Career planning

There are several years before you need to make a decision and pick your specific career path.

Over the next four years in medical school, it is your job to:

• engage in self-reflection
• research different career choices
• choose a career path and to apply to residency programs

Student Affairs at the Max Rady College of Medicine can help you with this by providing career resources.

The Max Rady College of Medicine’s career resources program follows the AAMC’s Careers In Medicine (CIM) Program.

All undergraduate medical students are given log-in information and are encouraged to visit the CIM site and complete the self-assessments and review the career information.

This career planning page will follow the template of the CIM site and provide additional resources at every step that are meant to complement the CIM resources.

An important first step in choosing a medical specialty, is becoming self-aware and realizing how one’s personality, temperament and interests can guide a decision on which medical specialty to pursue.

AAMC’s Careers In Medicine has individual and password-protected links to self-assessments.

Self-assessment tools include:

• specialty indecision scale
• medical specialty preference inventory
• physician values in practice scale
• skills assessment

Keirsey Temperament Sorter II (Career Temperament Report)

This is a temperament and personality assessment that helps you understand your work patterns and preferences, especially as it relates to selecting a medical specialty.

Explanation of Personality Type Test Results–Center for Applications of Personality Type

This provides a short description of each of the 16 personality types as measured by the Myers-Briggs Personality Test.

University of Virginia’s Medical Specialty Aptitude Test

This free online questionnaire can be completed in approximately 15 minutes. The results will provide you with a list of specialties that appear to complement your personality and working style, which may guide you in terms of specific career paths to research.

Duke University and GlaxoSmithKline’s Pathway Evaluation Program

This free online self-assessment provides you with a ranked list of how compatible you may be with several different medical specialties.

Once you have a better understanding of your own strengths, weaknesses and expectations of a career, it is time to explore your options.

AAMC’s Careers In Medicine has specialty profiles available to view for free, without requiring a log-in or password.

Major specialties are profiled and information includes: career overview, which personality types are often found in the specialty, what personal characteristics specialists in the field possess, American income information and links to specialty-specific societies and journals.

Canadian Medical Association has specialty profiles available to view for free. There are 36 specialty profiles and information that includes career overview, residency requirements, practice demographics, income and satisfaction levels.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has specialty profiles available to view for free. Information includes detailed residency training objectives, accredited residency programs and contact information.

The National Physician Survey is also available to view for free. It contains Canadian physician responses on career questions by specialty. It also includes information on physician demographics, practice setting, and professional satisfaction.

Careermd.com has an online database to search for physician job opportunities throughout Canada and the United States.

After you have learned more about yourself and researched your options for different medical specialties, it is time to make an informed decision regarding your choice of specialty.

CIM has tools for decision making which includes: a guideline for decision making, an approach to decision making and problem solving and a decision making exercise specific to medical career choices.

Medscape from WebMD provides free registration to a personalized homepage (according to your specialty of interest) with full-length medical articles, medical news, USMLE prep quizzes and case study challenges. This site can be helpful for becoming more knowledgeable about a specialty in which you are interested.

The American Medical Association provides the links of national (American) medical specialty society webpages.

These sites will be of interest to you once you have a specialty of interest in mind, and you can search for information on student memberships to specialty societies as well as specialty society conferences.

Still finding it hard to decide? You may want to re-take the self-assessments. Over time and as you go through your medical education, your answers to self-assessments may change. You may have different viewpoints on working with others, patient contact, etc. and re-taking the self-assessments may point you in a different career direction.

You may also want to seek out a physician in the department(s) that interest you for a fresh perspective. You can also book an appointment with studentaffairs.medicine@med.umanitoba.ca.

In Canada, the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) is responsible for matching medical students to residency programs.

The Residency Info Guide provides a CaRMS application timeline, links to Canadian postgraduate medical education programs, and a listing of direct entry and subspecialty residency programs in Canada.

CaRMS and the Canadian Federation of Medical Students have compiled a free downloadable booklet regarding the role of CaRMS, important deadlines in application, how the match works and specialty-specific success rates for previous years.

Once on their site enter "Match Book " in their search engine to pull up various annual reports.

McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine provides a comprehensive checklist and website for gaining admission into a residency program (including how to obtain a U.S. residency).

Here are some tools to help you compare and validate specialty  and residency training related information to supplement your career journey.

American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC): Physician data on the AAMC website

Canadian Medical Association (CMA): Specialty profiles on the CMA website

Canadian Physicians Data: self-reported data from Canadian physicians including demographics and supplies, physician to population ratios, workload, training and remuneration.

