The University of Toledo

UT's program utilizes a combination of the AAMC Program with other resources such as: Iserson’s Getting into a Residency, AMA's FREIDA, and other resources, as well as the resources available from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Programs. In addition we utilize many internal resources such as Curriculum Vitae workshops for Medical Students, Student Organizations and events, UT’s Summer Educational Opportunities Guide,  and preparation programs for the USMLE. We incorporate a variety of didactic methods to ensure a successful career choice for our students some of which include:  large- and small-group sessions, one-on-one advising, mentoring and individual research, along with a series of our existing workshops to educate and guide students toward making a good career decision. UT College of Medicine combines professional development as an integral component of the CiM curriculum and includes workshops on résumé building, personal statements and professionalism/humanism as qualifications for residency preparation.

During the first year phase you will ask yourself the important questions such as: "Who am I?" "What do I like to do?" "What's really important in my work and life?" The goal of this phase is to achieve a greater understanding of yourself and to address the question: "What do I want to do in my medical career?" Some of the following events will assist you in answering these very important questions.

• White Coat Ceremony
• Student Organization Fair (including Specialty organizations)
• Introduction to Careers in Medicine
• CiM Interests & Party Exercise
• Values Assessment
• Designing Your Curriculum Vitae
• Summer Educational Experiences Fair with Summer Educational Opportunities Catalog
• FREIDA and other Online Career Specialty Resources
• Personality Type and Learning Styles
• Residency Match Results and USMLE Score Report
• Non-Credit electives
• Introduction to Primary Care Office Visits
• Volunteer experiences
• Presentations at Specialty Club Meetings
• Student Involvement Awards Ceremony

Through the following experiences and exercises you will explore the variety of specialties as well as the other career options available to you in the field of medicine. As you meet and talk with physicians in various specialties, you'll begin to learn about what physicians do in these areas, and gain a real-world perspective on the career opportunities these specialties have to offer.

• Summer Reflection Session
• Career Exploration Session (Specialty Profiles, PreSearch, i.e., FRIEDA
• Review of Career Exploration & Specialty Resources (Specialty Interest Questionnaire)
• Summer Educational Experiences Fair (Summer Educational Experiences Questionnaire)
• Personal Contacts
• Second Opinions
• Environmental Factors and Practice Needs
• Are USMLEing? Step 1 Preparation Program
• Tables of USMLE Step 1 and 2 Scores by Specialty
• Working the Critical Factors
• Introduction to Third Year Clerkships
• Residency Match Results and USMLE Score Report

Once you've collected enough information on all of the possibilities, you will then compare what you have learned about yourself in the first phase with the information you've gathered about the specialties and other medical career options you're considering. CiM through the Office of Student Affairs, mentors and advisors, will then help you select a specialty you will pursue during residency.

• Decision-Making and Goal Setting
• Choosing Your Specialty exercise
• Decision-Making on own (Pre-and Post-Clerkship Evals)
• Gold Foundation Student Clinician Ceremony [humanism-in-medicine.org]
• Intro to 4th Year Clerkships & Self-Assessment revisited (Skills, Interests, Environmental Factors & Practice Needs)
• Fourth year electives – How they can enhance your residency application
• Video from Career Advising Information Session on the Selection and Application Processes Related to 4th Year Away Electives and Residency Programs (12/13/2010) [ Download here ]
• Residency Application Process Workshop
• Personal Statement Workshop

After all the information you have gathered about yourself and your options, you should be well equipped to make a decision about your specialty choice. That doesn't mean that it will be easy to do; you will need to compile all that you have learned and do some serious analysis about where you best "fit." Which of your characteristics are most important to you - your values, using specific skills, how you interact with people, your interests? What are the things you most want out of your future career and how do the specialties you are considering meet those needs? Use of the following tools and resources will help you to compare what you learned about yourself through self-assessment to what you learned about specialties and finally workshops will prepare you for your residency selection.

• Meet with CiM Mentor to discuss career options
• ERAS Workshop and Application
• NRMP and Step 2 Registration
• Review of Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) with Associate Dean
• Residency Interviewing & Preparation
• Interview Workshop
• Graduation and Rank Order List Information Workshop
• Financial Planning
• Personal Discharge Plan