Guidelines for Contacting Specialty Career Advisors

You have an important role in the advisee-advisor relationship. Please give considerations to these responsibilities:

• Respond within 48 hours to communication from your Specialty Career Advisor (SCA), department, and career advisors
• Prepare for your meeting with your advisor by reading all information on this webpage and in the Specialty Guides
• Update your SCA with any significant changes to your academic profile, additional red flags, personal concerns, dual application, etc.
  • If you are considering dual applying, please meet with Career Advising first to determine how much detail about the other specialty you will share with the SCA
• Allow your SCA at least 5-7 days to turn around any application documents you have sent for review
• Communicate with your SCA if you are no longer applying in this specialty
• Respond within 48 hours to communication from Student Affairs staff and deans related to academic progress, residency application and Match

SCAs are faculty physicians named by their departments to:

• provide advice on whether this specialty is a right fit for you and your future career
• help you explore ideas for enhancing your experiences in the field or strengthen your preparation for the field
• answer specialty-specific questions
• discuss 4th-year rotations
• assess students’ level of competitiveness for match
• guide you on the residency application process for the specialty
• advise on the number and types of residency programs to apply to

For many specialties, it is not critical to connect with SCAs in the first two years of medical school. However, for the most competitive specialties, it is important to understand early on what these specialty pathways require and ways to engage with these departments through shadowing, research, etc. Advice you receive from SCAs will be instrumental in helping you understand this specialty path and how to prepare a strong residency application.

Most Competitive Specialties

Once you begin to consider any of the most competitive specialties, we encourage you to connect with the Specialty Career Advisor when you are ready, and to meet with your Career Advisor earlier in the winter of your first year:

• Dermatology
• Interventional Radiology
• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Sub-Specialties
  -Cardiothoracic Surgery
  -Neurosurgery
  -Orthopedic Surgery
  -Ophthalmology
  -Plastic Surgery
  -Urology
  -Vascular Surgery

Competitive Specialties

These are specialties that are considered competitive based on residency match rates. You can review match rates on the NRMP Data and Reports page. If you are considering one of these specialties, you do not need to meet with your Career Advisor earlier, and we encourage you to follow the recommended timeframe to meet with a Specialty Career Advisor by reviewing the table below.

• Anesthesiology
• Diagnostic Radiology
• General Surgery
• OB/GYN
• Radiation Oncology

If you have trouble getting in touch with a SCA, let your Career Advisor know and we can support you in connecting with them.

Follow these steps before you contact an SCA for the first time:

1. Develop an understanding of the specialty – review all content on the Specialty Guide for your intended specialty/ies
2. Reflect on why you are interested in this specialty
   • What exposure have you had to it before or during medical school?
3. Identify your goals for the conversation:
   • Be prepared with specific questions that demonstrate your interest in exploring this specialty
   • When preparing your questions, avoid asking about general information that could easily be found in other places
4. Come prepared to share any aspects of your background or academic profile. This will help your SCA gain a holistic view of you
   • e.g. your career interests, values, extracurriculars (leadership, research, service), Step scores, clerkship grades, etc.
5. Respect the SCA’s time by planning for a 15-20 minute conversation
   • Don’t rely on the SCA to direct the conversation

Communication Guidelines:

Ensure your initial SCA contact goes well.

• Address physicians by the title “Doctor” unless you are told otherwise
  • This includes emails, letters, and conversations
• Reply to all emails, questions, phone calls, surveys, and requests in a timely manner
  • Read their emails/information
• Stay in contact with your Specialty Career Advisor
  • Update them on any issues or concerns that may influence your residency application or match
  • Ask for help when you need it. You can contact your College Mentor or Career Advisor to talk something through before talking with your SCA
• Follow up and let SCA know if you decide to apply into a different specialty and will no longer need their guidance
  • SCAs often keep lists of students they are supporting so it is courteous to email them with an update and thank them for their support

Foundations is an exciting time – you are learning about many aspects of medicine and possible career paths. You may be eager to connect to advisors in the various fields to learn more about exploring a career in their specialty.

Career Advising wants to help you be as prepared as possible for connections with Specialty Career Advisors (SCA). The advice you receive from SCAs over the next few years will be instrumental in helping you with your residency application. Make sure your initial contact with an SCA goes well by closely following the guidance given on this page.

Thinking about competitive specialties?

For many of the specialties, it is not critical to connect with SCAs in the first two years of medical school. However, for the most competitive specialties, it is important to understand early on what these specialty pathways require and ways to engage with these departments through shadowing, research, etc. Advice you receive from SCAs will be instrumental in helping you understand this specialty path and how to prepare a strong residency application.

You may consider connecting with Specialty Career Advisors in the most competitive specialties according to the guidelines listed below in the SCA Contact Information section:

• Dermatology
• Interventional Radiology
• Otolaryngology
• Radiation Oncology
• Surgical Sub-Specialties
  -Cardiothoracic Surgery
  -Neurosurgery
  -Orthopedic Surgery
  -Ophthalmology
  -Plastic Surgery
  -Urology
  -Vascular Surgery

As a clinical student, the following information is helpful for you to share during your meetings with Specialty Career Advisors. By providing this info, SCAs will be better equipped to provide an accurate assessment of your level of competitiveness relative to the specialty and advise you on your application strategy.

• Career interests, notable achievements, extracurriculars, research, possible fellowship interests
• Step Scores
• Clerkship Grades
• Sub-Is or APCs you have/will be taking, dates scheduled, and final grade if known
• List of Letter of Recommendation writers
• Couples or Military Matching
• Leaves or expansions
• Academic challenges:
  • Foundations course fail(s)
  • Step 1 or Step 2CK fail
  • Low Step 1 or Step 2CK score
  • Clerkship fail or clerkship exam fail
  • 2 or more Passes in Patient Care Phase, not including pass/fail rotations (this is specialty-dependant)
  • Pass in a rotation in your specialty of interest
  • Expansion (specialty dependent)

We encourage you to connect with the SCA of the specialties you are considering by the spring of your 3rd year. SCAs understand that students change their minds about specialties. Getting connected, joining department listservs, and starting to develop relationships in the 3rd year will ensure you receive the information and advising you need as you finalize your specialty choice and prepare to apply to residency.

If you are considering dual applying, please meet with Career Advising first to determine how much detail about the other specialty you will share with the SCA.