Longitudinal Learning Communities

LONGITUDINAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

The Longitudinal Learning Communities (LLC) program is a community-based approach to learning: encouraging meaningful student interaction and small-group learning as well as peer-group evaluation and feedback mechanisms that help students develop a team-based collaborative approach to the practice of medicine; allowing students to build formal four-year mentoring relationships with SB faculty as well as encouraging a continuous exchange of ideas between students and faculty members through formal and informal/social events.

Purpose

• Small group environment
• Informal and formal interactions between students and faculty and between students
• Vertical integration of academic and career counseling activities
• Way to establish connectedness and meaning
• Personal connection and well being
• Effective way to check the pulse, fix it and communicate fixes
• Effective way for the school to inform / educate on key issues

Anticipated outcomes

• More satisfied students faculty and administrators
• Feeling of “connectedness” to school leading to future connected alumni
• New ideas for improvement may emerge

Structure

• Each community having three faculty facilitators with good emotional intelligence two clinical and one non-clinical leaders
• 13 learning communities. Each LC will have two or three student leaders from each class
• Potential for inter community activities sports, competitions

Activities within Learning Communities

• Career counseling
• Periodic clerkship exit interviews
• Academic schedule planning/ feedback/advise
• Community service or common group projects
• Communication on key issues
• May expand to more robust mentoring programs
• Deans letter input

Schedule

• Monthly group meeting
• Same week in academic calendar
• Periodic meetings of community leaders
• Individual meetings with students by LLC facilitators

Resources

Career Counseling Manual for Advisors 2014.pdf