Careers in Medicine

Before making a career decision, you need to understand how personal and environmental characteristics such as interests, values, personality, and skills will inform your choice and career satisfaction. Career Counseling can help you explore who you are and what you want for your life whether through individualized feedback on your CiM career assessments, an informational interview with your UTMB faculty advisor, or through engagement in an ASCC workshop.

Now that you know more about yourself, you can start to explore specialty options, narrow your interests, and maximize your experiences while in school. Knowing your options will help you set goals for board preparation and schedule your clinical coursework. You can explore your options in a variety of ways - by attending interest group meetings, browsing CiM's specialty and subspecialty profiles, continuing to meet with your faculty advisor, and exploring ASCC Blackboard resources.

With all the information you now have about yourself and your options, you'll be equipped to make your specialty choice with confidence. Now is a good time to talk to people established in your chosen field and those who have just been through the Match process. Build a connection with a discipline specific mentor. Your faculty advisor can help connect you with a discipline specific mentor. ASCC and your advisor/mentor can also help you determine your competitiveness for your specialty choice. Resources like FREIDA, NRMP and CiM can provide you with specific information about your choice.

You're almost ready to transition to life after medical school! Your faculty advisor and ASCC can help you review your application materials (e.g., personal statement, CV) and can conduct mock interviews. Your faculty advisor and discipline specific mentor can also help you create a backup plan as needed. CiM's Residency Preference Exercise can help you decide between programs.

• Apply Smart for Residency - Official AAMC Video
  This 90-second video from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) helps students understand how to be strategic with their approach to their residency application. Find out how you can be proactive in the process and “apply smart to residency.”