Introduction
During this Phase, online AAMC Careers in Medicine tools are available to help students explore the variety of medical specialties and other medical career options.
Online Specialty Pages provide information for over 100 medical specialties with details about nature of the work, personal characteristics, residency requirements, match data, workforce data, salary, and links to other resources. The OPDCG continues to provide ongoing guidance to students seeking clinical shadowing opportunities, and other opportunities for professional development:
·Advanced Clinical Experience (ACE) Program
·Interest Group Participation
·Faculty Mentors
·Alumni Mentors
At the end of the sophomore year, the OPDCG Director also leads an exercise with students helping them create a "Personal-Professional Development Plan."
The purpose of the Personal-Professional Development Plan (PPDP) is to help students further develop habits of self-reflection that will help guide them in their long-term personal and career decisions.
At the core of professional development is the ability to take the initiative in diagnosing their needs, formulating their goals, identifying resources, and evaluating outcomes. This workshop reinforces these ideas, and students spend part of the week creating their own plan. Students review their progress with their Faculty Mentor.
______________________________________________________________
UMMSM Career Advising Program
Our UMMSM Career Advising Program strives to provide our medical students with resources, links, and specific career advising information.
We incorporate the AAMC Careers in Medicine program and website tool, which also provides general career advising information for all medical students.
The "four-phase"approach corresponds to the decision-making stages we suggest for all of our students.