Career Advising
Choosing career goals including a specialty is one of the most important decisions that every medical student must make. The SUNY Downstate College of Medicine Office of Career Advising is dedicated to supporting our medical students throughout all of their years in exploring medical careers, fostering mentorship relationships with faculty, pursuing dual degrees and navigating through the residency application process.
The Office of Career Advising is a centralized service available to all students in the College of Medicine. The office develops and manages the four-year calendar of events targeted for each phase of the student’s career development. Events include class seminars, specialty informational meetings, and peer guidance workshops. The Career Advising office oversees the assignment of early career advisors, clinical advisory deans and departmental specialty advisors. They are responsible for providing guidance in the Foundations and clinical years as well as providing support throughout the residency application process including assistance with the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), personal statement review and organizing mock residency interviews.
Contact Us
Jason Lazar, MD, MPH
Vice Dean for Education
Sophie Christoforou, M.S.Ed.
Associate Dean for Student and Curricular Affairs
Dawn Froome, M.S.Ed.
Director of Career Services
Email us at CareerAdvisingCOM@downstate.edu
Downstate Career Planning By Year
- Early Career Advisors - Students meet with their early career advisor once per semester to discuss academic, research, specialty, and career exploration-related topics.
- Overview of Four Years and Career Advising Timeline - Seminar conducted by the Associate Dean for Curricular and Student Affairs that gives an overview of advising and career planning events and services through the four years of the curriculum
- Introduction to AAMC Careers in Medicine - Students are encouraged to complete the self-assessment tools and are invited to meet with the Director individually to discuss the results.
- Alternative Careers in Medicine Seminar - 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.
- Faculty 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.
- Seminars on Student Research Opportunities - Introduction to the research opportunities available at Downstate through our Meet the Research Mentor Series.
- Student Specialty Organization Presentations - Student organizations focused on a clinical specialty host faculty 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 with their early career advisor once per semester to discuss academic, research, specialty, and career exploration-related topics.
- Alternative Careers in Medicine Seminar - 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.
- Faculty 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.
- Student Specialty Organization Presentations - Student organizations focused on a clinical specialty host faculty guest speakers to talk about their specialty, the types of patients they serve and the health care setting they practice in.
- Individual Meetings with Clinical Advisory Dean meetings
- Submit CV and biographical form
- Reflect on Core Clerkship progress
- Discuss and sign-off on Advanced Clinical Year Schedule – including home and visiting electives
- Clinical Department Residency Information Meetings
- Career considerations to factor when planning Advanced Clinical Year schedule
- Overview of residency application approach for specific specialty
- Student-to-Student Residency Forum - Year 4 students who just matched organize information tables by specialty to give peer advice to Year 3 students on senior scheduling, away electives, and residency application tips.
- Seminar: Nuts and Bolts of Residency Application Process- Presentation on ERAS, the Match, Letters of Recommendation etc.
- Class Meeting on Senior Scheduling - Presentation on what criteria to consider when creating the senior schedule including students’ possible specialty interest, including choices of advanced electives
- Class Meeting on Visiting Electives
- Alternative Careers in Medicine Seminar - Interactive presentations from physicians who are pursuing careers that extend beyond clinical medicine.
- ERAS Completion Q&A Session -
- Individual Meetings with Clinical Advisory Dean
- Review of ERAS application and Personal Statement
- Review of residency application program list
- Monitoring of incoming interviews and review of Rank Order List
- Seminar: Do’s and Don’ts of Residency Interviewing - Residency program directors and program coordinators provide information on interviewing and respond to student questions
- One on One meetings with clinical department chairs
- One on One meetings with Departmental specialty advisors
- Mock residency interviews - Department chairs and the Department of Career Advising arrange mock interviews by faculty members in the appropriate specialty
- Rank Order List Information Session - Presentation on how the match works and things to consider when compiling the residency rank list.
- Alternative Careers in Medicine Seminar - Interactive presentations from physicians who are pursuing careers that extend beyond clinical medicine.