Academic Advising
At the Medical School, we believe that academic advising is a crucial component of your educational journey. Our team of Academic Advisors is here to support and guide you through your medical school experience.Â
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Areas of focus:
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Academic progression
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Logistics
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Connections to resources
Your Academic Advisor is also your first point of contact for any questions when you’re not sure where to go for the answer.Â
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The Medical School has a "Houses" program; each House (named after UMN-developed apples!) has at least 1 Academic Advisor, designated Faculty Advisors, and peer support tied to them. Your Academic Advisor works closely with your Faculty Advisor to support you from matriculation through graduation.Â
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You can learn more about our role by reviewing our Advising Syllabus.Â
Meet the Academic Advisors
Addy Irvine, MA - Beacon House
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Specific student populations/areas of focus: Leading the Advising program, student parents
Bio: I got my undergraduate degree from the U of M Duluth campus and my Master’s from the U of M Twin Cities. I’ve worked in the Medical School since 2014 and the University since 2012. My husband, Aaron, and I have a son, William, who is a constant source of joy and entertainment. I enjoy various types of crafting (knitting and machine embroidery especially) as well as strategy board games (currently playing Gloomhaven), playing casual video games, and snuggling our senior dachshund, Winston.
Salient identities: I am a white, cisgender woman. I am bisexual and have a chronic illness that is an invisible disability in addition to generalized anxiety.Â
Betsy Hendrick, MA - Beacon House
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Specific student populations/areas of focus: BA/MD students
Bio: I attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities for undergrad and did my graduate work at the University of Northern Colorado. I have worked in medical education as an academic advisor since 2019. Beyond work I enjoy cooking, group fitness, and spending time outdoors. I have visited over twenty national parks and try to check a few off the list each year.Â
Salient identities: I am a white, cisgender woman from a rural community. I live with a chronic illness.Â
Abbe Holmgren, MA - Zestar! House
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Specific student populations/areas of focus: MSTP (MD/PhD) students
Bio: I grew up in Denver, Colorado and then moved to Minnesota to go to St. Olaf College for my undergraduate degree. I’ve worked at the medical school since 2014 and in 2016 earned a masters of higher education from the U of M. My husband and I live in South St. Paul with our scaredy dog Bella and our daughter Ada who are constant joys in our lives. I am pursuing my PhD in Higher Education Administration and am excitedly working on research around the mistreatment students experience in medical school.Â
Salient identities: I am a white, cisgender woman from a suburban community. I live with anxiety and depression.
Scheduling an Appointment
Your Academic Advisor will always have appointment slots available on their calendar.Â
To schedule an advising appointment, click the link for your advisor's schedule below.