Career Advising, Mentoring & Tutoring

The Office of Student and Academic Affairs and the Office of Medical Curriculum mentor students in formats that are tailored to their individual needs and levels.

Students with questions about different medical specialties and plans for their careers are encouraged to reach out to advisers designated by each department, academic staff in OME and faculty in the preclinical program.

During orientation, students are placed in mentoring “families” that provide peer support and social interaction. These groups, which include fourth-year students from the Gold Humanism Honor Society, are formed and facilitated by the student-mentorship committee.

The mentoring directory is provided as a service from the Medical Alumni Association (MAA) and the Medical Society of the County of Erie. It provides a list of area physicians who have volunteered to service as medical student mentors.

Students have the option of joining any of the specialty interest groups run by Polity, the medical school student government. These groups give students the opportunity to attend group dinners and shadow and learn from local physicians in their specialty of interest. Students also have the opportunity to take on leadership roles in these specialty interest groups. 

In sessions provided by the Office of Student and Academic Affairs and the Office of Medical Curriculum, students discover what their learning style is and are taught skills relevant to their style.

Students also receive individual guidance as requested — or needed — and may be referred to on-campus learning specialists or student-led tutoring groups.

Students are introduced to, and guided in the use of the Careers in Medicine (CiM) tutorials of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

During their first year, students are offered the opportunity to meet individually with a dean in OME to:

• have their resume critiqued
• discuss potential summer opportunities
• request letters of recommendation for these opportunities

After the first year, students can request individual meetings to discuss:

• general career plans
• shadowing
• year-out research options
• dual degree programs
• other learning opportunities

In conjunction with Polity and the MAA, the Office of Student and Academic Affairs and the Office of Medical Curriculum provide information to students about leadership roles for their personal and professional development. Examples of leadership roles include Polity President, Polity Club Officer, Wellness Committee Leader, Orientation Committee Leader and Mentoring Committee Leader.  

Clinical clerkships begin with orientation, followed by the Student Clinician Ceremony, which marks students' transition from classroom to the clinical setting. Monthly class meetings address career planning and professional development.

During intersession, students learn to prepare their curriculum vitae (CV) and personal statements for residency program applications. They also meet in small groups with faculty and/or program directors to discuss the residency application process and to learn how to gauge their competitiveness and fit for the field they intend to pursue.

Each student will meet with a student affairs dean to begin preparing the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), or Dean’s Letter, for their residency applications. This meeting helps students personalize the MSPE for their career choice; they also receive guidance in preparing their application packet.

With the help of advisors, students are individually coached in the preparation of their residency application, including the process of finding a specialty match that is aligned with their interests and academic performance. OME holds mock-interview nights to train students in group and individualized interviewing skills.

OME staff also will review students’ program lists as needed and monitor progress throughout the application and interview process.