Dean of Chicago Medical School Shares What Med Schools Want

Physician's Pulse welcomes Dr. Archana Chatterjee, Dean of the Chicago Medical School and SVP for Medical Affairs at Rosalind Franklin University. Dr. Chatterjee discusses her insight in admissions profiles and what elements go into accepting applicants. They discuss holistic admissions values centered on service, the benefits of gap years, generational changes in students, and the need to normalize self-care as essential to caring for others. Additionally, they explore how burnout pressures begin before medical school, noting published data on mental health issues among pre-med students and the intense competitiveness and rigor of medical training, including USMLE exams and residency applications. Dr. Chatterjee describes Chicago Medical School’s system-based curriculum, early clinical exposure, robust wellness and counseling resources, and student opportunities such as professionalism and health equity coursework and a student-run interprofessional community clinic. 01:15 Dr Chatterjee Journey03:13 Burnout Starts Early06:06 Wellness Support Programs07:38 Ideal Medical Student09:31 Gap Years Explained12:09 Holistic Admissions Process14:15 New Student Trends15:59 Preparing for Real Practice18:50 Life Balance and Reflection24:07 Training Length Rethink26:26 Self Care Takeaways