Professional & Academic Resource Center (PARC) is located in a single dwelling house in a residential neighborhood near the campus. This site was selected for the privacy of students and student families. No signage is posted that would indicate the presence of a counseling center for medical students, residents, and their families. Should another counseling site be desired, an additional smaller office is maintained on campus. Counseling for medical students and their families is provided by Phil Steffey, LCSW, who has no teaching or evaluative role with the students.
A broad spectrum of counseling services is available through PARC including individual, family, marriage, and group counseling. Counseling services for medical students and immediate family are provided at no cost to Quillen students.
Respecting the students' need for privacy, every effort is made to protect the confidentiality needed for an effective therapeutic relationship. No information related to student counseling is kept other than in the counselor's patient files. In a further attempt to protect student information, medical student files are not kept with files of other patients seen by these therapists.
Counseling hours are quite flexible and appointments may be scheduled until early evening and on Saturdays to provide maximum accessibility to students.
Should a student need to see a psychiatrist for medication, assessment, or other issues, the medical school has an agreement with a local community psychiatrist to provide priority services for medical students. This allows students to establish a therapeutic relationship with a psychiatrist (when a different level of intervention is needed) who will not be interacting with them within the medical school as a teacher, attending, or preceptor. Initial assessment sessions are provided at no cost to the student
To contact PARC, please call
Phil Steffey
(423) 232-0275
24 Hour pager 854-0342
