College of Medicine

Quick Guide to Career Counseling

Quick Guide to Career Counseling

You have the career you've always wanted, what next?

What you Should be Doing Every Year

  • Working as hard as you can to get the knowledge base you need and the best grades you can

  • Utilizing Careers in Medicine (CiM) website to crystallize your career http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/

Winter Break Suggestion, Annually

  • Review Summer Opportunities Booklet and select several to apply for

  • Updating your resume/CV

  • Attending Career Night

  • Attending the Residency Fair

  • Meeting regularly with your advisor(s) and Mentor(s)

  • Get acquainted with the Student Affairs Council Members

Summer Break Suggestions, Annually

  • Preview next year booklist and see your peer advisor for loaners; buy what you want to own

  • Request a letter of recommendation (LoR) from your summer supervisor

  • Use break time for a clinical or research exposure experience (or a combination in an area of interest)

  • White Coat Ceremony – getting contact info from your cloaker for possible mentoring

  • Meeting with your Freshman Faculty Advisor (FFA) within two weeks of assignment and at least monthly thereafter, and your Student Advisor within four weeks and at least once per semester

  • Selecting a Medicine & Society preceptor in an area of interest

  • Refining your time Management, organizational, and study skills

  • Join specialty interest groups in your areas of interest and attend meetings

  • Make an appointment to check in with your Student Affairs Program Coordinator to develop a four year strategy pla

  • Meeting early with your Freshman Faculty Advisor to see if you need more than an abbreviated USMLE review

  • Narrowing your area of interest using CiM and specialty interest groups

  • Reviewing and doing questions in prep for Step 1

  • Interviewing faculty in your proffered specialties to see what life is like

 

Winter Break Suggestion, Year 2

  • Write down your prep plan for Step-1

  • Participating in service learning if you are doing well in school, especially in an area of interest.

  • Deciding which specialty and faculty you’ll request during the senior advisor match process

  • Do the CiM Indecision Scale if still undecided

  • Requesting a special schedule for Sr. yr. if you need one (consult SA or AA)

  • Reading on all service patients and doing questions nightly in prep for Step 2

  • Talking to OME about individualized Step 2 prep if you had trouble with Step 1 or need to boost your Step score

  • Finalizing your CV/resume and drafting your personal statement and unique characteristics for the MSPE

  • Meet with your Student Affairs Council (SAC) Advisor

  • Executing your Step 2 prep plan

  • Investing away electives (especially those with funding opportunities) and planning a challenging 4th year

  • Schedule your MSPE Exit Interview

  • Investigating residency programs websites and surfing FREIDA for info.

  • Registering for ERAS using your ERAS token

  • Attending all SA sponsored workshops

  • Preparing your ERAS application for spending by September 1 (even if not completed)

  • Registering for NRMP

  • Scheduling your mock interview

  • Registering for and taking Step 2 CK and CS (adhering to deadlines)

  • Meeting with your MSPE writer to review your Unique Characteristics

  • Creating a spreadsheet of important characteristics of residency programs in prep for interviewing

  • Discussing your interviews and Rank Order List (RoL) with your assigned SAC member

  • Meeting the NRMP RoL certification deadline

  • Enjoying Match Day, Honors and Oath and Commencement!