Guidelines for Contacting Specialty Career Advisors
Each specialty at UWSOM has one or more dedicated Specialty Career Advisors (SCAs). Every student will connect to specialty career advising by the Spring of 3rd year. For competitive specialties, this contact usually occurs earlier.
You have an important role in the advisee-advisor relationship. Your responsibilities are to:
- 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 to navigate this with your SCA
- Allow your SCA at least 5-10 days to turn around any application documents you have sent for review. SCAs are very busy so plan ahead!
- Communicate with your SCA if you are no longer applying for 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:
- answer specialty-specific questions
- provide suggestions for enhancing your experiences in the field and/or to strengthen your preparation for the field
- discuss 4th-year rotations
- assess your level of competitiveness for match by identifying strengths and weaknesses of your application
- advise you on a residency application strategy including 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
- Medicine-Pediatrics
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- OB/GYN
- Radiation Oncology
Directory of SCA Contact Information
Find names, emails, and guidance on when to contact SCAs in each specialty.
If you have trouble getting in touch with a SCA, let your Career Advisor know and we can support you in connecting with them.
Any interaction with a physician needs to be succinct, professional in tone, and polite.
| SCA Name | Contact Information | Earliest Contact Time | Other Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCA Name | Contact Information | Earliest Contact Time | Other Info | |
| Anesthesiology | Dr. Holly Snyder | holly.snyder@seattlechildrens.org | MS1 | Contact at any time you are interested in hearing more about anesthesiology, have questions about the specialty, or are ready to discuss pursuing as a specialty. |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | Dr. Kathleen S. Berfield | berfield@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Contact as early as possible so the SCA can make sure you are on track for applying to residencies. |
| Child Neurology | Dr. Jan Martin | jan.martin@seattlechildrens.org | MS1 | Contact us at any time! Make sure to contact us in the 3rd year as you think about sub-I and elective planning and residency application strategies. Always happy to hear from you! |
| Dermatology | Dr. Josiah Hanson | hansonjf@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Please contact the SCA whenever you consider Dermatology as a possible career choice. |
| Emergency Medicine | Dr. Max Griffith | cc advisor Alexis Rush (rusha@uw.edu) on emails to Dr. Max Griffith (maxgrif@uw.edu) | MS1-MS3 | From MS1 to early MS3: Alexis Rush is the best first initial contact. She can answer most any questions you have about a potential EM application. EMIG also hosts many general events that offer opportunities to learn more about the field. During MS3 year: Let Alexis know if you are strongly considering EM so we can add you to our EM-specific advising list. |
| Family Medicine | Dr. Tomoko Sairenji Dr. Robin Christian Dr. Rachel Ellenbogen | First point of contact, Ivan Henson: famed@uw.edu Advising Intake Form | Students are welcome to contact us at any time! If you encounter challenges in medical school and are uncertain about how it may impact the match, we encourage you to set up a meeting with us at that point. All MS3 students interested in Family Medicine should contact FM Specialty Career Advisors in spring/early summer to make sure they're on track for applying in the fall. | To schedule an appointment with an advisor, please fill out our Advising Intake Form Contact ASAP if any of the following apply: Step failure, clerkship failure, professionalism concerns, other red flags |
| Medicine | Dr. Jenny Wright Dr. Doug Paauw Initial contact: Ruth Sanchez, Assistant Director, Medicine Student Programs | Initial inquiries: Ruth Sanchez, ruths7@uw.edu Other emails: dpaauw@uw.edu, sonic@uw.edu | MS3 | If you think you might be interested in Internal Medicine complete our Interest Survey during your MS3 year (September - March) Once we begin our advising cycle, you will receive email communications from us guiding you through the application cycle and information about 1:1 advising sessions that occur in June and July prior to residency application |
| Medical Genetics Pediatric Medical Genetics | Dr. Fuki Marie Hisama Dr. Dr. Anita Beck | fmh2@uw.edu anita.beck@seattlechildrens.org | MS1 | For those interested in combined Internal Med-Medical Genetics, contact Dr. Fuki Hisama. For those interested in combined Peds-Medical Genetics, contact Dr. Anita Beck. |
| Medicine-Pediatrics | Dr. Susan Hunt | hunts1@uw.edu | MS2 | Contact the Specialty Career Advisor anytime after 1st year, and especially make a point to contact them as you set up your fourth-year schedules. |
| Neurological Surgery | Dr. Richard Ellenbogen | 206.744.9321 | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Contact the Specialty Career Advisor as soon as you decide that neurosurgery is for you. You may reach out to the Specialty Career Advisor as early as your MS1 year. |
| Neurology | Dr. Eric Kraus | ekraus@uw.edu | MS1 | No restrictions on when to contact. Especially make sure you connect before making your 4th-year schedule. |
| Obstetrics-Gynecology | Dr. Vicki Mendiratta | vmendira@uw.edu Please contact OB/GYN Education Programs Specialist RaQuel Harwick at obclerk@uw.edu who will assign you to an advisor. | MS1 | I welcome all students who are interested to meet with me. Ideally once during Foundations then as needed in 3rd and 4th year |
| Ophthalmology | Dr. Shu Feng | shufeng@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Contact as early as possible; at your first interest in the field after matriculating. To schedule an appointment with an advisor, please complete the downloadable Ophthalmology Advising Intake Form. Attach this form to the email you send to Dr. Feng, Specialty Career Advisor. |
