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1. Message from Vice Dean Logio
2. Reminders
3. Registrar
4. Curriculum
5. Student Affairs
6. Financial Aid
7. Research
8. Health Sciences Library
9. Events & Opportunities
10. Staff Spotlight

Happy October! I wanted to update all of you about the recent changes around Interprofessional Education at Case Western Reserve University. Please help us welcome Mr. Zack Woods, the new Director of Interprofessional Education. His background is in ambulatory pharmacy, recently migrated north from Ohio State University, and excited to be here. Please consider stopping by his office on the second floor to say hello. Rumor has it, he has chocolate.

Under the leadership of Dr. Anastasia Rowland-Seymour, we’ve completely updated our IPE efforts based on YOUR feedback. Medical students now have multiple components to exploring the interprofessional team both in practice and in education. Embedded during M1/M2 year, students engage with other professions during their longitudinal clinical experiences. In addition to this, M3s work with other disciplines (social workers, pharmacists, home health care workers, care coordinators) when they discharge patients during their internal medicine clerkship which is documented in CAS. The M4s have a simulation with pharmacists during the Transition to Residency course.

New this year, we are incorporating centralized interprofessional activities where CWRU students from social work, dental medicine, nursing, genetics counseling, speech and language pathology, physician assistance, and medical students come together to learn and discuss IPE approaches to specific clinical conditions. These sessions are designed to be clinically relevant, highly interactive and centered on interprofessional student engagement. We look forward to hearing feedback on how these new efforts are going. 

I’m also planning listening sessions with each of the classes in the coming weeks and months. As a reminder, these are safe spaces for you to tell me what’s working well, what’s not working well, and where we can do better for your learning. I look forward to seeing you at these sessions.

• M2 Class Meeting (Noon-1pm) - Wednesday, Oct 15th in HEC 176. 
• M3 Class Meeting (4:30-5:30pm) - Friday, Nov 7th in HEC 176. 
• M1 Class Meeting (Noon-1pm) - Monday, Nov 17th in HEC 176.  
• M4 Class Meeting (5:30-6:30pm) - Thursday, Nov 20th in HEC 176.

Lia Logio, MD
Vice Dean, Medical Education

Flu Shot Deadline October 15

The deadline for CWRU SOM students to be compliant with flu vaccine requirements is the end of the day on October 15th. Any student not compliant at that time will have a registration hold placed on their account. If you are unable to meet this deadline, please reach out to the Registrar’s Office at som-registrar@case.edu.

Annual Title-IX Training Available NOW!

Case Western Reserve prohibits discrimination and harassment in education and employment, including sex discrimination and sex-based harassment. To ensure that everyone at the university has this critical information, all CWRU SOM students are required to annually complete an approximately 25-minute online Title IX training module. You can find this training with the link provided or in Canvas. The deadline for this training is November 1st, 2025.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Required Training Link

Clerkship Preference Form Opens October 16

M2 - Class of 2028: The clerkship preference sheet will be available from October 16 - November 10. This form allows you to request your desired curriculum track for the clerkship year (CCLC, MHMC LIC, or Traditional).

Assignments will be shared before the end of the year. A swap period will follow before sites are finalized (more information to come).

Please reach out to somclerkships@case.edu with any questions.

Attendance

Please log into Easel (via Elentra > Courses) and review your attendance record. If you see any Absence entries under Attendance Type, make sure they are correctly documented. If an absence was for a legitimate reason (such as illness, religious holiday, or another approved reason) but you had not requested in advance, you must contact SOM-attendance@case.edu to resolve it. Any absences that have not been resolved by the end of the block may be referred to the Professionalism Working Group.

If you have any questions, please contact SOM-attendance@case.edu.