Doctors Manitoba: career related resources including mentorship and practice opportunities

Manitoba Health Providers Networks: offers various career paths available for Manitoba Students

Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba (PARIM): practical details that you need to navigate your residency in Manitoba, from how to convert your calls to who to contact for information on benefits.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: information by discipline

Resident Doctors: Various resident profiles

University of Manitoba (U of M) Residency programs: Listing of various residency programs at U of M

While striving to align your specialty choice with your interests from the start is ideal, there may come a time when you consider switching specialties.

Explore these articles from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) website for insights: the truth behind switching specialties and switching specialties during residency.

Additionally, check out the Resident Transfer page to explore alternate routes of entry into Residency Programs, overseen by the Alternate Resident Entry & Transfer Subcommittee (ARETS).

University of Manitoba PGME offers 60 accredited residency training programs and 30 clinical and research fellowship programs. 

We've provided a list of residency options with areas of focused competence and fellowship programs that are being offered through PGME at the University of Manitoba.

Meet with a Career Consultant

Considering your residency training options? Discussing your career path with a consultant can offer valuable insights. We provide confidential consultations to help you plan your career.

Distance Delivery Services

Access resident support remotely via telephone, email, or video conferencing. For assistance or to schedule an appointment, contact us at 204-474-9456 or cs.receptionist@umanitoba.ca.

Bannatyne Campus Appointments

Visit us at S211 Medical Services Building by appointment. Call 204-272-3190 to book.

1. Use the job search workbook

Searching for a job is a skill. The workbook linked above walks you through the key components of an effective job search.

2. Attend career fairs

Each year Career Services hosts a Health Science Career Industry Fair and an all-campus career fair in January. Many health authorities attend these fairs looking for medical practitioners, including doctors. Refer to the following resources to get the most from a career fair:

• Career fairs: Tips for success (PDF)
• Researching organizations (PDF)

NOTE: These documents will be made available in alternate formats on request.

3. Review job boards

Use job postings to find immediate work. They can also help you understand the skills required for a position, identify job titles, and find relevant employers.

4. Networking

Networking is a technique used for job searching that involves establishing connections with new people and building on relationships with existing contacts in our network. Talk to others about your interests, competencies, and accomplishments while informing them about your job search goals. During your transition, continue to talk to people in your work environment to gather job leads, and speak to senior staff members to learn about existing or future positions. Refer to this handbook for best networking practices.

5. Informational interviewing

Informational interviews provide you an opportunity to learn more about a job or career path, the skills required for specific jobs, and also to expand your professional network. Refer to this guide (PDF) to learn three ways to ask for an informational interview and how to conduct one.

NOTE: Documents will be provided in an alternate format on request.

Put your best foot forward during your next job application using a well-drafted and updated medical CV. Use the following resources to create your draft.

• Create your medical CV handbook
• Sample medical CV
• AAMC: preparing your curriculum vitae

NOTE: Documents will be provided in an alternate format on request.

The interview is an opportunity for both the employer and the applicant to gather information. Employers want a candidate who is willing and capable of doing the job and will fit well into the existing team. You have the chance to evaluate the position and the organization to determine if they will fit into your career plans. It is an opportunity for both parties to market themselves. The employer is promoting the organization to you, and you are marketing your skills, knowledge, and attributes to the employer. Research and preparation are the keys to nailing an interview.

Use the tips in this workbook and resources listed below to fully prepare and practice for your interview:

• AAMC: Virtual Interview Handbook for the Applicant (PDF)

NOTE: Documents will be provided in an alternate on request.

In addition to the clinical skills that you gain while attending medical school, you will require skills to manage your own practice. These skills include but are not limited to negotiation skills, office setup, hiring staff, creating contracts and much more.

1. Here is a list of resources to support you in accessing these skills.

• CMA website has a whole set of resources in the form of their practice management curriculum. The platform also offers you an opportunity to ask your questions regarding practice management during a virtual information session.
• The Canadian Medical Protective Association provides a faculty guide to give you tips on having a safe medical practice minimizing medical-legal risks. The guide is organized in color-coded domains or themes which match the 6 domains of the CPSI-RCPSC Patient Safety Competencies framework.