| Orthopaedics | Dr. Mia Hagen | via coordinator, Jessica Jin, jessjin@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Contact us as soon as you consider a career in orthopaedics. We can help answer your questions. |
| Otolaryngology | Dr. Emily Marchiano | ejm1014@uw.edu | MS1-3 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Best time would be after a shadowing experience during Foundations. This permits a more informed and meaningful conversation, as you will have had first-hand exposure to the specialty. |
| Pathology | Dr. Rebeca Alvarez Dr. Vera Paulson | ralvar@uw.edu vpauls@uw.edu | MS1 | Reach out to any combination of the advisors as early as you can, even if you just want to know more about Pathology. We can schedule a shadowing session or tour of the department. Many of our clinical and educational activities are conducted online, so we can be flexible. |
| Pediatrics | Dr. Michelle Terry | michelle.terry@seattlechildrens.org | MS3 | Contact us after you complete your 3rd year rotation in pediatrics and are considering pediatrics as a potential career. From MS1 to early MS3 year: Sara Fear, sara.fear@seattlechildrens.org, is available to answer general questions about the medical school program. Please do not reach out to the Specialty Career Advisor. |
| Physical Medicine & Rehab | Dr. Lyndsey Booker | lbook32@uw.edu | MS1 | Being a small specialty with only a few students interested in the field each year, we are happy to field questions at any time. |
| Plastic Surgery | Dr. Sarah Goldsberry-Long | sgoldsbe@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Department will help Foundation students get connected to the field. |
| Psychiatry | Dr. Sina Shah | sinashah@uw.edu | MS3 | The recommended time for students considering psychiatry to contact the Specialty Career Advisor is partway through 3rd year or shortly after they have completed their psychiatry clerkship. Students may contact us sooner if they want to learn more about the field as they formulate their career paths. Contact ASAP if any of the following apply: Step failure, clerkship failure, professionalism concerns, or other red flags. |
| Radiation Oncology | Dr. Ralph Ermoian | ralphpe@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Sooner is better than later, it is never too late. We prefer to meet you in the first (or second) year to provide you with opportunities to learn more about our specialty and plan research or other activities. There are students who successfully match who don't consider our specialty until summer before applying for residency. |
| Radiology - Diagnostic | Dr. Mahumd Mossa-Basha | mmossab@uw.edu | MS2-MS3 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Contact us if you have questions that we can help answer, and again once you decide you intend to apply in diagnostic radiology (or at least are very likely to apply). You want to connect with the SCA preferably before planning your MS4 schedule. If you make your Radiology career decision after this time, it is still not too late. |
| Radiology - Interventional | Dr. Ethan Hua | ethanhua@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended Contact the SCA at any point when you have questions. |
| Surgery | Dr. Kristine Calhoun | Contact via Medical Student Education Manager, Kristen Seiler, surgstus@uw.edu | MS1 | Seek advice sooner rather than later, ideally near the beginning of 3rd year or sooner if considering General Surgery It is perfectly acceptable to seek an advisor in Surgery when trying to choose between Surgery and another specialty. |
| Urology | Dr. Judith Hagedorn | judithch@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended It is never too early! Contact early if you would like to explore the specialty in the pre-clinical years. At the latest as a MS3. |
| Vascular Surgery | Dr. Matthew Smith | mcpsmith@uw.edu | MS1 | Competitive specialty: early contact and planning recommended We believe that if you are interested in Vascular Surgery it is beneficial to learn about what we do. Contact us or participate in the VSIG during your Foundations years. Contact us as early as you are considering Vascular Surgery, but certainly by early in your third year if considering integrated vascular residency. It's never too late to consider this specialty as it's a great fellowship option after training in general surgery. |
Preparing for First Contact with a SCA
It is important to be well-prepared for a conversation with an SCA. Follow the guidelines below to ensure you use the faculty member’s time most effectively.
General Guidelines:
- Any interaction with a physician needs to be succinct, professional in tone, and polite.
- Don’t contact physicians weekly for small questions, but batch questions and ask if they prefer to find a time to meet them.
- When meeting with an SCA, wear semi-professional work attire, especially in surgical fields.
- Show enthusiasm and appreciation.
Follow these steps before you contact an SCA for the first time:
- Develop an understanding of the specialty – review all content on the Specialty Guide for your intended specialty/ies
- Reflect on why you are interested in this specialty
- What exposure have you had to it before or during medical school?
- 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
- 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.
- 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
The following information is helpful for you to share with Specialty Career Advisors so they will be 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 and the reason for
- Academic challenges:
- Foundations course fail(s)
- Step 1 or Step 2CK fail
- Low Step 2CK score for your specialty
- Clerkship fail or clerkship exam fail
- 2 or more Passes in Patient Care Phase, not including pass/fail rotations (this is specialty-dependent)
- Pass in a rotation in your specialty of interest
We encourage you to connect with the SCA in the specialties you are considering by the spring of your 3rd year. Find SCA contact info on this page or at the bottom of each Specialty Guide.
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 discuss how to navigate this conversation with the SCA.