Advisors and Mentors

Advisors and Mentors play a very important role in guiding students toward making a specialty choice as well as providing guidance and advice while applying to residency. For this reason, WSU-BSOM provides you with a number of options in accordance with LCME element 11.2: 

"A medical school has an effective career advising system in place that integrates the efforts of faculty members, clerkship directors, and student affairs staff to assist medical students in choosing elective courses, evaluating career options, and applying to residency programs."

Career Services Advisor

The career services advisor is available to meet with all students on an ongoing basis to answer questions in the realm of career advancement and career choice. A student can get practical help with writing a CV or personal statement or choose to sit down and have a discussion about the pros and cons of a specialty and any difficulties they may have making a choice. An online scheduling system makes appointment setting easy. Students are welcome to meet with the career advisor as frequently or infrequently as they wish.

Specialty Advisors

After a student has decided on a specialty, they will be assigned a specialty advisor. This person is a faculty member in the student’s specialty of choice who has the most up-to-date information and advice available on applying to that particular specialty. These advisors are trained in helping students to accurately self-assess their strengths and weaknesses to maximize their success in the Match process. The student may choose to meet with their advisor as many times as needed to prepare the best possible application for residency as well as getting advice on program selection, residency interview strategies and ranking order.

Observerships

Students wishing to do an observership (shadowing) whether at BSOM or away need to stop in the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions, go on Career Services BAMS page or go to Student Life on the BSOM webpage and fill out an observership form. The completed form must be turned into the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions. This form provides notification that you are participating in a non-curricular activity that requires student malpractice coverage.