Office of Professional Counseling

The Office of Professional Counseling, located in PHSU’s Wellness Center is a focal point for student wellness. Staffed by three professional counselors, the OPC helps students with career counseling and personal counseling services.  

Professional Counseling Services  

PHSU has a Professional Counseling Unit with two Licensed Professional Counselors and one Rehabilitation Counselor that offer professional counseling services to all students. All of our Counselors have a master‘s degree in their respective fields and a current professional license to offer services in Puerto Rico. One of our Counselors has also a doctoral degree in industrial organizational psychology. Our Professional Counselors are trained and have the skills to provide individual and group counseling related to academic, personal, career and psychological factors that may affect the student’s performance. 

The Office of Professional Counseling  hosts counseling hours on site as well as conducts remote and secure counseling sessions for students via video chat.  

The OPC offers a wide variety of confidential services to SGU students and employees and, occasionally, other members of the Grenadian community. These include: 

• Individual counseling and psychotherapy 
• Group counseling and psychotherapy 
• Family and couples counseling and psychotherapy 
• Performance enhancement 
• Psychological disability services 
• Alcohol and drug programs 
• Career counseling 
• Crisis intervention during psychological emergencies and post-disaster 
• Trainings, workshops, and seminars (e.g., paraprofessional counseling, stress management, substance abuse prevention)  

Our counselors and clinicians can assist with navigating much of the more challenging aspects of the human experience including: 

•  Interpersonal conflicts 
• Learning difficulties 
• Psychological disabilities 
• Self-esteem and personal growth problems 
• Sexuality and gender issues 
• Alcohol and drug abuse 
• Eating and sleep concerns 
• Understanding cultural differences 
• Anxiety and stress management 
• Depression 
• Loss and grief 
• Career uncertainty 

Psychological / Psychiatric Services  

All PHSU Students have access to Psychological or Psychiatric services via the Wellness Center. In addition, if a student feels more comfortable meeting with a mental health professional offsite, arrangements can be made via the Counseling Office.  

Academic  Support  

At the academic department level, the department chairs, or the course/clerkship director monitors  student performance in the courses/clerkships offered by that department. Each department, with assistance from the counselors identifies and meets with at risk students. The departments send notifications identifying the academic concern, or refer students to the counselor for further evaluation or for a particular intervention for an area of need.   

Faculty Advising 

Ponce Health Sciences University has identified faculty members to offer academic advising to students. Each student is assigned to a faculty adviser at the beginning of their  studies.  

The faculty advisors shall identify the student’s strengths as well as any challenge or academic issue that can affect the student’s academic performance.  They are also available to provide career counseling.  

Tutoring Services  

Currently, PHSU-Faculty offer tutoring through review sessions. These sessions are coordinated and announced through the respective Departments. These reviews are available to any student with academic difficulty in the corresponding course.  

Also, a peer-to-peer tutoring program, where tutors are compensated for their time, is available to students.  

Click here to contact the Tutor coordinator (link should be a contact to jarroyo@psm.edu).  

Peer Mentoring  

Peer Mentors are students in higher levels of training that serve as peer mentors or sponsors to the incoming students with the aim to familiarize them with their program curriculum and educational environment in order to facilitate adjustment and integration to the new and challenging responsibilities of their educational program. At PHSU each second year class coordinates the distribution of the incoming students assigning them a mentor or tutor form a higher level of training.  

Clinic Location 

The Counseling Center can be found on the Main Campus at the PHSU Wellness Center.  

Office of Student Affairs

The Office of Student Affairs provides guidance and support services to all PHSU students in non-academic areas. The core mission of the Office of Student Affairs is to help all students explore and develop their professional skill sets. This is accomplished by enabling students to freely access the services and support mechanisms they need to achieve their professional goals and enhance their personal growth throughout their studies at PHSU. Academic advice and referrals, individual advancement program advisement, mid-term and end-term progress assessments, and monitoring student progress through the curriculum are just a few of the services we offer. 

All students who have cognitive or non-cognitive concerns are provided with a wide range of support services, and the Vice President for Student Affairs serves as the advocate for students both on and off-campus. 

The Office of Students Affairs with the help of the Office of Professional Counseling also oversees the 30 plus student organizations and campus activities, as well as implements student life initiatives.

Office of the Registrar

The Registrar’s Office is under the direct supervision of the Vice President for Student Affairs. The primary role of the Registrar is to maintain the permanent records and documents that pertain to each matriculated student’s progress through medical or graduate school. 

The main services offered by the Registrar’s Office are: 

• Prepare and maintain custody of all academic records following the regulations of Buckley Amendment (Buckley Law). 
• Coordinate Registration Procedures. 
• Coordinate Veterans Services. 
• Provide certifications of Enrollment, Class Lists, and Deferments. 
• Prepare the evaluation of records for promotion and graduation. 
• Certify Degrees and Academic Standing. 
• Certify Enrollment for USMLE Part I and II.
• Prepare, maintain, and distribute the Official Transcript. 
• Receive, record and secure documentation for final course grades. 
• Establish policies for access to student Academic Record in accordance with Federal Ed Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

Career Advising and Match Services

One of the most difficult aspects of a medical student‘s career is navigating medical school and the road to residency. The Office of the Assistant Dean of Career Development is tasked with implementing and executing career advising ad match services.

Among the services offered to MD students are:

• Access to and delivery of AAMC’s careers in medicine https://www.aamc.org/cim/
• Information about residency application process through Professional Development Course
• Individualized mentoring with the Assistant Dean for Career Development
• Assignment of mentors through Career Advising Network
• Advice with Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS)
• Advice with National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
• CV/Resume review
• Personal Statement Writing
• Creation of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
• Match day activities

Orlando Torres, MD

Assistant Dean for Career Development

OrlandoTorres@psm.edu

Frances M. Figueroa

Administrative Assistant

fmfigueroa@psm.edu