Wellbeing Wednesdays for October

Join us! Complete the Google form if you wish to get involved in the Office of Student Affairs - Student Engagement and Wellbeing student committees that promote engagement and wellbeing. If you have any questions, email us at SOM-Wellbeing@case.edu

Follow us on Instagram @cwru_medwellbeing

FREE Vot-ER Badge

Medical students can get a FREE Vot-ER badge to help patients register to vote! The badge links directly to the Vot-ER site, where patients can register, check their voter status, make a voting plan, or request a mail-in ballot. Get your badge and track our progress as a school.

Policy on Free Speech and Protest

In the current political and social climate, students may wish to make their voices heard in the context of a protest or civil disobedience. Case Western Reserve University is committed to freedom of expression. In addition, medical students have rights and responsibilities around wearing their White Coat while participating in protests or civil disobedience. We encourage all students to carefully review the Policy on Free Speech and Protest in the Student Handbook before partaking in these types of activities.

M2s! Save the Dates for Mandatory Class Meetings

All sessions will be held from Noon–1:00 PM in HEC 176.

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Academic Planning: Preparing for M3 (Core Clinical Rotations & Electives)

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Academic Planning: Preparing for M3 (M4 Panel, Sites & Elective Selection)

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Academic Planning: Registering & Studying for USMLE Step 1

Financial Wellness Tip

Consider finding a roommate to aid in lowering housing costs - MD Student, Class of 2029.

New Webinars

Check out our new webinars in the Debt Management: A Money Matters Course! You can attend live sessions in real time or access prerecorded webinars at your convenience.

For more financial aid assistance, the SOM Office of Financial Aid can be reached directly at medfinancialaid@case.edu, 216.368.3666, or by visiting our office in the HEC, Suite 111.

AMA Research Challenge - Virtual Poster Symposium and Semifinals: October 22-23, 2025

A free, virtual event will feature 1,000+ medical student, resident, and international medical graduate research presentations from medical schools and healthcare institutions nationwide. Register through the AMA website to learn, connect with fellow researchers, and participate in poster scoring.

SHM Converge 2026 Call for Abstracts

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) is now accepting abstract submissions for the Research, Innovations, and Clinical Vignettes (RIV) competition as part of the SHM Converge conference taking place in Nashville, TN from March 29th - April 1st. The submission site will close on Monday, November 24, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. Visit the abstract submission site for more information.

LWW Health Library

The Cleveland Health Sciences Library (CHSL) provides access to LWW Health Library, which includes core foundational textbooks and interactive learning tools for the first two years of medical school. Features include:

• essential textbooks on subjects like anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, and physiology;
• multimedia content such as videos, images, and animations;
• self-assessment tools to help prepare for exams, including the USMLE Step 1.

Access is through the CHSL in the Databases tab.  Contact the CHSL for assistance at askCHSL@case.edu.

44th Annual William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition

44th Annual William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition is Now Accepting Submissions for Medical Student AND Physician Poetry:

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) is accepting submissions for the 44th annual William Carlos Williams poetry competition through December 31, 2025. For submission details, eligibility criteria, and to submit online, please visit NEOMED's William Carlos Williams poetry competition webpage. Contact wcw@neomed.edu with any questions or for additional information.

Molly Simmons, Director of Student Affairs

I am a lifelong Clevelander. I graduated from Bowling Green State University and later worked in finance for several years before coming to CWRU. I'm very involved with my church and spend time serving on a board and volunteering at a mission on the west side of Cleveland. I've worked in SOM and Student Affairs for 13 years. I oversee all activities in the Office of Student Affairs, including career planning activities and milestone events.

Molly's approach to work/goals: 

A wise Student Affairs dean once told me, "The top three priorities in our office are Students, Students, and Students!"

Favorite part of the job and why?

I love working with students and my work family. We like to have fun, but also do important work at the same time.

Interesting fact that most people don’t know:

I love traveling and am a BIG Disney fan!

In Cleveland, I would like to see:

The observation deck on the Terminal Tower.

Early bird or a night owl?

I'm more of a mid-day person.

Molly draws inspiration from:

My faith and family are the most important things in my life and keep me grounded every day.

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