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Academic and Career Advising

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Academic and Career Advising

The Academic and Career Advising Team assists with academic planning for specialty selection and transition to residency. The team will support all aspects of the specialty exploration, selection, and preparation for residency.

Planning Your Journey to Residency

At USC Keck School of Medicine (KSOM), the career planning begins at matriculation and continues throughout medical school. As a medical student, one of the most significant decisions you have to make is choosing a career path that is right for you. Career Advising services and academic preparation events are held throughout the year to help you explore different specialties. These sessions include:

  • Workshops
  • Panel Discussions
  • Webinars
  • Mock Interviews
  • CV and Personal Statement Reviews
  • Residency Application Reviews
  • Specialty Break Out Informational Sessions

We also offer one-on-one career advising support to provide individual advice to students. Our goal is to provide each student with the knowledge and resources necessary to make well-informed career choices.

Keck Academic and Career Advising is a comprehensive four-year program designed, in conjunction with the AAMC’s Careers in Medicine program, to provide the resources necessary for students to understand themselves and their career goals, explore the wide variety of career options in medicine, choose a specialty, and successfully apply for residency and participate in the Match.

For a list of career advising resources, such as self-assessment, courses, research, curriculum vitae tips, and residency application preparation, visit the Career Advising Resources & Forms section below.

See below for information on how to contact career advising faculty and staff. You can also email md.careeradvising@usc.edu.

match day

  • As you embark on your medical education, it is important to keep in mind why you chose medicine and what you are working toward. The first two years of medical school will lay the foundation upon on which you will build your career.

    In addition to learning basic sciences and pathophysiology, use your first year to investigate yourself:

    • What are your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values?
      • The more you understand about yourself, the easier it will be to narrow down your specialty choices
    • Begin exploring specialties by joining Student Interest Groups (SIGS) and introducing yourself to the Career Advising faculty and staff.
      • SIGS are a helpful tool for research and clinical shadowing and connecting with healthcare professionals
      • As of March 2025, here are the Specialty SIGS that offer shadowing opportunities:
    Specialty SIG
    Emergency Medicine Student Interest Group (EMSIG)
    Anesthesiology Student Interest Group (ASIG)
    Pediatrics Student Interest Group (PedSIG)
    Radiology Student Interest Group (RSIG)
    Surgery Student Interest Group (SSIG)
    Urology Student Interest Group (USIG)
    PsychSIG
    Geriatrics Student Interest Group (GSIG)
    Endocrinology Student Interest Group (EndoSig)
    Medicine and Pediatrics (Med Peds)

     

    The Office of Career Advising offers a variety of resources and is here to help you maximize your growth.

    Continue to update your CV as you build on your experiences and commitments in medical school. Stay active in seeking out opportunities for service and leadership, and investigate research topics that you would like to explore further.

    If you do not have a CV, that is OK! We have created a CV template for Keck students that is preformatted and includes color coded examples showcasing how to draft impactful bullet points. This template is available for download, and designed for students to simply add their details into the document.


    Careers in Medicine Resources
    Interest & Values Assessment
    Alternative Paths
    CiM Clinical and Research Opportunities Database

  • As you are experiencing a variety of specialties first-hand for the first time, many students will use this year to begin narrowing down specialty choices. Many students are surprised to find themselves fascinated by specialties they had never pictured themselves wanting to pursue, so keep an open mind as much as possible. The work you put in daily during the Clerkship Phase will form the base of your residency application. It will be reflected in your clerkship grades and narratives, which will be sent to programs with your application.

    While you are sizing up the different specialties, you are also giving faculty and residents in these specialties the opportunity to meet you. Form relationships with faculty and residents who will become your network of advocates and faculty who may want to write letters of recommendation for you.


    Careers in Medicine Resources
    Getting Unstuck
    Specialty Profiles
    Compare Tool

  • With the start of your Post-Clerkship Phase, residency application preparation is in full swing. While many students will have decided their specialty, many still will continue to work on narrowing down their choices during Post-Clerkship rotations. The application cycle culminates on Match Day in the third week of March. Here you can find more information The Match and various common application systems.

    Choosing a Specialty

    Residency Program Resources:
    Residency Preference Exercise
    Residency Explorer Tool
    FREIDA
    Texas Star (Access Provided by Academic and Career Advising)

    More Resources
    Planning Your Fourth Year
    AAMC Applying to Residency
    The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
    Charting Outcomes in the Match 2022
    NRMP Program Director Survey 2022

     
    Career Advising Activities Required Approximate time of activity
    Individual Career Advising Office Hours Optional On-going
    Alternative Career Pathways Panel Optional Summer
    CV Workshop Required Spring
    1-on-1 Meetings with Faculty Specialty Advisors Optional On-going
    1-on-1 Noteworthy Characteristics Meetings Required Spring
    1-on-1 Rank Strategy Meetings Optional Jan/Feb
    Applying to Residency Workshop Recommended Spring
    Big Interview Medical Mock Interviews Optional Summer
    Couples Match Advising Optional Spring
    Dual Application Strategy Meetings Optional Spring
    ERAS Application Workshop Optional Spring
    Interview Workshop Required Fall
    LOA Advising Session Required if
    taking LOA    		 Spring
    Matched Student Specialty Breakout Sessions Required Spring
    Mock Interview Symposium Optional Summer
    Mock Interviews with Faculty/Alumni Optional Summer
    Personal Statement Workshop Required Spring
    Prelim Rank 1-on-1 Strategy Meetings Optional Fall-Spring
    Program Signal Strategy Presentation Optional Summer
    Rank Order List Workshop – Early Match Required Spring
    Rank Order List Workshop – NRMP Match Required Spring
    Return from LOA 1-on-1 Advising Optional Fall-Spring
    Specialty Breakout Advising Sessions Optional Fall
    Away Elective Advising Optional Spring