are currently Berkshire Medical Center, Cape Cod Hospital, and Holyoke Medical Center.
To view a list of our affiliates, please go here.
Non Academic Opportunities
Students have the opportunity to be involved in many nonacademic projects, such as optional enrichment electives or summer research programs. In addition to this, any additional opportunities that we become aware of are advertised twice a week in the Student Bulletin, which is managed by the Student Body Committee.
For more information on optional enrichment electives, please go here.
For more information on summer research opportunities, please go here.
Retention and Graduation Rates
Retention rates for students from the first to second year are 100% with graduation rates in the range of 97-98%. The average time to graduation is the standard four years.
| AY1819 | AY1920 | AY2021 |
|
| Retention rates first-to-second year | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Graduation rates | 99% | 98% | TBD |
| Average time to degree (years) | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Sensitive Medical and Counseling Care of Students by Faculty and Residents
Policy Statement: In order to ensure that there is no conflict of interest between the roles of faculty and resident physicians functioning as physicians or therapists and the roles of faculty and resident physicians in academic evaluation and promotion, the designated director of a course or health delivery service is responsible for a plan to ensure that health professionals who provide psychiatric/psychological counseling or other sensitive health services to a medical student must have no involvement in the academic assessment or promotion of the medical student receiving those services.
Definition: Sensitive medical care: Because any medical care may become sensitive, “sensitive medical care” is considered to be any medical care.
Exemptions: Emergency situations or other situations in which lack of involvement by physicians, residents or other healthcare professionals would compromise patient care are exempted from the above policy.
Enforcement: Under the leadership of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, oversight for this policy will rest with the Office of Student Affairs. The policy will be stated in the handbook and disseminated to all affiliates.
Stress Reduction Program: The Center for Mindfulness and the Stress Reduction Clinic offers a reduction in regular tuition to active medical students of the UMass Chan Medical School. Medical Students can enroll in the 8-Week MBSR Stress Reduction Program at a tuition of $125 per cycle. The CFM SRP accepts up to three students each cycle, a total of twelve per year. Should there be more than three per cycle, they will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Process:
-Call the Stress Reduction Program to enroll in an orientation and a class.
-Notify the staff that you are a Medical Student
-Attend Orientation
-Enroll in the program
-Pay your tuition fees
For additional information please contact the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Society at 508-856-2656.
Applicability: All enrolled students
Date Revised: 2012
Student Complaint Procedures
Creating a positive learning environment for every learner on the UMass Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) campus is a top priority. The UMass Chan Director for a Positive Learning Environment is dedicated to ensuring a safe, secure and positive learning environment for all learners on campus, including students from the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, post-doctoral scholars and residents/fellows in Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs.
The Director serves as a confidential resource for all of our learners, offering guidance and support to learners who have experienced or witnessed mistreatment, and collaborating with other university offices including, but not limited to, the Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO), the Title IX Officer, Human Resources (HR), the Associate Deans for each school, and Student Counseling Services to further advocate for and support our learners.
You may initiate confidential contact with the Director for a Positive Learning Environment through any of these means:
- Phone: 508.856.1822
- Email: PositiveLearning@umassmed.edu
- Web form: Professional Concerns and Learner Mistreatment Incident Reporting Form
- Online: https://www.umassmed.edu/studentlife/studentresources/positive-learning/
For more information about the Appropriate Treatment of Learners policy and other reporting options please visit:
To file a complaint and or for more information about sexual assault or harassment please visit:
Student Groups
The T.H. Chan School of Medicine has a wide array of opportunities for students to participate in. These include interest groups, free clinics and educational experiences. A complete listing of all UMass Chan student groups/organizations can be found on the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Student Organizations page.
Learn about the Student Body Committee (SBC) as the administrative arm of the student government here.
Withdrawal Procedures
Voluntary Withdrawal
A student may withdraw voluntarily from the T.H Chan School of Medicine at any time upon written application to the associate dean for student affairs. A student who is withdrawn is not guaranteed readmission. Application for reinstatement must be received in writing at least two months prior to the date of requested readmission and must be approved by the Committee on Admissions. The level of reinstatement within the curriculum will be determined by the appropriate academic evaluation board.
Administrative Withdrawal
A student may be administratively withdrawn from the University if, after due notice, the student fails to satisfy an overdue financial obligation to, or to comply with certain administrative requirements of, the campus of the University of Massachusetts at which the student is registered. Conditions warranting Administrative Withdrawal include failure to comply with administrative requirements such as failure by a student to satisfy an overdue financial obligation to the University, consisting of tuition, loans, fees, library (charges), or other student charges, including orientation, student activities, health services, failure to comply with other administrative requirements, such as the submission of health forms, etc., forgery, fraud, or falsification of information on any official University form or document, such as student grade report, recommendation, (transcripts), etc. At the UMass Chan Medical School, such failure is considered a violation of the Professionalism Policy.
The appropriate administrative official, including an assistant registrar, may recommend in writing to the registrar that a student be administratively withdrawn from the University. An attempt to resolve the matter must have been made by the administrative official by mailing to the student at his/her last known address a written notice of the proposed recommendation for withdrawal and the reasons therefore, such matter not having been successfully resolved with 14 calendar days of the mailing of said notice. If the registrar is satisfied that the conditions warranting administrative withdrawal have been satisfied, he/she shall send a certified letter to the student at his/her last known address setting forth the recommendation for withdrawal and the reasons therefore, and notifying said student that he/she may within 14 calendar days after said letter is mailed request a hearing on the matter. If the student does not request a hearing or take action satisfactory to the registrar to resolve the matter within the time allotted, the Registrar shall administratively withdraw the student from the University no sooner than the 15th calendar day following the mailing of the notice provided for. If the student requests a hearing, it will be held by an appointed subcommittee of the appropriate academic evaluation board.
Any student who has been administratively withdrawn may at any time during the semester in which the withdrawal was made make arrangements with the registrar for the resolution of the matter. Upon such a resolution satisfactory to the registrar, the registrar shall forthwith reinstate the student to active enrollment status. Any student who has attempted to resolve the matter but has failed to satisfy the registrar may petition for reinstatement by mailing or delivering to the associate dean for student affairs a written statement on why the student believes he/she is entitled to reinstatement. This statement will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the appropriate academic evaluation board. The determination of whether a reinstated student shall receive credit for the period for which he/she was withdrawn shall be made by the instructor for each course involved.