Career Advising

Advisors and mentors play an essential role in guiding students through medical school. Workshops, discussion groups, activities, and meetings with mentors and faculty members take place throughout the academic journey.

Student Advising in the Curriculum

Careers in Medicine Specialty Panel Series

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The Careers in Medicine Specialty Panel Series is held each fall to introduce first-year students to the AAMC's Careers in Medicine Program (AAMC login required) and allow exploration of specialties through presentations and Q&A sessions with clinical faculty.

Additionally, events sponsored by clinical departments occur throughout the year and are posted to the Larner Medical Student Activities Calendar.

Advising during Foundations and Clerkship

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Upon matriculation, each student is assigned a Primary Advisor who is available to provide support and information, as well as to guide discussions on academic progress, career choice, and student wellness. Primary Advisors are connected to the student’s assigned Professionalism, Communication and Reflection (PDF) group, and students are required to set up at least two formal advising sessions each year. The PCR curriculum incorporates Careers in Medicine Self-Assessments to help guide students toward choosing a specialty. 

Specialty Advising during Advanced Integration

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In December/January of the Clerkship Year, students choose a Specialty Advisor in the specialty of their choice. The role of the Specialty Advisor is to assist with the fourth-year elective selection and to provide specialty-specific guidance during the residency application process.

Specialty Advising Directors (PDF) have been identified in each specialty to serve as the first point of contact to students who are interested in pursuing that specialty. Specialty Advising Directors may serve as specialty advisors themselves or refer students to other faculty members within their department.

Students who have not decided on a specialty are encouraged to meet with one of the Deans for Students for guidance and resources. Students can secure a drop-in session with any of the Deans for Students (Outlook). In addition, the Specialty Profiles section of the Careers in Medicine website allows students to explore more than 160 specialties and subspecialties in the United States, including training requirements, salary, and workforce information.

M1-M4 Career Advising Timeline

Monthly Timeline

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MonthM1M2M3M4
 SIGSSIGS, Career Advising FND, Clerkship as career exploration Specialty Advising, Clinical Rotations
AugustOrientation Intro   
Career Advising Foundations   
SeptemberCiM PanelsPCR 1:1 Interview Session
PCR 1:1DIV  
 CiM Panels  
* Mandatory Research Session (research etiquette)Clerkship Lottery Meeting  
OctoberCiM PanelsDIVPCR 1:1 
Career Advising FoundationsCiM Panels  
NovemberCiM PanelsDIVDeans for Students 1:1 meetings 
 Anatomy of the MSPE4th-year Lottery Class sessions 
Summer Research Info Session (or Oct?)CiM Panels  
DecemberCiM PanelsCiM PanelsDeans for Students 1:1 meetings 
Summer Experiences Info Sessions 4th-year Lottery Class sessions 
JanuaryCiM PanelsCiM PanelsSpecialty advisor 1:1 meetingsROL Session
PCR 1:1PCR 1:1VSLO sessionCouples Session #3
FebruaryCiM Panels Specialty advisor 1:1 meetings 
MarchDIVCLERKSHIP BEGINSADV BEGINS 
 Clerkship OrientationB4M4 
  Succeeding 
  Aways 
  Couples session #1 
  MSPE, LORs CV, PS 
AprilDIV RAD MeetingsTTR Bootcamps
Career Advising Foundations   
MayDIVPCR 1:1RAD MeetingsGRADUATION
PCR 1:1   
JuneSummer Experiences RAD Meetings 
Research/Fellowships Application session 
LCOM/CVRI   
VT Cancer Center   
Schweitzer   
AHEC   
JulySummer Experiences RAD Meetings 
Research/Fellowships Couples Session #2 
LCOM/CVRI   
VT Cancer Center   
Schweitzer   
AHEC   

 

Longitudinal Career Advising Resources

Student-to-student resources Peer Support

Two students having a discussion at a Speciality sibs meet and greet.

Larner Connect

In our Larner Connect (formerly known as the Big Sib) Program, each first-year medical student is matched with a student from the second-year class who serves as a friend, mentor, information source, and support system.
Students at the Foundations Celebration

Specialty Sibs

Clerkship students will have the opportunity to pair with Advanced Integration students who are pursuing the same specialty in which they are interested.

Contact

Katherine Dolbec, M.D.

Assistant Dean for Students, Office of Medical Education • Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Katherine.Dolbec@med.uvm.edu