Checklist
☑ Meet with the career development team as needed
☑ First-Year Orientation
- Learn about career development process
- Check out specialty speed rounds
☑ Self-Assessment and Reflection
- Take the AAMC Careers in Medicine Self-Assessments
- Schedule recurring check-in meetings with your lead advisor
☑ Career Exploration
- Join medical specialty SIGs
- Attend career related events
- Review recommendations for specialty electives to plan ahead
☑ Professional Development
- Request a career mentor
- Review the sample CV
- Develop your CV
Understanding yourself and exploring options
Students who are intentional about finding the right specialty are more likely to be satisfied with their professional life. The right specialty should match an individual’s personality, interests, values and skills. Characteristics like patient type, setting, medical conditions, colleagues and activities are all important to consider when choosing the right specialty.
Orientation, Specialty Speed Rounds
Hear representatives from the core rotations explain what a day in the life of someone in their specialty looks like and what makes each specialty unique.
Find the right specialty
To find the right fit, students should first take the AAMC Careers in Medicine Self-Assessments to identify career options that support specific values and goals. These assessments help students to better understand themselves when making this often difficult decision.
Take the next steps
In addition to taking self-assessments, there are several activities available to students for the purpose of exploring options. Students can join medical specialty student interest groups, attend specialty exploration events or request a career mentor if they are interested in more competitive specialties such as urology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology or dermatology.
Take advantage of American Association for Medical Colleges (AAMC) Resources
The AAMC website is a great space to gather more information about career exploration.