Program Award: Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University
The HWCOM career advising program supports all four phases of the career decision-making process mainly through the Road to Residency (R2R) Program. This longitudinal four-year co-curricular program was created to (a) support career advising, counseling, and education, (b) assist students in understanding individual interests, values and skills related to specialty selection, and (c) provide information about resources for specialty exploration from residency selection through the match. To achieve these goals, R2R employs completion of online career modules, one-on-one discussions of the results of CiM self-assessments, meetings with Academic Advisors, informational town hall sessions, maintenance of an online career advising resource page, support for specialty interest group programming, organization of residency and specialty fairs, and participation in a mandatory 2-credit Career-Advising and Professional Development course in the fourth year.
The program is integrated into the medical school curriculum both formally and informally though intentional design, a combination of methodologies, and activities fostering early access to career services. In 2022, we implemented the R2R longitudinal 4-year co-curricular course, described in detail above, which outlines specific career advising objectives over the four years and integrates CiM self-assessments at key points in the student’s curricular timeline. This program utilizes mandatory assignments that center around self-understanding, career exploration, decision making, and decision implementation broken down into smaller, flexible pieces across the medical school trajectory. These assignments are further integrated with cohort-specific town hall meetings and individual meetings with academic advisors. This course aims to support medical students' professional identity formation through educational strategies, advising, and tools that will lead to timely graduation, a successful match, and day-one-ready residents.
From the CiM Advisory Committee: "Major strengths include emphasis on self-reflection exercises; program is modeled to the needs of the very diverse demographics; and co-curricular programming for wellness and professional development. Also noteworthy are the program's use, evaluation, and response to metrics as well as the incorporation of support systems for their diverse student population. Good innovations include the 2 credit course in year 4 that makes the students complete all of the necessary procedures (e.g., CVs, career decisions, personal statements) as part of the curriculum."
Faculty Advisor Award: Tonja Brown, Career Advisor, University of Washington School of Medicine
Tonja Brown, MA, has served as the career advisor for Idaho and Spokane students at the UW School of Medicine since 2020. Her approach to career advising is student-centered, focused on providing relevant information so a student can make informed decisions and achieve their goals.
Tonja is a tireless student advocate and a student-centered leader. She makes time for every student and deftly balances their advising needs with a busy daily schedule. Tonja is responsive to the needs of students, faculty and staff and effectively anticipates their needs. Her customer service skills are exemplary. Tonja values all voices, listening intently, and asking thoughtful follow-up questions.
She led and implemented the project plan and goals for Career Advising’s Student Advisory Board. Her organization and vision resulted in significantly growing the board and amplifying student voices and input in the work of career advising. Her leadership strengthened open communication and trust with student board members from across all four years and six sites.
Any time there is a career advising question, Tonja immediately responds with data-backed information. She is facile at quickly accessing specialty-specific data and then trending it across the last several years. She is quick to note that the landscape changes rapidly, but having that year-by-year information within seconds is so helpful to students. And because she can trend specific data so quickly, students or faculty can ask her multiple questions in the same conversation and get the info they need to move forward.
Tanja excels in proactive developmental advising, crucial for fostering strong, enduring relationships with advisees. She meticulously monitors the progress of students and tailors her advice to help them remain aligned with their career aspirations. Furthermore, her willingness to share her knowledge and experience with colleagues, especially in addressing complex student advising scenarios, has greatly benefited our advising team. Her collaborative approach not only resolves challenges, but also enriches the overall competency of our advising staff.
From the CiM Advisory Committee: "Noteworthy about Tanja: student satisfaction increased under her tenure in one year, she helped to implement a career advising scholarship, and she's involved with efforts focused on BIPOC students regarding data-driven support. Great examples and incorporation of tools in advising. Great innovation and use of resources."
Support Staff Award: Samantha Myers, Coordinator of Career Advising, University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine
The University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) is a community-based medical school with a small cadre of faculty and staff who support the career advising activities for a student body of approximately 280 students. As the coordinator of career advising, Samantha works with the director of career advising and the associate dean of student affairs and has played a critical role in the success of our program.
Samantha focuses on an individualized advising approach that begins with taking the time to understand students' interests, strengths, and aspirations. Her extensive knowledge allows her to offer individualized advising sessions to review personal statements, CVs, and other application materials. Her continual outreach offers encouragement, support, and guidance that fosters a nurturing environment where students feel valued and motivated to achieve their goals. In sum, Samantha's efforts have equipped students with the knowledge and confidence needed to explore and evaluate various career options, ultimately helping them choose paths that best suit their skills and interests. Her success is illustrated by comments from students, who have remarked that she has “gone above and beyond any expectation”, they “appreciate the guidance, mentorship, and assistance” she provided over the years, and are thankful for her “help getting me to where I am today.”
Additionally, Samantha has worked diligently to develop and maintain a robust network of alumni and community physicians who facilitate valuable connections and mentorship opportunities for our students. She offers training, resources, and a one-on-one approach to keeping our advisors abreast of all the changes to the residency application process each season through periodic emails, links to resources, and short YouTube videos she creates and updates each cycle to explain specifics. Samantha’s approach to her work translates into her relationships with staff across the medical school where she is valued for her problem-solving, resourcefulness, and collegiality. She is truly the “finder of all things” and the person who brings us all together with quiet confidence.
From the CiM Advisory Committee: "Noteworthy about Samantha: Innovative ideas. Uses the CiM framework to create models that fit at the school. Proactive."