Director, Students Career Advising

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
1731

E. 120th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA

Summary

The Director of Student Career Advising provides strategic leadership, program development, and individualized guidance to support medical students in achieving their academic, professional, and career goals. This role oversees a comprehensive career advising program that prepares students for specialty selection, residency applications, residency match success, and transition into graduate medical education.

The Director serves as a trusted advisor to students and a key partner to faculty, specialty advisors, residency program leaders, and institutional leadership. Through data-informed planning, innovative programming, and personalized support, the Director promotes student success and advances the medical school's commitment to excellence in medical education and residency outcomes.

The position requires collaborative leadership across the institution, working closely with faculty, Academic Affairs, Graduate Medical Education, Clinical Affairs, and other key stakeholders to create an integrated educational environment that prepares students for successful careers in medicine. The Director of Students Career Advising provides vision for student support services, career advising, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and student-centered excellence.

Career Advising and Student Support

• Provide individualized, longitudinal career advising to medical students across all years of medical education.
• Guide students through specialty exploration, career assessment, and informed career decision-making.
• Assist students in evaluating specialty competitiveness and developing strategic residency application plans.
• Advise students regarding career pathways in clinical medicine, academic medicine, research, public health, and healthcare leadership.
• Support students facing academic, personal, or professional challenges that may impact residency placement.
• Counsel students participating in specialized residency pathways, including Couples Match, Military Match, and SOAP.

Residency Preparation and Match Success

• Lead and manage institutional residency advising initiatives.
• Develop and deliver workshops, seminars, and educational programming related to:
• Specialty selection
• ERAS application preparation
• Residency ranking strategies
• Match and SOAP preparation
• Coordinate mock interview programs and residency readiness assessments.
• Monitor national residency trends and provide timely guidance to students and faculty advisors.
• Develop strategies to maximize residency match outcomes and student competitiveness.

Program Development and Administration

• Design, implement, and continuously improve a comprehensive career advising curriculum.
• Establish advising milestones aligned with each phase of the medical school curriculum.
• Create educational resources and online tools that support career development and professional identity formation.
• Evaluate program effectiveness through outcomes assessment, benchmarking, surveys, and residency match data.
• Ensure advising services align with LCME accreditation standards and institutional priorities.

Faculty and Advisor Engagement

• Recruit, train, and support faculty specialty advisors and physician mentors.
• Foster collaboration among academic departments, residency leaders, and student affairs professionals.
• Develop advisor training programs and advising best practices.
• Promote consistency and quality across all specialty advising programs.

Assessment, Reporting, and Strategic Planning

• Collect and analyze residency match outcomes and student engagement metrics.
• Prepare annual reports and presentations for medical school leadership.
• Utilize…