Career Development

Assessing Your Career Path

Not long after beginning medical school, students begin the process of exploring and eventually deciding upon the area of medicine in which they would like to practice.  The Medical Student Counseling Center (MSCC) can help guide students through this process with individual career assessment and counseling. 

As early as the first year, counseling can help students begin examining and prioritizing their values, and start recognizing skills and interests. 

MSCC counselors can provide students with self-assessment tools and/or personality inventories that can help to identify or clarify characteristics for a good fit in a specific area of medicine.

Finding a Career

Counselors can connect students with material on the Careers in Medicine (CiM) program developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).  This program not only provides students with further self-assessment tools, but also describes the different areas of medicine in great detail on their web site. 

Counselors can also provide students with specific names and contact information for clinical faculty advisors within each department of the hospital.  These professionals have agreed to offer career guidance to medical students and prove to be invaluable resources for students throughout their clinical years as they train, prepare for residency and move toward a career/specialty choice. 

Attend a Career Workshop

In addition to working with students individually, counselors at the MSCC offer career related workshops throughout each of the four years.  Late in the first year, programs aimed at assisting students in identifying and prioritizing career values and interests are offered. Visit MSCC's Programs and Workshops for a listing of the many programs scheduled thus far.

Residency Preparation

The MSCC staff is available to help fourth-year students prepare for the residency application and interview process. Early in the fall semester a program describing the entire process (from travel, dress and financing, to preparing personal statements, curriculum vitae, and interviewing) is offered to all students applying for residency.  OSAC's Writing and Humanities Program offers individual student conferences and group workshops on preparing personal statements and curriculum vitae. All students are invited to meet with counselors individually to discuss the content of vitae, personal statements, and go through a mock interview.

Residency Links/Bookmarks

Getting Started on Residency Search

Interviews

Recommended Reading

Resident Resources

Special Situations

Specialties & Program Research Resources

The Match

Travel

Student Support