Bridging the Gap:
How Rutgers NJMS Empowers Faculty and Students with ScholarRx

Learn how the team at Rutgers NJMS used ScholarRx tools to better support students and faculty.

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive approach to student success, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (Rutgers NJMS) sought to bridge the gap between traditional faculty development programs and student support systems. Enter ScholarRx, a platform offering faculty valuable learning insights and students effective study tools for self-directed learning and exam preparation. This case study explores how ScholarRx empowered faculty and students, fostering a more supportive and successful learning environment.
The Challenge
From Teacher to Learning Coach: Equipping Faculty for Student Success
Traditionally, learning specialist development programs focused on either teaching pedagogy or student success strategies, creating a gap in holistic learner support.
Faculty needed more expertise to guide students effectively in developing the necessary skills for independent learning and exam success. There’s no delineated career path for student success advisors – either you’re trained to be a teacher, or you’re trained to help students succeed, but not both. Cheryl Slaughter-Hurst uses ScholarRx to bridge these gaps and teach herself (using the Rx Bricks) before she teaches students how to learn effectively for medical school using the same tools.
Students often struggled to navigate the demanding medical school curriculum and translate knowledge into actionable strategies for success in the classroom and on high-stakes exams. This left them feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to apply the information they were learning effectively. Rutgers has used ScholarRx to address this challenge by providing students with:
- Practice resources: the Qmax question banks allow students to test their understanding and identify improvement areas.
- Engaging tools: Options like Express Videos and Flash Facts foster active learning that keeps students motivated throughout their med school journey.
Rx Bricks: Interactive Modules to Strengthen Your Students' Foundations



Increased Productivity
Interactive modules that take fewer than 20 minutes to read? That's a win for students AND faculty.
High-Yield Information
A targeted and cohesive learning experience with basic and clinical science concepts.
Curriculum Alignment
If the library of 800+ Bricks doesn't meet your curricular needs, no problem. Create your own!
Helping students gain access to the right learning resources is critical to their success, faculty success, and institutional success.
The Solution
Proactive Support & Personalized Learning:
A Data-Driven Approach with ScholarRx


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Identifying and supporting at-risk students promptly and efficiently presented a challenge for faculty and staff. Traditional methods relied on reactive approaches, often leading to delayed interventions. Cheryl Slaughter-Hurst and her team at Rutgers facilitated the implementation of Comprehensive Collaborative Counseling (C3), a proactive approach that combines the following with ScholarRx’s suite of tools:
- Streamlined communications: Brought together faculty, content experts, and counselors for coordinated support.
- Personalized guidance: Enabled the creation of individualized plans to address students’ specific needs and learning gaps.
- ScholarRx tools: Put the Rx Bricks and Qmax question banks to the test by applying medical school pedagogy and helping students retain vital information.
- Data-driven insights: Provided valuable data to monitor student progress and inform future student support strategies.
The Results
Empowering Students, Boosting Performance:
ScholarRx Delivers Measurable Results at Rutgers
With the help of ScholarRx, Rutgers has equipped faculty with the tools and resources to guide students toward self-directed learning effectively. This shift has fostered a more supportive and collaborative learning environment, where students feel empowered to take ownership of their education and student success leaders are better prepared to support.
The impact of ScholarRx on student performance is undeniable. The students who utilized the platform’s resources as part of their personalized Learning Enhancement Plans consistently exceeded the institutional mean score improvement after failing an exam. This demonstrably improved academic outcomes and has boosted student confidence.
ScholarRx’s engaging tools go beyond traditional textbooks and lectures. These interactive elements keep students actively learning, fostering a sense of motivation and promoting deeper understanding of the material. This shift in engagement likely contributed to the improved student performance observed at Rutgers.
Next Steps
Rutgers NJMS Charts the Course for the Future
Rutgers NJMS plans to expand ScholarRx usage across its curriculum and explore data-driven insights to optimize learning experiences for faculty and students. Additionally, Cheryl advocates for ScholarRx's potential in training medical school academic counselors nationwide, contributing to improved holistic learner support across the medical education landscape.