Academic Success Team
Empowering Medical Students to Excel—Academically, Professionally, and Personally
The Academic Success Team supports medical students by offering personalized strategies to overcome challenges, improve learning, and align education with values. We promote excellence by supporting individual achievements and institutional objectives through performance optimization, executive function support, and personal growth initiatives. Whether you are a student striving for academic success or a faculty member seeking to enhance student outcomes, we are here to partner with you in achieving your goals.
What We Offer
Discover services designed to help you succeed in medical school.
We offer comprehensive academic success support in key areas.
Performance Optimization
These services focus on providing learners with tailored strategies to improve academic
performance specifically. For example, students can develop customized study techniques
based on spaced repetition and active recall, refine their test-taking skills, and
use performance data to identify and address specific areas for improvement.
Executive Function
These services help students build critical skills for managing the demands of medical
school. Through improved self-awareness and strategies, learners can improve their
ability to prioritize tasks, create effective study schedules, manage their learning
experience, and balance competing priorities.
Personal Growth
These services empower students to thrive in all areas of their lives. Examples include
clarifying personal values to set meaningful goals, cultivating resilience to handle
perfectionism, and adopting a proactive mindset to embrace new challenges and opportunities.
We offer personalized support tailored to your needs and flexible meeting options designed to fit your goals:
Multiple or Recurring Sessions
Build a trusted relationship with your Academic Success Specialist to address long-term
goals such as overcoming mindset challenges, improving consistency, or developing
a sustainable approach to learning.
Focused Singular Sessions
Tackle specific, short-term challenges such as refining study techniques, addressing
exam preparation issues, or overcoming immediate learning obstacles in a one-time
meeting for targeted solutions.
In-Person Meetings
Meet an Academic Success Specialist in-office or during scheduled opportunities on
branch campuses.
Zoom Sessions
Connect remotely for flexible scheduling and accessibility from any location.
We empower learners to lead their educational journey.
- Empowering learners to take charge of their educational journey by identifying strengths and challenges, setting clear goals, and implementing actionable strategies for continuous improvement.
- Supporting growth through reflective practices, self-awareness, proactive approaches, and tailored self-assessment tools.
- Fostering a supportive environment through open communication, individualized feedback, and a focus on building trust and psychological safety for meaningful exploration and growth.
- Upholding strict confidentiality to ensure that all interactions are conducted with privacy and security.
Tools and Tips for Success
Here are some standard resources we use when working with students. Many more resources are available through TTUHSC, the School of Medicine, and other sources (e.g., YouTube videos and additional question banks). The Academic Success Team can assist you in selecting and utilizing these resources for your studies.
Students can access various resources from TTUHSC SOM, including UWorld, Boards & Beyond, and Pathoma. Dr. Daniel Stuart, the Research and Instruction Librarian, has created a concise LibGuide highlighting additional study and testing resources available to all TTUHSC SOM students. These resources are particularly advantageous for those preparing for Step 1, Clerkship Shelf Exams, Step 2 CK, or looking for more practice questions, case studies, or supplementary materials.
Access the LibGuide and free additional resources here.
Step 1
- Resources:
- USMLE Links:
- Study Schedules
- Guides and Tutorials:
- Videos and pdf (etc.)
Please note that no single schedule works for every student. Your daily and weekly study schedule will likely change as you progress through the Step 1 preparation process. We suggest working with a member of the Academic Success Team to develop a customized daily schedule and multi-week Step 1 study plan.
Step 2 CK
- Resources:
- USMLE Links:
Step 3
- Resources:
- USMLE Links:
Related Student Affairs Services
- Counseling Services - Professional mental health support to address stress, personal challenges, and strategies for maintaining emotional balance.
- Financial Aid Services - Assistance with budgeting, financial planning, and understanding funding options.
- PAL Tutors - Peer-assisted learning opportunities to refine study techniques, master challenging content, and build confidence for exams. Contact Dr. Perrin to learn more.
- Student Disability Services - Accommodations, tools, and strategies to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities.
- Student Wellness Services - Mental health resources, wellness programs, and initiatives designed to enhance students' overall well-being and resilience.
- Tech Career Advising Program (TCAP) - Personalized career advising, residency applications, career planning, and professional skills for medical students.
Frequently Asked Questions
A member of the SOM Academic Success Team can :
- Discuss your current approach to studying for block exams or licensing exams, and identify more effective ways you could approach studying for those exams.
- Help you design a practical and reasonable study schedule (e.g., topics on Step 1; UWorld question sets), or help you stick to that schedule over time (accountability).
- Help you find or prioritize additional resources to help you study, such as additional third-party resources or peer tutors.
Some meetings are required by SOM policy:
- Any student who fails a block exam, licensing or shelf exam, or repeatedly scores “low passing” in a block (i.e., below 80% in a block, even if passing all exams) will be contacted for a required meeting with a member of the team to discuss current study strategy, potential improvements to studying, and discuss some ways to address any potential obstacles to better performance.
