Whiddon College of Medicine leaders featured on national panel
Posted on March 16, 2026 by Marketing and Communications
Deborah Fetherland, director of admissions at the Whiddon College of Medicine, and David S. Williams, Ph.D., MPA, assistant dean for institutional and academic success, were selected to serve as panelists for the national session “AAMC PDI Community Call: Connecting with Admitted Students Prior to Matriculation.” The session was hosted through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Professional Development Initiative (PDI) Community Call for the Group on Student Affairs, a monthly forum that brings together leaders to share strategies, resources, and best practices.
Fetherland and Williams joined colleagues from East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, and Penn State College of Medicine to discuss innovative approaches for engaging admitted students before they arrive on campus.
During the session, they highlighted several initiatives at the Whiddon College of Medicine designed to support students during the transition from acceptance to matriculation. These efforts include regular communications with admitted students, engagement opportunities such as Second Look Saturday, and outreach that introduces students to resources and pre-matriculation opportunities before they begin their medical education.
They also shared the college’s Rx for Success pre-orientation program, a four-day experience that helps students prepare for the academic expectations of medical school through evidence-based learning strategies, metacognitive reflection, and individualized learning plans.
“Building meaningful connections with admitted students before they arrive on campus helps them feel welcomed and supported from the very beginning,” Fetherland said. “Our goal is to ensure that students understand the resources available to them and begin forming relationships with the Whiddon community even before matriculation.”
“This panel provided a valuable opportunity to showcase how the Whiddon College of Medicine intentionally supports students even before they matriculate,” Williams said. “Our success is built on close collaboration with Admissions and other departments across the college, and sharing that model with a national audience helps advance broader conversations about how institutions can better prepare students for medical school.”
Participation in the panel provided an opportunity to showcase the Whiddon College of Medicine’s collaborative approach to student engagement and to contribute to a broader national conversation about supporting admitted students as they prepare to begin medical school.