Student Experience

Wellness Resources & Support Services

All students in the Duke University School of Medicine have access to a number of well-being, mental, physical and mindful services and resources.

Learning Environment & Well-Being

Duke University School of Medicine works to educate all students in an environment that provides mutual respect between student and teacher while maintaining the highest standard of professionalism, and provides patient-centered delivery of care while supporting the learner. Find resources to celebrate the positive and also share mistreatment or professionalism concerns.

Reporting Mistreatment & Misconduct

AERS: Adverse Events Reporting System (anonymous)

Advising

The Office of Student Affairs offers students individualized advising regarding academic progress and course selection, access to resources, residency preparation, application, and matching—and is also here for conversations about troubling events, self-doubts, and personal challenges. Advisory Deans meet with students individually and enjoy informal conversations with our students in dean's groups.

Multicultural Resource Center

The Duke University School of Medicine Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) assists with the preparation of learners, staff, and faculty to work and live in a world of diverse people who differ along the lines of culture, faith, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic backgrounds. A resource for the entire School of Medicine community, the MRC provides opportunities for engagement on the local, national, and international levels for students to gain an understanding of health disparities and experience in the delivery of culturally competent health care.

Resources on Campus

• Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity
• Center on Biobehavioral Health Disparities Research
• Office for Institutional Equity
• Duke Health Disparities Consortium
• Duke Health Sciences Gay-Straight Alliance
• Office for Health Equity & Disparities
• Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity
• Multicultural Resource Center
• Duke Disability Management Office

School and Social Events

Medical students will take part in important events such as Orientation, White Coat Ceremony, Commencement and the Hippocratic Oath Ceremony. Other events led by the Davison Council social committee include trivia nights, the annual formal Davison Ball, holiday parties, Spring Fling, the Student Faculty Show, and more.

Student Groups and Student Leadership

Run for office in the Doctor of Medicine's Davison Council, participate in committees such as well-being, service, curriculum innovation, social commitree more. The M.D. program also has over 60 student groups. Some groups have a clinical focus, including our student-run Fremont People’s Free Clinic and Hand2Hold, a group creating 3D-printed prosthetic hands. There are groups that provide a creative outlet for students such as the Durham Medical Orchestra and our a capella group, Major Groove. Still others are focused on public health and community building, giving students opportunities to build community gardens and volunteer at community health screening events. Quite a few of our student groups are geared toward education, ranging from hands-on heart dissection with local elementary schoolers, teaching sexual education to local high schoolers, and providing programming to empower local minority students interested in a career in healthcare.

Connect with Current Students

The Office of Admissions facilitates an Admissions Liaisons Program, with students who are eager and excited to speak to applicants. 

Twice a year, the Davison Council service committee organizes Duke in Durham Day, a day for graduate students across Duke to perform several hours of service at multiple sites. Below is a sample of organizations students have partnered with in recent years.

• Briggs Avenue Community Garden
• Change Center
• Diaper Bank of NC
• Dress for Success
• Duke Remedy
• Durham Central Park
• Durham County Youth Home
• Durham Crisis Response Center
• Durham Rescue Mission
• Food Bank of NC
• Good Samaritan Inn
• Goodwill Industries of Eastern NCC
• Habitat for Humanity Construction
• Habitat ReStore
• Hub Farm
• Meals on Wheels​
• NCCU Science Center Garden
• Ronald McDonald House​
• ReSpectacle
• Scrap Exchange
• Special Olympics​
• TROSA
• Urban Ministries of Durham
• Veterans at Maple Court
• Welcome Baby Family Resource Center

Duke medical students have the unique opportunity to apply for the Chancellor’s Service Fellowship – a one-year interdisciplinary, mentored fellowship program focused on health-related community service and leadership development. The Fellowship program is designed to provide health services to underserved populations by facilitating opportunities for students to bring their project ideas to life through mentorship and funding. All projects benefit from the support and guidance of community and faculty members, along with the leadership of Chancellor Eugene Washington.

Medical students have many service opportunities available through student groups. Below is a sampling of service-related student groups:

• Holton Free Clinic
• Fremont Rural Health Clinic
• Project FEED
• MOMS
• Duke Hotspotting Initiative
• Duke Navigators Program
• Duke SOARR
• DukeMed Engage​
• MedMentors – at Durham County Youth Home
• Music and Memory
• Parent Health Education Academy​
• DukeMed Elementary
• Hey Durham! – Health and Sexual education to high school students
• Community Health Interest Group​
• DukeRemedy – medical supplies to rural locations
• AMA Service​
• AMWA (American Medical Women’s Association) Service​
• CMDA (Christian Medical Dental Association) Service​
• SNMA (Student National Medical Association) Service​
• LMSA (Latino Medical Student Association) Service