UC Davis School of Medicine

Seminars

First year
Second year
Third year

First year

The goal is to ease the transition to medical school and to help the student develop self awareness.
Pre-matriculation

First-year orientation
Induction ceremony
Honor code presentation
Core values exercise
"What it means to be a doctor" lecture
Career and professional development series I
First Quarter
Session 1		 Using the resources available: An introduction to career and professional development (September 2006)
Drs. Owings, Kumari and Bera
  • Introduction to four-year sessions
  • Introduction to the Web site and resources available
  • Distribution of AAMC Career in Medicine passwords
  • Overview of how to us the Advising System (academic advisers, college directors, faculty mentors, etc.)
  • Student Interest Groups
Session 2 Discovering who you are: An introduction to self assessment (November 2006)
facilitator to be identified
  • Introduction of the AAMC CIM tools
  • Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) with formal interpretive feedback
  • Explanation of how to use MBTI and other self assessment tools in self assessment.
Second Quarter
Session 3		 The role of research in selecting a field within medicine (January 2007)
Drs. Schaffer, Bergland and Bonham
  • Types of projects available to students
  • How do I find a lab
  • Funding opportunities
  • Importance of research within the context of various specialties
  • Finding a mentor
  • Timing
Session 4 What should I do this summer? (February 2007)
Student panel, student affairs and career advising staff
  • UC Davis School of Medicine opportunities
  • What students have done in years past
  • Specific outside programs
  • Creating your own opportunity
Third Quarter
Session 5		 Using the college, your faculty mentor and career resources (March 2007)
College directors
  • Reconnect and reinforce the tools that are available to students
  • Making the most of shadowing and mentoring sessions
Session 6 Lessons learned in the first year of medical school (April 2007)
Drs. Owings, Kumari, Bera and college directors (small group format)
  • Self evaluation of your first year
  • Laying the foundation for your second year
  • Formal evaluation and feedback on progress
Session 3 Narrowing your choices (February 2007)
  • General likes and dislikes
  • Identifying a specific career mentor
  • Thinking about letter of recommendations
  • Revisit the tools/assessments accumulated in your tool box to see if there are any clear indicators.
Session 4 Self evaluation of your résumé/CV/application (March 2007)
small group format
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of my application/CV?
  • How can I address any weaknesses in the next six months?
Session 5 Finding your Specialty (April 2007)
  • Setting up your fourth year
  • Arranging for externships
  • Away rotations vs. home rotations
  • Residency strategies
Session 6

Choosing a Residency (May 2007)

  • Q&A with various program directors to get their input and opinions

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Second year

Career and professional development series II (Exploring Your Options)
First Quarter
Session 1		 Using the second year to prepare for clinical rotations (September 2007)
Third-year IORs
  • Distribution of core clinical skills checklist (in development, as well as place on the Web)
  • Acquiring the skills to succeed on the wards
    • Shadowing opportunities
    • Student-run clinics
    • Doctoring
    • Practice
    • From book knowledge to patient care
  • Making the most of shadowing opportunities
  • Building on clinical strengths and working of clinical challenges
  • Student-run clinics
Session 2 Exploring options: continuing to learn about yourself in the context of specific career options (November 2007)
  • Consider using the Strong Interest Inventory or a similar tool
  • Review the CIM Medical Specialty Preference Indicator
  • Overview of specific specialties
Session 3 Preparing for the USMLE Step I exam (January 2007)
  • How important are the boards?
  • How should I prepare?
  • Student panel on various strategies
  • Available resources
Session 4 Planning your third year (February 2007)
  • The lottery
  • The order of rotations
  • Student panel, questions and answers
Sessions 5 and 6 Introduction to the third year — two-day workshop that introduces students to all aspects of the third year (June 2007)
  • See agenda from 2006 orientation [linked attachment]

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Third year

Career and professional development series III (choosing a specialty)
First Quarter
Session 1		 The dean’s letter (the medical student performance evaluation) (September 2007)
College directors
  • Not a letter of recommendation, but a letter of evaluation
  • What is included on it?
  • How is it written?
  • Summative vs.. formative comments
  • What if I disagree with my evaluation?
Session 2 Finding balance in an unbalanced world (November 2006)
  • Finding your way during the third year
  • Maintaining your values, your family and friends and your non-professional life goals in the context of selecting your career path.
  • Review of reference articles on physician satisfaction and medical student satisfaction

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