The personal counseling services available for medical students at Duke is a four-tiered system. This peer counseling arrangement is designed primarily to help orient incoming students to medical school and to connect them with an upperclass student who can help them with concerns that arise during the next three years. All new students are assigned to an Advisory Dean and meet each week in small groups with their Dean for the entire first year. These same groups continue on a less frequent basis during subsequent years. This advisory relationship establishes an excellent foundation for dealing with most academic, student affairs and personal concerns.
Advisory deans are available to students on an appointment as well as emergency basis.
The Advisory Deans also rotate carrying a beeper so that an Officer in the School of Medicine is always available on an on-call basis. One of the Associate Deans, Dr. Andrew Puckett, is a certified professional counselor and provides confidential referral and counseling services for both medical students and house staff. Complete confidentiality is maintained in his work with students and house staff. The CAPS office is on the main campus in 214 Page Building, which is to the left of the Chapel. CAPS is staffed by psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers.