Lilia Louro (llouro@fm.ul.pt)
Sofia Cruz (scruz@fm.ul.pt)
Sónia Barroso (sbarroso@fm.ul.pt)

FMUL Welcome 2008/09

With yet another academic year on the doorstep and new students entering the FMUL, the need was felt to welcome them and support them so that they may be integrated into our institution. Faced with this need, before the present academic year begins, the Faculty organized a new initiative with the aim of having a week to receive the around 350 students who came to the Academic Services to effect their enrolment physically, but which took place on-line (for more informations see here).

The students newly arrived at the doors to the Santa Maria Hospital were led to the Egas Moniz Building (the place for the enrolments), through a simple and efficient system of signs that used the FMULITO, the mascot created for this event, as means of communication.

Inside the Egas Moniz Building several collaborators received the new students and FMULITO continued to accompany them in the enrolment process. Several information posts were set up near to the room where the enrolments took place: the FMUL, the Students’ Association, the University of Lisbon social services and the banking institution responsible for the FMUL student card. In this manner it was possible to make useful services and information available in one space so tht students could matriculate and start their academic lives.

Also within the scope of this initiative, there was the development of the multimedia guide to the FMUL, which was given to all the students in a pen-drive, containing a welcome note, an interactive map, the brochure of the Integrated Masters Course in Medicine, and a set of practical and diversified items of information that are useful for the daily lives of our students.
Through this initiative the FMUL was able to carry out the enrolling of the students and at the same time present all the services available for their integration in university life.

The organization of this event was possible through the work of a multidisciplinary team, involving Dr. David Xavier (Dean’s Office), Ana Silva, Dolores Machado, Marieta (Academic Area and Curricular Management), Ana Rute Braziel, Bruno Moura, Sofia Cruz (Unit of Information Technologies), Rodolfo Martins (Student Support Office), Lilia Louro (Public Relations team), Sónia Barroso (GAPIC), Diogo Medina and Gonçalo Envia (Students’ Association).