Personal
and academic background
Discuss background
and cirecumstances that might have an impact on the residency application
process.
- educational
background, strength of preparation for medical school
-
research or work background previous to medical school
-
special interests or needs
-
special logistics,demands, or family responsibilities
-
mooving/housing issues
-
personal interests, skills,
movitation
-
values;
goals
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Strategies
for Academic Success
During
the residency application and interview process it
is essential to continue a committment to:
- time
management
- appropriate
study habits
- balanced
lifestyle: diet, exercise, and stress management
- time
for family, friends, and recreation.
- importance
of a support group, building community
- student
organizations as a source of information gathering for residency
selection
- value
of volunteer networks for support and information
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Personal Development
Encourage students not to neglect the personal aspects
of their professional development during this important year and in
their residency
- ask
about long term goals; explore
how these fit with personal values.
- encourage
opportunities to develop leadership skills during residency
- encourage
development of interpersonal and communications skills: presentation
skills, writing, interviewing.
- Review and
evaluate the opportunities for personal growth that may be available
in residency programs under consideration
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Review/clarify
COM policies and curriculum, as needed
A myriad of policies and procedures govern the life
of the University, the College of Medicine, and the Office of Student
Affairs.
- students
are responsible for familiarizing themselves with all University,
College of Medicine, Chicago Site, and Office of Student Affairs
policies, procedures, and revisions.
- policy information
is shared with Students through the Policy section of the OSA
website, at class orientations, by faculty and staff advisors,
and through the UGME Newsletter, Rapid Pulse.
- questions
about policies or procedures should be directed to faculty, staff,
or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
- students
who feel that their situation does not fit established policies,
and can present compelling and unusual circumstances, may petition
for an exception on a case-by-case basis
- requests
for changes in policy or procedure can also be presented to student
leaders for peer advocacy within the college.
College of Medicine
Curriculum
College of Medicine Curriculum is governed by faculty
committee. See information under curriculum button on top bar.
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Registration
Responsibilities
Registration is the responsibility of each medical
student. Failure to comply with registration guidelines can result
in serious consequences. Students frequently neglect to register for
clerkships or fail to change their registration as their clerkship
schedules change.
The most
important facts to remember about registration are
- registration
is a required official UIC activity;
- registration
is a separate process from the COM scheduling process;
- each student
is personally responsible to manage their UIC registration;
- registration
must be done each and every semester a student is enrolled;
- failure
to register means you cannot take exams and will not receive credit.
The College of Medicine maintains a Registrar's Office to advise
and guide Students in this process, but each student is responsible
for his/her actual registration through the UIC Office of Records
and Registration.
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Specialty Selection
Process
Discuss status of career goals; revisit earlier expectations;
discuss existing constraints
- Review
decision-making process by which career alternatives are reviewed,
researched, and evaluated.
- verify that
the right questions are being asked in narrowing alternatives
- provide a
"reality check" on the range of specialties under review
- discuss and
practice interviewing skills; assemble lists of questions; practice
bringing appropriate focus to answers
- prepare a
strategy for letters of recommendation; review contact lists
Discuss
the role of the following in the residency application process,
especially for those students interested in the traditionally competitive
specialties.
- academic
record; clerkship evaluations
- role of USMLE
scores
- value of
research, publications, awards and prizes
- electives,
International opportunities
- leadership
skills, volunteer experience.
- Graduate
assistantships, the ISP Program, the MD/PhD Program
- scholarship
opportunities
Discuss upcoming
transition from medical school to residency
- impact or
implications for family members
- potential
relocation challenges
- family responsibilities
during residency
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Career Planning
Encourage
students to log on to
AAMC Careers in Medicine,
create a confidential personal profile, and to participate
in OSA workshops:
-
Encourage students to log on to
AAMC Careers in Medicine and
create a confidential personal profile if they have not
yet begun to use this resource.
- encourage
students to take advantage of the Residency Interviewing
Skills and Securing a Match Workshops offered by the OSA
for M-4 students.
-
discuss workshop experience and outcomes.
- practice
for interviews using sample
questions.
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United
States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE: Step II)
- Discuss
strategy for USMLE
Step II related to specialty plans
-
Role of USMLE Step I and II scores in residency applications;
value of early Step II scores for competitive specialties
- students
with interests in "competitive programs" should prepare
for these exams with care as their scores will often determine
whether they even get an interview.
- assistance
in preparation for USMLE exams
- Passing
USMLE Step II is a requirement for UIC COM graduation
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Clinical experiences
Check in with students on their experiences in
the wards as part of a healthcare team. Review COM Guidelines
for Professionalism in Clinical Settings
- professional
grooming, dress, and behavior at all times;
- complying
with health and safety requirements;
- appropriate
use of hospital property, especially scrubs
- understanding
and adjusting to etiquette and culture of each ward;
- taking
care in all communications with patients, staff, and family
- observing
confidentiallity of patient disclosures and records
- managing
the personal and ethical issues that may arise;
- time
management (reading requirements; studying for clerkship
exams).
Discuss
ongoing clerkship experiences and their role in specialty
selection.
- the
culture in clinical settings:
- what
do you like or dislike about each specialty or setting
- learn
what residents and attendings like and dislike
- sift/compare
experiences and observations separate out what is personal
or site specific, and what is representative of the specialty
- evaluate
whether each specialty might be a potential career fit
- check
out workforce information and statistics for each specialty
on FRIEDA
- See
OSA Career Planning (left nav of OSA site) or the AAMC
Careers in Medicine for lists of questions in preparation
for interviews
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Scheduling Strategies for M-4 Clerkships
- options
for sequence and selection of clerkships;
- value
of away rotations to check out residency interests;
- international
opportunities
- value
of electives in areas of specialty interest;
- Need
to identify faculty for recommendations for residency applications
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OSA Career
Planning Resources
Career
Planning Resources are on the
left navigation bar of OSA home page.
- Overview
of process, residency duration, links to NRMP
match data
- Defining
competition, match stategies, guidelines, check lists
-
Suggestions for interview preparation
- Sample
questions to ask and be prepared to answer
- Residency
evaluation worksheets
- Sample
CV, Personal Statement, Dean's Letter
(see links under residency application
above)
MSPE (aka Dean's Letters)
Officially renamed "Medical Student Performance
Evaluation" as per AAMC guidelines. Prepared by OSA,
using a template,
with the following sections:
- Identifiying
Information and Unique Characteristics: research,
leadership, awards, or volunteer activities during medical
school, previous career or degree, etc.
- Academic
History:date
of matriculation, breaks in academic progress, special programs
or circumstances.
- Academic
Progress: Preclinical honors, USMLE Step I pass date,
and clerkships with final grades (as available) and text
of clinical evaluations.
- Summary: a final
recommendation paragraph placing student in one of four
"ranking" categories
During
the summer, M-4 students complete an intake form with their
background information. Clerkship grades are forwarded from
the Registrar's Office and faculty evaluations on each clerkship
are transcribed. Final
MSPE letters are assembled and and edited in OSA during the
fall for electronic
release for all medical students
on November 1st.
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