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Career Development

Medical student affairs’ comprehensive career development program is formalized and integrated into all four years of the curriculum at all nine campuses. In addition to lead advisors, students interact with the career development team during all phases of medical school for career coaching and support as well as professional development opportunities, connection with career mentors and guidance for exploring specialty options.

This program follows the AAMC Careers in Medicine (CiM) four-phase process and learning objectives:

  • Understand yourself: Engage in activities including but not limited to self-assessments in order to identify career goals and career options.
  • Explore your options: Critically explore specialties to narrow focus around specific career options.
  • Choose your specialty: Identify specialty preference and career mentor
  • Prepare for residency: participate in professional development activities that enhance readiness for residency.

Specialty Career Mentor Sessions

Watch group mentoring sessions individually focused on medical career specialties. These sessions include question and answer segments with specialty instructors, team members, Deans, Lead Career Mentors, Advisors, residents, and other subject matter experts. 


Connect with a Career Mentor

As a part of the career development program, the medical student affairs career development team matches students with designated career mentors. These career mentors serve a valuable role in the growth of healers during the journey from student to professional. Career mentors provide one-on-one career development, which helps students explore specialty and career options that align with their specific skills and interests. Students are able to interact with career mentors whenever they feel ready to discuss career options and delve into specialties, however, obtaining a career mentor is usually recommended by the third year.

Team and Services

Debra Rusk, MD
Assistant Dean for Career and Professional Development
Medical Science Room 119, 635 Barnhill Dr.
317-274-1974
drusk@iu.edu

Responsibilities and Services
  • Leader of the Medical Student Education Career Development Office.
  • Provides career consultations for IU School of Medicine students at all nine campuses. Focuses particularly on student competitiveness for residencies and specialty-specific requirements with the ultimate goals of ensuring students match in their first specialty choice.
  • Works closely with career mentors to ensure mentors are trained and have the materials needed to maintain successful mentoring relationships with students.
  • Develops and implements professional development programming for all students and provides advising support to Special Interest Group (SIG) clusters.
Responsibilities and Services
  • Provides career consultation for all IU School of Medicine students in addition to services already provided by lead advisors. Career consultations include one-on-one mock interviews, CV critique and personal statement assistance (up to two revisions).
  • Works with the Assistant Dean of Career Development to develop and implement professional development programming for IU School of Medicine students at all nine campuses and to provide advising support to Specialty Interest Group (SIG) Clusters.
  • Regarding cultural inclusion, serves as the liaison between diversity affairs and medical student affairs, to provide additional advising support to underrepresented minority students and promote cultural competence among all IU School of Medicine students.