As you are experiencing a variety of specialties first-hand for the first time, many students will use this year to begin narrowing down specialty choices. Many students are surprised to find themselves fascinated by specialties they had never pictured themselves wanting to pursue, so keep an open mind as much as possible. The work you put in daily during Year III will form the base of your residency application. It will be reflected in your clerkship grades and narratives, which will be sent to programs with your application.
While you are sizing up the different specialties, you are also giving faculty and residents in these specialties the opportunity to meet you. Form relationships with faculty and residents who will become your network of advocates and may want to write letters of recommendation for you.
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| Career Advising Activities | Required | Approximate time of activity |
| Career Advising Brown Bag meetings | Optional | Fall |
| MD/MBA Dual Degree Information Session | Optional | Fall |
| MD/MPH Dual Degree Information Session | Optional | Fall |
| Deans Research Scholar (DRS) Information Session | Optional | Fall |
| Individual Career Advising Office Hours | Optional | On-going |
| Landscape of Career Advising and what to expect in Clerkship/Post-Clerkship phase |
Required | Summer |
| Introduction to Specialties Resident Panels | Required | Summer |
| Alternative Career Pathways Panel | Optional | Summer |
| Careers in Medicine workshop | Optional | Summer |
| CV Workshop | Optional | Summer |
| Specialty Considerations during the Clerkship Phase | Required | Fall |
| Annotated MSPE template/sample introduction | Required | Fall |
| Post-Clerkship Scheduling Workshop | Required | Fall |
| Post-Clerkship Drop-In Office Hours | Optional | Fall |
| Specialty Breakout Advising Sessions | Required | Fall |
| 1-on-1 Meetings with Faculty Specialty Advisors | Optional | On-going |