Choices Newsletter Archive:
Choices is an online publication created and distributed by the AAMC through its Careers in Medicine (CiM) website. The links below lead to specific articles on the CiM website. For more information or older editions, feel free to visit the Choices webpage directly.
Fall 2013 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Radiology A radiologist uses imaging to diagnose, treat, and provide treatment options for patients and clinicians with a wide variety of diseases and injuries. Almost all patients require some form of imaging study, making radiology a true consultant service. Match Corner: Strategies to help avoid going unmatched In this competitive match environment, you must strategize to be successful. And creating your successful strategy starts with reviewing your residency application materials and the list of programs you’ve applied to with your advisor or student affairs dean. Team mentoring: A new approach for the 21st century Mentors provide the advice and guidance to help you move your career forward. Learn how and why you should build a diverse team of mentors to help shape your professional development. Special Feature: Student loan changes: Can they impact your specialty choice? Options to manage your student loan debt have changed. Learn about the changes and their potential impact on your career decisions. Getting It Right the Second Time: Dr. Sharon Gonzales During residency, Dr. Sharon Gonzales switched from general surgery to interventional radiology. In this interview, Dr. Gonzales shares how she arrived at her decision, her career journey, and how she managed the switch. Summer 2013 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Pediatrics You don’t need to be like a kid, you just need to like kids — and more importantly, want to work with them to maximize their health and well-being — to be happy in pediatrics. Guest Post: Choosing internal medicine: Reflections from a graduating medical school senior Dr. Kimberly Ku, a 2013 medical school graduate, reflects on five leadership practices that helped her make her specialty decision. Ask the Advisor: Is it ever too early to ask for a letter of recommendation? I am working in a research lab this summer and would like to obtain a letter of recommendation from my research sponsor. At this early stage in my medical education, is it premature to request a letter? Spring 2013 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Infectious Disease The work of ID is cognitive, detail-oriented, and team-based. The range of conditions means physicians in ID enjoy more options than in some other specialties in choosing an area of focus as well as a practice type and location. Special Feature: The truth behind switching specialties during residency Switching specialties usually adds time to your training and dollars to your debt, so it’s an event you should avoid. Here’s help for trying to find the right fit the first time, and if you end up unhappy, know you can — and should — try again. Getting It Right the Second Time: Dr. Charlie Goldberg Dr. Goldberg switched from urology to internal medicine during residency. Here's why and how he did it, how many years of training he eventually completed, and how his situation ultimately worked out. CiM Toolbox: CiM 2.0 coming soon A redesigned CiM Web site is coming soon! Here's a preview of the exciting improvements. Ask the Advisor: Why explore specialties early in med school? Many medical students consider their specialty choice their most difficult professional decision. Such an important decision takes time, and procrastination only adds to the stress. Start exploring your options early to find your best possible specialty fit. Fall 2012 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Anesthesiology While the phrase "Just put me out, doc" makes anesthesiologists' work sound straightforward, the field's more robust than that. Learn just how broad the work is, how varied the settings are, and how rewarding the patient relationships can be. Match Corner: Kick off your interview right Congratulations on receiving an interview invite! Now that you’ve secured the opportunity to tell programs in-person what makes you great, follow these tips for the best start to your interview. Match Corner: The real questions behind three challenging interview questions and how to answer them Three tricky questions often trip up applicants who aren't prepared for them. Here’s advice for answering these questions effectively so you can maximize your chance for success. Ask the Advisor: I don't like these people! Like the subject and work of a particular specialty but not sure you fit in with the people? Here's how to further explore the specialty and decide whether it's right for you. Resources for interview season Here's a comprehensive list of our tools and advice to help you prepare for residency interviews. Summer 2012 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Family Medicine Family physicians are uniquely trained to care for the person, not the condition. This training and their commitment to individuals, families, and communities best qualifies family medicine physicians to function as pillars of their community and as agents of change in medicine. Special Feature: Public Service Loan Repayment Programs These are programs that help pay off your medical school loans in exchange for public service. The benefits of participating—financial and otherwise—can be positively life-changing. Learn more about these programs to help determine whether one's right for you. Match Corner: Getting Started with ERAS The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) is a service students use to apply for residency programs. Learn where ERAS fits into the application process and how to use the service's varioustopics tools. Ask the Advisor: Securing Letters of Recommendation While not the most important factor used in selecting residents, letters of recommendation can make the difference between being passed over for and scoring an interview. Here's advice for maximizing this element of your application materials, and improve the likelihood you'll score the interviews you want most. Spring 2012 ‒
Match Corner: 2012 Match recap, Match advice from a successful fourth-year student Spotlight on Specialties: Geriatric Medicine Special Feature: Public service scholarship programs Ask the Advisor: Writing your personal statement Winter 2012 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Vascular Surgery Ask the Advisor: Impact of time off Ask the Advisor: Navigating the Match as a couple Match Corner: Match Day traditions Resource List: Creating your rank order list (ROL) October 2011 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Internal Medicine Match Corner: Interviewing residency programs Ask the Advisor: Is a career-related experience between first and second year necessary to match? Ask the Advisor: How important are the mixed comments from my first clerkship evaluation? CiM Toolbox: Understanding the step Understanding Yourself August 2011 ‒
Spotlight on Specialties: Obstetrics and Gynecology Ask the Advisor: How to successfully navigate the first year Ask the Advisor: How to choose residency programs that best fit Match Corner: Cleaning up the Scramble with SOAP CiM Toolbox: Expanded information about careers in academic medicine |
Published four times a year, Choices provides pertinent information for medical students about specialty choice, getting into residency, and other important guidance related to medical student career-planning.
For more information about and to sign in to Careers in Medicine (CiM), visit www.aamc.org/careersinmedicine. AAMC Editor's note: With the launch of the new CiM Web site, you must now sign in with your AAMC Account. If you've signed in to the old CiM Web site or used other AAMC services such as MCAT, AMCAS, or ERAS, you have an AAMC Account. If you do not have access to CiM, you may need to ask your school for access or purchase a subscription to CiM. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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