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Counseling Center

Cultural Diversity & Competency

Eligibility for Services

Making an Appointment for a Medication Consultation

A Disclaimer About Electronic Mail

Web Resources

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency and are unable to contact the Counseling Center, please call the emergency number 235-9111 for assistance.

Welcome

Welcome to the web site of Ross University School of Medicine Counseling Center, a service in the Office of Student Affairs. Our staff is available to help Ross students solve personal, social, and academic, problems by providing individual evaluation and counseling. Please visit us in the Behavioral Science Building which is located by Classroom 1.

If you would like to talk with us call extension 6281 or 6237 to make an appointment, or visit us in the Behavioral Science Bldg. (adjacent to Classroom 1).

We help students who are dealing with everyday problems related to medical school, as well as students with more serious concerns.

The Counseling Center is here to assist you in taking responsibility for your personal and academic growth. We believe that you will have greater academic success if you pay attention to your medical school goals, your needs and feelings, your relationships with others, and your academic skills.

Purpose

We exist for the purpose of providing counseling and preventative services for Ross students and their families. Our mission is to provide preventative and wellness services.

Counseling Services

Short-term confidential individual and couple counseling for Ross students
Support groups on diverse concerns. Group topics and meeting times are determined by student interest
Education programs to enhance human development
Referrals for medication
Resource library of educational information and videos
Consultations to parents, faculty, and staff
Assessment of needs

CONFIDENTIALITY

Counseling Records are kept separate from your academic records.
Counseling records are confidential, no information is given out to anyone (i.e. family, friends, Deans, prospective employers) without the written permission. We can not even confirm or deny if the student was ever seen here without the student's permission.
The only time confidentiality can be violated is when the student or someone else is in imminent danger.
Your counselor can answer any questions about confidentiality that you may have.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY & COMPETENCY

The staff at Counseling is especially sensitive to issues of diversity and their influence on student adjustment, identity, and growth. We are committed to providing services for issues relative to diversity (e.g. multiculturalism, gender, gay/lesbian, disability, and/or race) with an emphasis on appreciating the impact of individual differences.

We work regularly with students from diverse backgrounds and attend to issues of race and culture and their impact on student identity and development, self-esteem, and academic adjustment.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICES

As a student currently enrolled at Ross you are eligible for services. Additionally, spouses, children as well as faculty and staff are welcome.

STAFF

Our professional staff includes:

Dr. Jon Bolaski, Director of Counseling

Dr. Steve Fox, Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Patrick Goff, Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Harriet Myers, Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Davendranand Sharma, Chair, Behavioral Science

LOCATION

The Center is located in the Behavioral Science adjacent to Classroom 1.

HOURS

We are generally available daily from 8:30a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

THE INTAKE INTERVIEW

Counseling begins with a 50-minute intake interview appointment. Your initial appointment will be spent exploring your current problems and needs, and determining how we can be of help to you. Following your initial appointment, a plan to address your concerns will be suggested.

After this initial appointment you and your counselor will decide the next best step. You may continue working with the counselor you saw on intake, you may be assigned to another counselor on staff depending your needs.

If you do continue to see a counselor you will probably meet with your counselor weekly, for 50 minute appointments, for a semester or less.

APPOINTMENTS

For more information or to arrange an appointment, stop by or call the Center at (767) 255-6237 or 255-6281. Also, there are Counseling Services Request Forms available at the Secretary's Reception area which can be confidentially forwarded to Counseling Center.

As counselors, we are committed to modeling and teaching the value of respectful and responsible behavior in our interactions with others.

We stress the importance of honoring the counselor's time, as well as your own, in keeping appointments.

If you need to cancel an appointment, we ask that you do so at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled appointment. Calling ahead of time to cancel or reschedule is considerate of the counselor's time as well as that of other students who may want a counseling appointment.

We hope this information will be helpful to you as you pursue your academic and personal goals.

MAKING AN APPOINTMENT FOR A MEDICATION CONSULTATION

When a student presents at Counseling with signs indicating that medication may be useful in their treatment, the counselor may request a medication consultation from one of the medical staff. In this consultation the use of medication will be discussed, including the benefits and possible risks or side effects of the medication. The consultant will assist the counselor and the student in making a sound decision about the possible use of medication.

If medication is begun, the medical consultant will help the student monitor the first few weeks of medication use and then will continue to monitor the progress of taking medication.

Students may call extension 6237 to schedule an appointment for medication consultation.

A DISCLAIMER ABOUT ELECTRONIC MAIL

We discourage persons from contacting us via email regarding personal problems. The nature of email is such that we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of your correspondence, nor do we find email communications as useful as in-depth, face-to-face contact. Moreover, we cannot guarantee we will read your email right away or respond in a timely fashion. We do encourage, however, your contacting us in whatever way you are comfortable if the alternative is not to contact us at all.

Web Resources

Please note that these links all connect to sites that are not under the control of the Counseling Center. While we believe that these sites offer useful information, we are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any information posted there.

1. College Student Virtual Pamphlet Collection

2. ADD Interactive Tests

3. Attention Deficit Disorder

6. Domestic Violence

7. Gender Roles and Identity

8. Depression and Mood Disorders

9. Substance Abuse

10. Panic and Anxiety Disorders

11. Eating Disorders

12. Grief, Loss, Death Issues

13. Self-Confidence

14. Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence Home Page