Students can also elect to book meetings voluntarily:
- Students can schedule a meeting(s) with a member of the Academic Success Team to discuss any aspect of their current or future academic performance (how to improve block exam performance; how to design a Step 1 study schedule; etc.) whenever they would like.
In all cases, you are meeting with a member of the Academic Success Team because you want or need to improve your academic performance. The purpose of the meeting, even if required due to a failing grade—is solely to find ways to improve your academic performance in the future and is not a form of punishment or consequence.
Although team members may be familiar with some topics, content tutoring is not provided. If you need assistance with course content or help answering practice questions, contact your block director(s) or instructor(s) for assistance or consider a PALs tutor.
All TTUHSC SOM students can use these services.
As a TTUHSC SOM student, there is NO COST to use these services.
How best to prepare for a meeting with a member of the Academic Success Team might vary by the reason for the meeting, but in general:
- Come with specific topics or questions about your academic performance that you would like to discuss. Of course, these discussions are often free-flowing, and other questions can and will be answered as they arise.
- The person you meet with will likely need to know some academic background information for the discussion, such as your running average of exam grades (an accurate estimate will suffice), scores/output reports from CBSEs or CBSSAs, scores on practice tests in blocks or clerkships, etc. Having these scores or outputs ready for the meeting (whether in person or virtual) can save time and be helpful for the discussion.
Meetings with the Academic Success Team are completely confidential, except in cases of mandatory reporting, such as when there is intent to harm.
By design, members of the Academic Success Team do NOT grade you based on their interactions, teach during blocks, supervise clerkships, or contribute to your evaluations or your Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE). You are not obligated to continue meeting with a team member if you choose not to, and you can schedule a meeting with another team member if that would better support your academic success.
However, in situations where students must meet with the Academic Success Team due to a failed exam or other academic delay (e.g., demonstrating readiness for Step 1), the Academic Success Team is required to report back to the requesting entity (e.g., block directors; the SPPCC) regardless of whether the students have met that requirement. Failing to meet with the Academic Success Team when required will be viewed as a professionalism issue. In such cases, the SPPCC may request an update regarding progress or challenges from the students and the Academic Success Team, but those discussions are considered "need to know” and remain confidential at the SPPCC level.
Your Academic Success Team

Michael J. Serra, PhD
2C216 (Lubbock, Main Building, Second Floor, C Pod)
michael.serra@ttuhsc.edu
806.743.4900
Schedule an Appointment
Dr. Serra is a cognitive psychologist (Ph.D.: 2007, Kent State University) whose expertise includes student learning, episodic memory, metacognition (thinking about and controlling other mental functions, including learning), judgment and decision-making (broadly), evaluation of teaching, and academic program assessment.
He regularly publishes in top journals in cognitive psychology and currently serves on the editorial board of the Sage journal Metacognition & Learning. After completing postdoctoral research at Columbia University (2007-2008), Dr. Serra was a faculty member in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Texas Tech University (2008-2024), where he was repeatedly recognized for his teaching, including being selected for the TTU Teaching Academy (2012) and winning the TTU President’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2017) and Integrated Scholar Award (2023). Dr. Serra has been a Medical Education Learning Specialist for the TTUHSC SOM Academic Success Team and a faculty member in the TTUHSC Department of Medical Education (DOME) since January 2024. He applies his expertise in the science of human learning and self-regulated learning to work with TTUHSC SOM students to maximize their academic performance.

Eevin Jennings, PhD
2C218 (Lubbock, Main Building, Second Floor, C Pod)
somosa@ttuhsc.edu
806.743.2159
Dr. Jennings is a success coach and experimental psychologist specializing in cognition and cognitive neuroscience in higher education. With extensive experience as a university instructor, applied cognitive psychologist, User Experience (UX) researcher, and success coach, she offers expertise in universal design, teaching, active learning strategies, metacognitive monitoring, psycholinguistics (the interactions of language, reading, and thinking), and program management.
In 2018, Dr. Jennings earned a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology (Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience) from Texas Tech University, receiving eight competitive awards for teaching, mentorship, and research. She then taught psychology and neuroscience at Arizona State University from 2018 to 2022, where she developed a transformative course titled How to Learn in College. From 2022 to 2024, she utilized her skills in cognitive psychology to enhance product and business outcomes as a User Experience (UX) Researcher in the international non-profit, higher education, and video game sectors. Currently, she is pursuing an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coaching Federation, focusing on supporting high-achieving adults with ADHD. As an Academic Success Specialist, Dr. Jennings is committed to helping medical students align their values with their goals and provides tailored strategies for success in challenging academic environments.
Looking for additional support?
Check out our related Student Affairs services in resources.