Careers In Careers In MedicineMedicine

The “Vigilant” Decision Making The “Vigilant” Decision Making ProcessProcess

Phase IIPhase II

CiM Four Year Timeline

M-1 August CiM Intro

March Phase I Self Assessment

Summer Shadowing

Research

Volunteer

M-2 February Phase II Career Exploration

M-3 Fall Alumni Panel Discussion

Clerkships

Student AMA lunches

December Phase III Career Day

April Phase IV Strolling thru Match

M-4 Fall ERAS

Dean’s Letter

Today, we’re going to . . .

• Review your efforts in Self Assessment

• Begin the process of Career Exploration

Did you do your homework?

• Visit the Careers in Medicine website?

• www.aamc.org/careersinmedicine

• www.aamc.org/students/cim

• Did you get to know yourself by completing the self-assessment sections on the site?

Objectives

• Today’s session will provide you with:– A process that will help you in selecting your

specialty– Resources to help you make an informed

decision

Gathering Information

• Now that you know what you want in life and in medicine, it’s time to find what specialty will fit your needs

• Go to the Specialty Profiles in the CiM website

• This is a great place to start exploring your many choices.

CiM Specialty Profiles

• Nature of the Work

• Personality Characteristics

• Residency Requirements

• Match Data

• Workforce Statistics

• Compensation

Specialty Profiles

• Take your top 5 Critical Factors that you determined during your Self-Assessment and compare them in detail to the factors described in one of the profiles on the CiM website.

Critical Factors Checklist

• Autonomy

• Caring for Patients

• Continuity of Care

• Diversity

• Focus of Expertise

• Innovative thinking

• Intellectual Content

• Interacting with other Physicians

• Manual/Mechanical Activities

• Pressure

• Responsibility

• Security

• Sense of Accomplishment

• Status among Colleagues

• Patient Characteristics

• Types of Illnesses

Disclaimer

• If you seem not to match a specialty in which you were really interested, don’t despair

• Remember that the information in the profiles is merely a screening device.

• You should do more research on your own on the specialty of your choice.

• It maybe that there is something else about the specialty that is important to you but that you haven’t identified. Restart the process and think carefully.

• Don’t be inflexible – don’t try to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Example

• You really like peds but you also like procedures as well.

• The specialty profile shows that procedures are very low in peds

• But this profile doesn’t take into account neonatology, Peds cardiology, Peds ER and Peds GI which all are very high in procedures.

Expand

• Don’t just evaluate one profile - do the same exercise with other similar profiles.

• You may learn that you are a closer match to similar specialty than the one you first considered.

• Also, make comparisons in specialties you never considered – you may be surprised.

Other Online Resources

• AMA-Freida- AMA’s Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access

• Provides statistical information about each specialty, information about GME programs, and institutional offerings by specialty and geographic location.

Getting More Information

• Clerkships– Complete the Pre- and Post Clerkship Forms

• Electives

Experiential Activities

• Attend workshops on different specialties, in the form of individual presentations, specialty interest groups, or panel programs.

• Career Day• Alumni Panel Discussion• Strolling Through the Match• Student AMA Lunches• Other resources - local medical societies, your

school's alumni organization, and other first and second year medical school clinical activities- Master Clinician Program.

CiM Four Year Timeline

M-1 August CiM Intro

March Phase I Self Assessment

Summer Shadowing

Research

Volunteer

M-2 February Phase II Career Exploration

M-3 Fall Alumni Panel Discussion

Clerkships

Student AMA lunches

December Phase III Career Day

April Phase IV Strolling thru Match

M-4 Fall ERAS

Dean’s Letter

Specialty Associations

• Join the academies at reduced student rates

• Visit specialty Web Sites – AAP, AAOS, etc.

Personal Contact

• Clerkships• Informational Interviews• Summer Experience• Faculty• Private Practitioners• Residents• Friends• Be aware of the variable reliability of each

source• There are many misconceptions out there!

Surveying the Alternatives

• Canvas and wide range of alternatives

• Be open to new alternatives

• Gather information from many sources

Summary for Evaluating Alternatives

• Test your facts and reactions by talking to others

• Follow up actively with potential role models

• Take ownership of the process

Try it on

• Discuss your ideas with others

• Just like trying on clothes

Pause

• Do not announce your decision prematurely

• It could make it more difficult to change your mind later for fear of seeming indecisive

Intuition

• Gather opinions from others and consider their needs, but it’s your decision, your career

• Contemplate all the fact “in stillness”

• Consult your heart/gut

Inoculate yourself

• After you’ve made your decision, review the negatives

• This will inoculate you against overreaction and criticism to your decision

• It will help you during negative experiences during residency

Consider Alternatives

• In case you don’t match

• In case the army has other plans

• In case family obligations force changes

Commitment

• This all takes time

• Make a calendar to specifically set aside time to perform this important task

• Anticipate barriers to getting this done– Exams, work, sleep, study, life, etc.

Resources to help with the process

• CiM website

• Faculty – – Any of the clerkship directors– Student affairs office– Master Clinicians– Faculty Mentors