Careers In Medicine

1. Careers In Medicine The “Vigilant” Decision Making Process Phase II

2. CiM Four Year Timeline

3. Today, we’re going to . . . • Review your efforts in Self Assessment • Begin the process of Career Exploration

4. 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?

5. 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

6. 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.

7. CiM Specialty Profiles • Nature of the Work • Personality Characteristics • Residency Requirements • Match Data • Workforce Statistics • Compensation

8. 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.

9. 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 Critical Factors Checklist

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. Getting More Information • Clerkships • Complete the Pre- and Post Clerkship Forms • Electives

17. 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.

18. CiM Four Year Timeline

19. Specialty Associations • Join the academies at reduced student rates • Visit specialty Web Sites – AAP, AAOS, etc.

20. 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!

21. Surveying the Alternatives • Canvas and wide range of alternatives • Be open to new alternatives • Gather information from many sources

22. 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

23. Try it on • Discuss your ideas with others • Just like trying on clothes

24. Pause • Do not announce your decision prematurely • It could make it more difficult to change your mind later for fear of seeming indecisive

25. 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

26. 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

27. Consider Alternatives • In case you don’t match • In case the army has other plans • In case family obligations force changes

28. 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.

29. Resources to help with the process • CiM website • Faculty – • Any of the clerkship directors • Student affairs office • Master Clinicians • Faculty Mentors