MS4 Class Information – Oct. 19, 2023

Expanded MS4s graduating in 2025: Schedule your fourth-year Career Planning appointment

Please schedule a fourth-year Career Planning Appointment with your career advisors anytime from now through December 2023. Before your appointment, please carefully read the information and resources below and plan to spend a minimum of 90 minutes in preparation. 

 How do you know if you need an appointment?

If you have experienced any of the following challenges, please schedule your fourth-year Career Planning Appointment before December:

  • Foundations course fail(s)
  • Step 1 or Step 2CK fail. Low Step 1 or Step 2CK score, or have not taken Step 1 yet
  • Clerkship fail or clerkship exam fail
  • Two or more Passes in Patient Care Phase
  • Pass in a specialty of interest
  • Not completing Patient Care Phase in March/April
  • Expansion (specialty dependent)

In our meeting, we will discuss:

  • Your specialty interests and specialty prioritization for Explore & Focus rotations
  • Specialty decision-making strategies and timeline
  • Preliminary preparations for your residency application components

 Required steps prior to scheduling your fourth-year Career Planning Appointment (plan for 90 or more minutes of prep):

Read the Career Planning for 4th Year Guide and follow the instructions, including reviewing the slide deck at the top of the page to:

  • Understand the important components and timeframes to help you map out your E&F schedule using the Clinical Phase Planning Worksheet
  • Introduce you to the residency application process
  • Understand strategies for your residency application
  1. Download and complete the Clinical Phase Planning Worksheet found on the Career Planning for 4th Year Guide
  2. Schedule a 4th Year Career Planning Appointment (select this appointment type in the system)
  3. Upload your worksheet to your meeting in CAS so it can be discussed when you come in. Appointments cannot be modified within 24 hours of your appointment time; email your worksheet to your career advisor if less than 24 hours before your appt.

For information on specialty decision-making, review the Choosing A Career content.

If you want to look further ahead, visit the Residency Application Timeline, and Residency Application Components on the Applying to Residency page.

Your preparation for your Fourth-year Career Planning Appointment with an advisor will help us make effective use of our time together. The purpose of the meeting is for you to feel clear in your goals and tasks for fourth-year planning and preparing for your residency application. We are here to support you! 


In case you missed it, here is the previous newsletter for MS4s.

Have a wonderful week!