While the staff members at the College of Medicine Office of Student Affairs organized orientation for incoming first-year students, helped the second-year students get ready for pathology, answered questions the third-year students had about rotation, and made sure fourth-year students receive their transcripts, it was anything but a slow summer.

“It was transitional time for all four years, and it was the most hectic part of the year for us.” said Barbara Smith, the program coordinator for the office of student affairs and registration. “And it was smooth sailing.”

In a recent letter medical dean Dr. Michael Good conveyed his appreciation to the Office of Student Affairs for such a job well-done during orientation.

“I was very impressed with the organization and energy of the program,” said Good, in the letter dated August 25. “I am confident our students were enlightened.”

One of the main goals during orientation is to not only provide new medical students with information they will need to begin their medical education but to help create the class of 2012 code of ethics.

Smith divided the class into groups to discuss the suggestive declarations of commitments for the code of ethics. Once they discussed this in small groups, the first-year students gathered as a class and made a collective decision.

Once orientation was over, business continued, said Amelia E. Jaworski, senior registrar for the office of student affairs.

“Now my job is even more hectic since I have to register every student for classes,” she said.