Career Planning 301

The Office of Academic and Career Advising

Meet Your Career Advising Team

Kim Peck, MBA

Director Brooke-Lynn Vij, [Link]. Dawn Dewar, [Link].
Advisor Advisor
We are here for you!

Gerald Murphy, [Link] Meagan Hamilton-Talley

Editor Career Service Coordinator Arie Armbruster, MA
Advisor
Today’s Topics:
• Communication from ACA
• Scheduling COMLEX Level 2 CE
• Preparing for your residency application
• Exploring Specialties and Residency Programs
• Understanding Competitiveness
• Residency Application Services
• Letters of Recommendation (LoR)
• Audition Rotations
• Noteworthy Characteristics
• Additional Resources
Communication From ACA
Meeting Timeline Weekly Communication

Every Friday you will receive an

email reviewing career/residency
information and resources. Topics
include:
• Action Items
• Reminders
• Events
• Specialty Information
Next Meeting: Career Planning 401
• One on one appointment with a career advisor
• This advisor will work with you from now until graduation
• Caseloads are student driven until advisors reach their caseload limit
• Develop an individual residency application strategy with an
advisor by performing a holistic overview of competitiveness as
an applicant
• Discussion items: preclerkship performance, clerkship performance,
evaluations, boards, specialties, auditions, residency application goals,
letters of recommendation, etc.
• Voluntary Appointments: October 31st – November 18th
• Scheduled Invitations: November 28th – March 3rd
• Students will not be invited in during the winter break – Enjoy!
• Complete your Career Planning 401 Pre-Meeting Worksheet
COMLEX Level 2CE
Scheduling COMLEX Level 2 CE
• Select a date where you will have your scores back by
the time programs can view applications, typically in
September
• CE Score Release Dates
• Please note, the NBOME will be switching from
Prometric test centers to Pearson VUE test centers
starting June 2023.
• Seat selection typically begins six months prior to your
desired test date. While you can currently register, you
likely will be unable to schedule at this time.
• Reach out to a career advisor for assistance with
identifying a date that is best for you.
Preparing for the
residency application
process
Explore Specialties
• Core and Elective Clinical rotations
• Clinical Enrichment Experiences
• Advice from 4th years: Recommend
doing clinical enrichment as much
as possible early on, especially if
you really think you would be
interested in something.
• Resident Mentors
• Physician Mentors
• Careers In Medicine
• AAMC’s Clinical Rotation Evaluation
• Attend didactics
• Join professional organizations students
often receive discounted or free
membership (i.e. ACOG for OBGYN)
• Network
Research the types and advantages of
different residency programs
There is no one perfect residency-the best program
depends on your goals and personality.

• Program personality
• Academic medicine versus community-based
• Geography
• Socialization
• Size
Understanding your Competitiveness
• Each student’s application strategy will be unique and calculated
based on the following factors:
• Academic Performance
• Geographical area(s) you are applying
• Specialty(ies) you are interested in
• Board scores
• Clerkship performance
• Professional behavior
• National & MSUCOM application averages
• These factors will help us advise you on targeting the best
programs for you and your competitiveness level
Building a Competitive Profile
• MSUCOM’s Specialty
Competitiveness Data
• NRMP Charting the Outcomes
• NRMP Program Director Survey
• Historical program data
• Prior to meeting with an
advisor, you will be asked to fill
out the Career Planning 401
Pre-Meeting Worksheet
Residency Application
Services
 The Application and Match Processes
NRMP SF AUA Military Canadian

• Also known as • Early Match • Early Match • Early Match • Late Match
“The Match” or Process Process Process Process
the Main Match • Match Day in • Match Day in • Match Day in • Last match of
• Most common February February December the season. All
match students • Match for • Match for • All HPSP other matches
participate in Ophthalmology Urology students are will have
• Match Day is and Plastic • Application required to happened prior
mid-March Surgery Separate from participate to the Canadian
• Electronic • Application ERAS • Air Force & Navy Match
Residency Separate from • AUA Home also required to • All Canadian
Application ERAS participate in students eligible
• AUA Quick Guide
Service (ERAS) • SF Match Home ERAS • Application
• AUA Application
• Central • Air Force GME Separate from
Application • Army GME ERAS
Service (CAS) • Navy GME • CaRMS Home
 All students in the Class of 2024 have been
sent their AAMC ERAS Token

Electronic Enables you to create a “Letter Request

Residency Form” and your letter writers to upload
LoRs
Application
You won’t have access to the actual
Service application, but you will be able to fill out
basic personal identifying information
(ERAS) (name, AOA ID, NBOME ID, etc.)

Please register now! You cannot collect

letters of recommendation without
registering! Congratulations to the 212
who have registered!
ERAS Tools for Residency
Applicants
Helpful resources include:
• Frequently Asked
Questions for ERAS
Residency Applicants
• ERAS Residency Applicant
Worksheet
• MyERAS Residency User
Guide
• ERAS Residency Applicant
Checklist
• Fees for Residency
Applications
Letters of
Recommendation (LOR)
Request Letters of
Recommendation

• Who?
• Attending Physicians on your rotations in which you have had good
performance
• What if I don’t work with attendings often?
• That’s okay! Residents often help write the letters so asking for a LoR
with little interaction between you and the attending is perfectly fine!
• When?
• Near the end of your rotation
• We recommend having at least 3 general letters by May of your 3rd year.
These will be in addition to your specialty specific letters, which are generally
collected during your core rotation and/or during audition rotations.
• How many?
• You can collect and upload an unlimited number of letters of
recommendation
• Most programs require 3 letters, typically 2/3 from your desired specialty
• Letter of Recommendation Portal User Guide
 Adding a Letter Writer to ERAS

