Resources for Faculty Career Mentors

Choosing a medical specialty is one of the most significant decisions a medical student will make. Faculty Career Mentors provide medical students with information and resources to effectively make career decisions that will ultimately lead them toward a successful residency match.

Medical Student Education has developed a comprehensive career mentoring program that is formalized and integrated into all four years of the curriculum at all nine campuses. The career mentoring plan follows the AAMC Careers in Medicine (CiM) paradigm of a four phase process: 1) Understand Yourself, 2) Explore your Options, 3) Choose your Specialty, 4) Prepare for Residency.

The phases of the AAMC Careers in Medicine paradigm are applied over the three phases of the IU School of Medicine curriculum. Students may request a specialty specific career mentor at any stage of the process.

Mentoring is an ongoing, caring relationship defined by extensive support and encouragement. Career mentors are role models and can help acculturate mentees into medical and their selected specialty. The primary role and responsibility of a career mentor is to:

• Provide holistic mentorship to medical students with a focus on specialty career exploration

• Offer perspectives in navigating the application process in your specialty

• Review mentee's CV, personal statement, and provide letters of recommendation

• Share advice regarding your mentee's competitiveness in your particular specialty

• Inspire mentee with your personal experiences and serve as an example

• Encourage mentee to attend professional development events (i.e. introduction to ERAS and NRMP, CV preparation, personal statement preparation, how to select a residency program, mock interviews, etc.)

• Direct mentees to their lead advisors for any concerns related to scholastic issues

• Provide the career development office with student updates by completing the faculty mentor form