Advancing to Residency through Mentoring and Advising

Throughout medical school, students connect with faculty and colleagues, learn to actively seek advice and mentoring, and prepare themselves for their future careers. 

MILESTONES for Advancing to Residency through Mentoring and Advising

Advising at BUSM: students have many formal and informal opportunities to obtain mentoring and career advice at BUSM. In the first-year, students are assigned to a small group as part of the Integrated Problems (IP) course. The faculty who leads the small group discussions serves as a dedicated Core Advisor during all four years of the curriculum. In addition, students in their third-year select a Field Specific Advisor and are assigned a Student Affairs Dean to help them through the career selection and residency match process.

The Associate Dean and assistant deans in the Student Affairs Office also play an important role in advising and mentoring students throughout all four years at BUSM.

“All the assistant deans in the Student Affairs Office join me in encouraging students to meet with us. We have an open-door policy and welcome students – both individually and in small groups –for discussions on any topic,” says Dean Jackson. 

Students have various forums to engage with their advisors, including:

• dinners at faculty homes;
• breakfast meetings;
• social events;
• and regular one-on-one and small group meetings.

Peer Advising: The Peer Advising Program provides incoming students with advice about life and learning at BUSM in an informal way. Incoming first-year students are paired with second- and fourth-year students prior to their arrival on campus. The Peer Advising Program is the student complement to the more formal advising provided at BUSM.

Careers in Medicine (CiM): is a career planning program and online tool available to help students choose a medical specialty and select and apply for residency programs. CiM’s four-phase process will guide you through the elements of career planning, including self-understanding, exploring a variety of medical careers, and finally, choosing a specialty that meets your career objectives. In addition, your Faculty Advisor, Field Specific Advisor, and Student Affairs Dean work directly with you to help guide your career selection and residency application process. Individuals whose career choice matches their values, skills, and interests tend to be more satisfied and successful in their working lives. For more info about the AAMC’s CiM program, please visit: www.aamc.org/students/cim.