COM Career Counseling and Graduate Medical Education Readiness Policy

Career counseling and Graduate Medical Education (GME) readiness counseling and support are available to all COM students. A variety of topics, including specialty options, curriculum vitae (CV) development, Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and Match procedure, available resources and residency opportunities will be discussed with the students.

A variety of available resources consist of assigned Faculty Advisors, Clinical Faculty, Clerkship Directors, Clinical Department Chairs, Assistant / Associate Deans and Deans of the College, as well as a designated Residency Match Manager.

Career Counselor - Residency Match Manager

The Dean’s office position of Career Counselor – Residency Match Manager (CC-RMM) connects students to career information, resources and residency opportunities. CC-RMM is committed to engaging students in transformative one-on-one appointments, programs, and opportunities to formulate career plans, develop CVs and personal statements and develop post-graduation objectives, and implement appropriate lifelong career decision-making strategies. If the CC-RMM is unavailable, the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education or their delegate shall serve in this role.

Osteopathic Medical students will be advised and counseled on professional opportunities and career development throughout all four (4) years of the curriculum to prepare for residency placement.

During key integrated courses, appointments with the CC-RMM and with their assigned Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) coaches, presentations during the Dean’s Hours with recurring lunch and learn presentations, students will be guided on “best practices” for applying to and successfully earning top choice residency positions.

Procedures

1. OMS-I

  • The Student Affairs office will assign an individualized Faculty Advisor during orientation. That advisor will hold group discussions and individualized sessions for each advisee.
  • Career skills will be introduced as topics along with professionalism presentations in the “The Developing Physician” (TDP) course.
  • Various student interest clubs will host talks from local physician specialists in the area.

2. OMS-II

  • Access to AAMC’s “Careers in Medicine”, an online career planning program, will be given to students early in their second year and maintained through the 4th year to provide additional support and assistance.
  • Student interest clubs will host talks from recently matched students in various specialties.
  • CV development presentations will be provided by the CC-RMM.
  • Associate Deans will provide sessions on high stakes board study skills prep.

3. OMS-III

  • Based on the student’s most likely specialty of interest, they will be assigned a physician leader from the faculty as their Match Coach/MSPE co-author.
  • The Match Coach will hold one-on-one meetings with their assigned students to review their academic portfolio and Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type/Gallup Strengths in regard to their match options.

4. OMS-IV

  • The CC-RMM will act as a primary resource and coordinator during the OMSIII- and OMS-IV for students as they navigate the ERAS.
  • Interview coordination with local clinical partners who recruit CHSU-COM students for residencies.
  • Mock residency interviews will be held for students with local clinical preceptor faculty and/or will be provided as an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) type session with a standardized patient to act as a residency director.