• Do:
• Add the name/information for
each letter writer as soon as
they confirm they will write you
a letter
• Fill out the writer’s name and
title or department
• Waive your rights to view the
letter
• Don’t:
• Mark your writer as a
department chair unless they
are the MSUCOM department
chair
• Wait until the last minute to ask
for letters!
Standard Letters of Evaluation
(SLOE)

• The following specialties may require a standardized letter

of recommendation:
• Emergency Medicine
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Otolaryngology
• Visit the Letter of Recommendation page on the
MSUCOM Career Planning SharePoint for more
information
• SLOEs are generally obtained during audition rotations.
LOR Resources

• MSUCOM Student Career Planning SharePoint

• Review the Letter of Recommendation Resources page to view an email
template to help you request a letter of recommendation and another
to follow up a LOR, information on getting a Letter from the Department
Chair, standardized letters, formatting recommendations, and frequently
asked questions.
• AAMC Article: Letters of Recommendation
Audition Rotations
Reminder –
All audition rotations are electives but not all electives are
audition rotations
 What are they? Why are they Important?
• Audition rotations are • A chance for you to
your elective rotations, showcase your personality
and medical abilities
Audition but typically occur July to
January of your 4th year • An opportunity to gain
experiences in different
Rotations • An advantage of doing
earlier auditions is the
specialties or at different
programs that you are
ability to collect letter of considering
recommendations for • A chance for programs to
your residency decide if they’d like to offer
application which open in you an interview, if you’d
September fit well on their team, and,
more importantly, if the
program is a good fit for
you!
• An outstanding audition
rotation can overcome
shortcomings in your
application

REMINDER: View your audition rotation as an

extended interview
Where should I complete my
auditions?
• What are your top residency programs?
• Is the program a “safety” or “reach” program? If applying to
both, best to have a combo of both types
• Reach out to your advisor who may have data on program’s
prior matches
• Reach out to resident mentors available through the Academic
Advising and Career Office. They can be an invaluable
resource!
• Ratio of DO/MD residents
• Should I do one at my base hospital?
• Depends on your hospital, talk to the program coordinator to
see if they would like you to come back for an audition.
Where to Begin Researching
Residency Programs
• Individual Program Websites
• Can access program website directly via FREIDA
• MSUCOM Base Hospitals
• Statewide Campus System
• Residency Explorer
• FREIDA
• Former AOA Programs That Have Transitioned to ACGME
Accreditation
• Residency Social Media
• Resident Mentors
Audition Advice from past 4 th

years
Exploring program websites on
Start thinking about what how to apply to rotations and
programs you may want to do when the first day to submit is
an audition with now! (not the deadline), because
most are first come first serve.

If a program uses VSLO, get a

head start because it is a time- The process can be frustrating,
consuming process. It is a first and some programs don't get
come first serve and since you back to you until 1 month
are paying for VSLO plan ahead before the requested rotation,
to increase your chances of so to be patient.
securing an audition.
Medical Student
Performance Evaluation
(MSPE)
2024 MSPE Timeline
 Noteworthy Characteristics
• While in most cases NCs will be related to your experiences in medical school, if
you have had a major life event or experience prior to medical school that you
might want to share, you may include it.
• All NCs should be written in the third-person, past tense – no “I” statements.
• Ideas for NCs:
1. Activities to address healthcare disparities
2. Community service
3. Explanations of any difficulties
4. Hobbies
5. Honors/Awards
6. Leadership positions
7. Life experiences
8. Publications
9. Research
10. Tutoring
11. Way in which you spent a year off from medical school
 Noteworthy Characteristics
Examples
When drafting your noteworthy characteristics, try to follow these guidelines:

In the third person, make a noteworthy statement/claim. Use the second and third sentences to provide
evidence or additional context around that claim.

Examples:
1. Shani is inspired by new research and enjoys contributing to scholarship. Her work has resulted in two
published abstracts and selection for an oral presentation at the Annual Society of Hospitalist Medicine
Conference.
2. Joe is the first member of his family to graduate from college. In recognition of the role that mentorship
played in his success, he aspires to support future generations navigating higher education as a mentor himself.
3. Having seen firsthand the impact of health disparities on vulnerable populations, Ravi has invested a
tremendous amount of his extracurricular time to give back to the community through service initiatives.
This is highlighted through his time volunteering with Detroit Street Care, where he sought to provide basic needs
to those experiencing homelessness in the Greater Detroit area.
 Who does what?
Clerkship Career Advising
[Link]@[Link] [Link]@[Link] or your advisor
• Logistical pieces of setting up audition • Selecting appropriate programs to apply to
rotations • When to participate in desired rotations
• Getting required documentation together • Communication with programs
for rotations • Questions related to your specialty
• VSLO access & issues choice(s)
• Situations related to schedules • Assistance with studying
• Vacations • Connections with mentors
• COMAT exam scheduling • Interviewing
• Rotation Grade Questions go to the CA for • COMLEX Level 2 Scheduling
the course
If you are unsure who can help, please reach out to either the Clerkship team or the
Academic and Career Advising team with questions and we will work together to direct you
to the appropriate office.
 To Do List:
Register your ERAS token
Explore specialties
Research potential residency programs
Request Letters of Recommendation
Schedule COMLEX 2 CE
Begin drafting your noteworthy characteristics
Utilize the resources available to you
Complete your Career Planning 401 Pre-Meeting
Worksheet
CARE Team
Advisor Availability
• Advisors are available via Zoom Video Conferencing
or via phone
• We have advisors in the office from 7:00am to 5pm
Monday through Friday

Make an appointment by logging into the new

Student Information System
Questions?