Rx for Success Prepares Students for Medical School Transition
Posted on August 13, 2026
M2 students Shriya Patel, Kaleigh Miller, Brinda Shukla and Brooks Pruitt served
as facilitators.
Beginning medical school brings new academic and personal challenges, but incoming students at the Whiddon College of Medicine got a head start on building the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
Through Rx for Success: Achieving Academic Excellence in Medical School, the Academic Success Team in the Office of Accreditation and Planning helped students prepare for the demands of their first year. The fourth annual pre-orientation course was held July 20-23, with 66 incoming students participating through in-person and Zoom sessions.
During the four-day program, students reflected on their current academic practices and identified strategies for improving their study habits, time management and organization. They also explored the importance of collaboration, teamwork and communication in medical school and set goals for their M1 year.
A key component of the course was helping students develop metacognitive skills — the ability to reflect on how they learn and make intentional adjustments to improve their academic performance. Students also were encouraged to embrace a growth mindset and view challenges as opportunities to learn and improve.
The program is directed by David S. Williams, Ph.D., MPA, assistant dean for institutional and academic success, and Angie O’Neal, M.Ed., director of learning support services.
“Completing the fourth year of Rx for Success was an exciting milestone for our Academic Success Team,” Williams said. “The program’s impact was reflected not only in the enthusiasm students brought to the course, but also in the confidence, self-awareness, and sense of purpose they developed as learners. It was especially rewarding to see Rx for Success continue to strengthen the foundation students carried with them into medical school.”
Four rising M2 students — Kaleigh Miller, Shriya Patel, Brooks Pruitt and Brinda Shukla — served as facilitators, sharing lessons from their own first year of medical school with the incoming class.
For Patel, returning to Rx for Success as a facilitator offered an opportunity to support students who were in the same position she had been just one year earlier.
“I truly enjoyed serving as an Rx for Success facilitator this year and welcoming our incoming M1s, especially after standing in their anxious and excited shoes just one year ago,” Patel said. “My own experience inspired me to share what I’ve learned — and unlearned — about time management, study strategies and professionalism throughout my first year of medical school.”
Patel said the program had provided her with guidance, friendships and confidence as an incoming student, and she hoped to give the new class a similar experience. “I hope this year’s students left feeling just as supported and prepared for the year ahead,” she added.
Pruitt said the facilitators also focused on helping students see that medical school can be challenging without being intimidating. “We outlined many tools to help them master the material, and I’m excited to see them each succeed,” he said.
Shukla said she especially enjoyed getting to know the incoming students and sharing learning strategies with them. “As the program week progressed,” she said, “it was so rewarding to see their excitement and confidence grow.”
