Medical student advising takes many forms, must adapt over time as learners advance through their training, and requires access to an array of information that can be difficult for individual advisors to acquire and maintain. Peer mentoring is another important component of support, but students tend to resist seeking help from advisors or fellow learners with whom they have no established relationship. This leads to frustration, decreased satisfaction, and limited opportunities for professional growth. In times of academic difficulty or personal challenge, the lack of an established support network can negatively impact a student’s ability to persist in the program and reach their goals. Successful advising and mentoring relationships of any kind rely on trust and communication that grows over time and through repeated interactions. The ability to form relationships among entering first-year osteopathic medical students, and between them and their advisors, was hindered by the physical separation measures required during the recent pandemic; feelings of belonging among students new to our school and region were also diminished. Lessons were learned during this time, however, about alternative and successful approaches that can be carried forward. At our institution, the creation of advisory colleges within the class allowed for the distribution of advising efforts across faculty with differing strengths and experience, and arranged students into smaller groups that facilitated peer interaction. This focus session will help attendees strategize ways to engage medical educators, learners, and providers in a shared effort to increase student support, facilitate success and retention, and provide more effective advising in both virtual and face-to-face settings and within the context of their own institution.