Choosing a medical specialty is one of the most significant decisions a medical student will make. Faculty Career Mentors provide medical students with information and resources to effectively make career decisions that lead them toward a successful residency match.
Medical Student Education has developed a comprehensive career mentoring program that is integrated throughout the curriculum at all nine campuses. The IU School of Medicine career mentoring plan follows the AAMC Careers in Medicine (CiM) paradigm of a four phase process:
- Understand Yourself
- Explore your Options
- Choose your Specialty
- Prepare for Residency
The phases of the AAMC Careers in Medicine (CiM) paradigm will be applied over the three phases of the curriculum. Students may request a specialty specific career mentor at any stage of the process.
Mentors are role models and can help acculturate mentees into medicine and their selected specialty. The primary role and responsibility of a career mentor is to:
- Provide holistic mentorship to medical students with a focus on specialty career exploration.
- Offer perspectives in navigating the application process in their specialty.
- Review mentees CV, personal statement and provide LORs.
- Share advice regarding your mentees competitiveness in your particular specialty.
- Inspire mentees with your personal experiences and serve as an example.
- Encourage mentee to attend professional development events sponsored by the MAP (i.e. introduction to ERAS and NRMP, CV preparation, personal statement preparation, how to select a residency program, mock interviews, etc).
- Direct mentees to their Lead Advisors for any concerns related to scholastic issues.
- Provide the Career Mentor Office with student updates by completing the faculty mentor form.
Interested in being a Faculty Mentor?
Share your interest with your department and they can connect you with the appropriate career mentor contact or email Dr. Debra Rusk at drusk@iu.edu.
