Coordinated Career Advising System
The Roadmap to Your Future is Our Focus.
At SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, your career journey starts on day one. The
Coordinated Career Advising System is here to guide and empower you, every step of
the way. From choosing a specialty to applying for residency, our faculty and advisors
are committed to helping you shape a meaningful career in medicine.
We offer faculty advisors and a four-year calendar of events tailored to each phase of your medical education, including specialty info sessions, Alumni panels, and residency application workshops. Whether you’re exploring dual degrees or preparing for your ERAS application, our career advising team is your partner in success.
Building a future in medicine is a shared journey and we're here to walk it with you.
Contact Us
Jason Lazar, MD, PhD, MPH
Executive Vice Dean
Sophie Christoforou, MSEd
Associate Dean for Student and Curricular Affairs
Isaiah Marshall-Thomas, MPH
Assistant Director of Career Planning and Development
Dionne Davis
Alumni Early Career Advising Coordinator
Email us at CareerAdvisingCOM@downstate.edu
Coordinated Career Advising System By Year
- Activities Fair: Student Specialty Organization Presentations - The Office of Student Life hosts student organizations focused on a clinical specialty. Student Interest Groups host faculty and guest speakers to talk about their specialty, the types of patients they serve and the health care setting they practice in.
- Early Career Advisors - Students meet in small groups with their early career advisor to discuss academic,
research, specialty, and career exploration-related topics.
Students are encouraged complete the AAMC Careers in Medicine self-assessment tools. Students will discuss the results during the ECA sessions. - Alternative Careers in Medicine Night - Interactive presentations from physicians who are pursuing careers that extend beyond clinical medicine.
- Constructing a Medical Student Curriculum Vitae - Interactive online seminar conducted by one of the Clinical Advisory Deans (a role described below - Year 3) and the Director of Career Advising.
- AOA Specialty Forum - The AOA Medical Honor Society, in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs, hosts faculty from a variety of clinical specialties to meet in small groups with Year 1 and 2 students interested in hearing about their specialty.
- Activities Fair: Student Specialty Organization Presentations - The Office of Student Life hosts student organizations focused on a clinical specialty. Student Interest Groups host faculty and guest speakers to talk about their specialty, the types of patients they serve and the health care setting they practice in.
- Specialty Information Nights - The Office of Coordinated Career Advising hosts a series of in-person departmental events that will allow students to learn about Downstate residency specialties and network with clinical faculty.
- Alternative Careers in Medicine Night - Interactive presentations from physicians who are pursuing careers that extend beyond clinical medicine.
- Class Meeting on Third Year Scheduling - Presentation on lottery selection for core clerkship scheduling.
- AOA Specialty Forum - The AOA Medical Honor Society, in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs, hosts faculty from a variety of clinical specialties to meet in small groups with Year 1 and 2 students interested in hearing about their specialty.
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Individual Meetings with Clinical Advisory Dean – Year 3 students are assigned to a Clinical Advisory Dean - a faculty member who advises students for the remainder of their medical school training. Clinical Advisory Deans assist with student scheduling, curriculum vitae (CV) development, and individual career advising in Year 3.
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Specialty Information Residency Evenings (SIRE) - The Office of Career Advising hosts evening information sessions on Downstate’s residency programs. These sessions are facilitated by a faculty member from each specialty and an Alpha Omega Alpha student who is applying to the specialty. These facilitators provide insight into how a Year 3 student can become a good candidate to match into a residency program within their specialty of interest.
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Class Meeting on Visiting Electives – The Office of Student Affairs hosts an annual class meeting for students who are interested in completing electives at other institutions – also known as “away electives.”
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Residency Application Q&A Session – The Office of Career Advising hosts a Q&A session for 4th year students about best practices for completing their respective residency applications. Topics include developing personal statements and CVs, understanding deadlines for various application platforms, asking for letters of recommendation, etc.
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Individual Meetings with Clinical Advisory Dean – Year 4 students continue to meet with their Clinical Advisory Deans as they apply for residency. The Clinical Advisory Dean writes the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), helps students with their application materials, and supports students through the residency match process.
- “Creating Your Personal Statement” Information Session – The Office of Coordinated Career Advising hosts a faculty-led summer information session about creating a personal statement, one of the crucial elements of their residency application.
- “CVs for Residency Applications” Information Session – The Office of Coordinated Career Advising hosts a faculty-led summer information session about preparing your CV for residency applications.
- Residency Interviewing Workshop – The Office of Coordinated Career Advising hosts a faculty-led summer workshop informing students about best practices for residency interviewing. Selected topics include body language, virtual interviewing etiquette, and responding to questions about medical school performance.
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One on One meetings with Clinical Department Chairs – Students meet with Clinical Department Chairs in their specialties of interest to discuss their application strategies.
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Mock residency interviews - Department chairs and the Office of Career Advising arrange mock interviews by faculty members in the appropriate specialty.