Medical students face exciting and pivotal choices about their career path and specialty. KPSOM offers a variety of supportive programs for students as they make these important decisions and apply to residency programs, with the goal of helping them ultimately excel in a diverse, global society.
Students have access to career development workshops within the REACH curriculum and beyond, individual advising, shadowing opportunities, faculty and physician mentorship, and leadership and career exploration opportunities through our Specialty Interest Groups.
More than 250 Kaiser Permanente physicians participate in the KPSOM Student Shadowing Program, volunteering to have students spend a day observing their practice, asking questions, and learning about different medical specialties at the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) sites. Students can access a “shadowing database” to identify physicians they wish to shadow and submit requests.
Specialty Career Interest Groups offer students the opportunity to pay it forward, sharing what they learn with classmates, faculty, preceptors, and more. Members of these groups learn from one another, build peer support communities, plan events and programs, and interact and dialogue with specialty career advisors, faculty, and physician specialists in their area of interest.
The school’s growing list currently includes Specialty Career Interest Groups focused on the following areas:
Building connections with others is one of the most important things students can do to support their career development. It’s a key strategy to gain information to make intentional career choices and prepare for the residency match. Networking can be done in a variety of ways, through informal conversation with peers or professionals, or in more structured settings, whether on- or off-campus.
Some examples of networking opportunities:
Meetings and conferences offer not only learning opportunities, but also excellent networking opportunities. Students can connect with speakers and panelists, explore volunteering opportunities, and even give presentations and sit on panel discussions. Students who need financial assistance to attend meetings and conferences may be able to apply for funding through the Office of Student Affairs.
KPSOM thoroughly prepares graduates for the challenges that come with residency. Our innovative curriculum readies students to embark on a range of career paths, and to become outstanding clinicians in their chosen specialty.
Careers in Medicine (CiM) is a comprehensive career-planning program developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) that provides students with the skills, information, and resources to choose a specialty and residency program that meets their career goals.
Resources include:
Students may view sample curriculum vitae (CVs) from AAMC’s Careers in Medicine program and request a one-on-one meeting to receive personalized career advising and CV-building tips.
KPSOM has a variety of resources to support your career development. Students may request a 30-minute individual session with an advisor through the Office of Student Affairs for personalized career planning guidance and may also meet with a faculty specialty career advisor. Contact the Office of Student Affairs for information.