The Office of Student and Residential Life Makes NYMC Feel Like Home
The Office of Student and Residential Life is a One-Stop Shop For All Student-Resident Needs
NYMC Office of Student and Residential Life is an important resource for all students who live on campus, offering guidance, support and information during their time at NYMC. Katherine Smith, M.S.W., director of the Office of Student and Residential Life, who has been with the Office for about a decade, provides a deeper look into the Office’s operations.
What are the responsibilities of the Office?
The Office of Student and Residential Life has many functions, the most obvious being that we assign students to residence halls, match students with their roommates and coordinate move-in and move-out of student residents. We provide 504 beds for students in the School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences and Practice, Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences and the Touro College of Dental Medicine. We also oversee housing at a few medical student clerkship sites, oversee the Student Fitness Center, handle potential roommate concerns, work with the Facilities Management Department to address work orders and maintenance requests and the Office of Public Safety to ensure a safe environment.
How would you describe the day-to-day functions of the Office?
It can depend on the time of the year, but a lot of our time is spent processing housing applications, coordinating room changes, billing and fielding housing inquiries from incoming students.
Is there a most-asked question from students about the Office?
Many students ask if they need to leave over the summer or during breaks. NYMC is unique because we offer 11- or 12-month housing agreements. Our residence halls never close for holidays or mid-semester. We understand that for many students, this is their home for the time they attend NYMC.
What do you find most interesting or most rewarding about working in the Office?
I love matching incoming students with their roommates based on their preferences and interests. I’ve had students tell me they met their best friends because of the matching, and it means a lot that our office has helped create lifelong friendships.
What is one useful tip you can give to students about the Office?
The Office will begin housing selection for the 2022-2023 Academic Year in March 2022. Students should keep an eye on their emails and pay close attention to the deadlines.
