RUSH Medical College students are immediately introduced to programs and career curricula that parallels their academic coursework. Medical Student Affairs (MSA) staff, faculty and student leaders from the Careers in Medicine advisory, familiarize students with the variety of career options and opportunities related to various medical specialties.
Career Development
Dedicated career development programs and events are held throughout each year of medical school. M1s learn about options and opportunities for their first medical school summer; M2s explore various specialties and learn more about their career interests; M3s may take advantage of Career in Medicine Electives and a host of career and elective advising sessions about specific specialties; and M4s are offered a year-long interviewing course that provides support through all phases of the residency application process. At any time throughout these programs, students are encouraged to meet regularly with the director of student professional development and faculty liaisons.
AAMC Careers in Medicine
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) hosts a Careers in Medicine (CiM) section of their website, which includes extensive electronic resources relating to career choice in medicine. The CIM section of the website is password protected, and available to all U.S. medical students. RMC students are encouraged to utilize the CIM resources, including self-assessment tools, to explore career path options, and identify individual preferences and values. Information is provided to help each student assess his/her competitiveness for various residency training programs. More information is available online.
Career Advising
RMC students develop their professional identity as they progress through the four-year curriculum. Each student is encouraged to identify personal career interests and assess their own compatibility and competitiveness for a variety of medical specialties. Career guidance is provided by faculty advisers, as well as designated faculty in each clinical department (clerkship directors, elective directors, career interest group faculty liaisons and others). In addition, MSA faculty and staff in the Office of Integrated Medical Education are available to discuss career choice and provide individual guidance to students.
View the 2021-2022 career and specialty advising presentations (requires a RUSH login).
Student Career Interest Groups
RMC boasts 15-plus active career interest groups (CIG) unified under a student Careers in Medicine advisory. Each CIG is student-led and has a designated faculty liaison. M1 students are invited to apply for Student Interest Group leadership positions in January of their first year. Each career interest group hosts campus events designed to expose students to a variety of clinical career paths, foster relationships between residents/faculty and students, and provide career guidance for students who choose to pursue residency training in that specialty.
Careers in Medicine has exposed me to many more specialties than I had previously thought I was interested in. It’s a great, easy way to explore different career paths without adding stress to my daily life. It has also helped me make connections with other students, faculty, and resources within the RUSH system.
Professional Development
Complementing the myriad career development activities are various professional development activities and programs. Students are introduced and encouraged to explore professional organizations and associations for membership, research and other career opportunities. Students are afforded the opportunity to learn how to best present themselves to the marketplace including topical “how to” workshops (communication etiquette, interview preparation, personal statements, maintaining an updated resume or CV and more) through recordings and individual meetings with Medical Student Affairs professionals.
Contact
Christine Corral, PhD
Director, Student Professional Development
Medical Student Affairs