Career Advising

VTCSOM Holistic 4-Year Approach to Career Advising 

As you consider your specialty options, it is important to consider your interests, values, skills, and personality. AAMC created the Careers in Medicine career-planning tool, which includes self-assessments will help you better understand who you are and what you want in your career, and then will allow you to explore specialty options that might be the best fit for you.  The Office of Student Affairs helps you in navigating and interpreting the results of these tools. 

We have identified specialty-specific advisors in each of the specialities.  These advisors are trained annually and serve as valuable resources to you as you pursue applying to their respective specialties.

Year 1

We encourage involvement in various student organizations, clubs, and interest groups.  Additionally, you are encouraged to engage in shadowing opportunities while enrolled. We also host lunches aimed at introducing various clinical department and specialies to you. 

Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Experience (LACE) pairs you with a clinician who provides you with early exposure to clinical medicine.

Year 2

We encourage you to take a leadership role in student interest groups, clubs, and/or organizations.  We promote continued shadowing in the various specialties.  It is also advantage to establish rapport with physcians in the specialties you have begun to consider for future practice.

Year 3

The clinical clerkships provide the primary means through which you can compare specialities.  There is a four-week elective block during the 3rd year available to you.  During this time you have the option to be exposed more deeply to specialties for which there is not a clerkship.  

Throughout the year, the Office of Student Affairs brings you back together as a class in order to keep you on track and/or provide you with resources to make you aware of the residency application planning and timeline process.

Year 4

The Office of Student Affairs provides you with assistance for your ERAS application, CV writing, personal statement preparation, letters of recommendation, and MSPE.

We encourage the Carilion Clinic clinical departments to provide mock interviews and/or provide the opportunity to practice interviewing through the Office of Student Affairs.

Each year, the VTC student OSR representatives survey graduating students on their application and interview experiences.  Through this survey process, they create a Residency Applicantion Guide for future M4 students.