2. Additional guides on how to begin your practice:

• Transitioning from residency into practice: What do residents need to know? Download this five-minute podcast, featuring Dr. Jocelyn Lockyer, PhD, associate dean of continuing medical education at the universities of Calgary and Alberta.
• CMA’s New in Practice guide: Published by the Canadian Medical Association, the New in Practice guide provides a concise overview of the information residents need to start their practice.
• CPSO’s The Practice Guide: This guide from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is applicable to all physicians. It provides an overview of the principles of medical practice and a physician’s duties and lists supplementary resources.

3. Royal College: Transition to practice page has a list of clinical and professional development resources available for your use.
4. Wellness

Physical and mental wellness are paramount to a successful practice. Use the resources below to develop your personal wellness plan.

• Doctor’s Manitoba offers a wellness program for Manitoba Physicians and residents.
• The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba has a well-designed Physician Health Program.
• PARIM offers a resident awareness week and social wellness events. Details here.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba looks after the registration process for physicians, surgeons, clinical assistants, and physician assistants to practice in Manitoba. Registration requirements can be found on this page.

MOC Program Guide: The Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program Guide (PDF) provides a quick overview of the program, what you need to know, how to use the MAINPORT ePortfolio and how to get started.

NOTE: Documents will be provided in alternate formats upon request.

Billing

• For billing information, refer to the government of Manitoba’s Physician Manual.
• Doctors Manitoba provides billing advice based on the Physician’s Manual. Visit this webpage for articles on various billing topics to help physicians and their billing staff.

Contracts

Doctors Manitoba offers contract review interpretation and advice. For more information, click here.

Incorporation

Find the steps to become incorporated in Manitoba here (PDF).

NOTE: Documents will be provided in an alternate format on request.

Many of you may be considering doing an “early elective” which can take place in August in place of your summer vacation (you then need to take your two weeks vacation during the normal elective time blocks). For students applying to highly competitive specialties this may be one way to get an elective at the program of your choice, make an early impression, and maybe get a reference letter in “prime time” (before CARMS applications).

So while it seems like a great idea there are a number of drawbacks to consider before leaping in. Apart from the fact that there are a few special rules in place for this (eg: you need to have passed all your NMBE exams - see the electives office for details) strategically, earlier is not always better.

First, as this is only a two-week block, you may be a distant memory by the time CARMs finally rolls around.

Second, because it's still summer some of the key folks you want to connect with or make an impression on may be hanging out at the cottage instead of the hospital. Finally, it's a very long time from January to August. Vacation time is hugely important to recharge and reconnect with friends and family after a busy eight months and before embarking on the home stretch of medical school.

Electives serve a number of functions but the most important is improving your chances of matching to your chosen specialty. Are you committed to one specialty and willing to go anywhere (program-first)? Or are you more concerned about matching to a particular city (city-first)? Or are you somewhere in-between.

You’ll first want to pick the top couple of programs (here or elsewhere) you want to match to and try to do those before CARMS applications are due (prime time) at the end of November.

Your chance of getting an interview is higher if you’ve done an elective and gotten a strong reference letter at a given program. Don't worry if you’re not 100 per cent sure. One of the functions of electives is helping you decide if that's the career for you.

Self-assessment – really knowing and accepting your strengths and weaknesses - is key to knowing which specialties might be right for you.

Sometimes the idea of pursuing a particular specialty is what we are really in love with. Wouldn't it feel good to tell your high school math teacher you were a neurosurgeon? Be aware of influence landmines, and remember that you are the one who has to live with the call schedule and sacrifices inherent in whatever specialty you choose. Sometimes who we really are is not the same as who we wish we were.

It's also critical to be realistic. Sometimes students fall in love with aspects of a particular specialty but are lacking in a required trait or skill that will allow them to really succeed in that area. For example, radiologists need to excel at spatial reasoning, otolaryngologists need depth perception (and ask for proof of it on their CARMs applications), surgeons need dexterity and steady hands, and ER doctors need to be able to withstand the physiologic challenges of long-term shift work. Individuals who are short of the typical skills needed can sometimes still do the job, but if you hate heights, does it really make sense to become a pilot?

What are your strengths and weaknesses? Be honest with yourself. How do they match up with the specialties you’re considering? If you’re not sure, ask some of your family or classmates - they may be able to add valuable insight. You can also make career counselling appointments through Student Affairs to navigate the many self-knowledge career planning tools available through the Careers in Medicine website.

Another source of data that can be really helpful are the Canadian specialty profiles developed by the Canadian Medical Association and available here: https://www.cma.ca/En/Pages/specialty-profiles.aspx. These profiles go through every possible career path and outline things like remuneration (how much you make), call, job satisfaction and other issues.

While this does not replace talking directly to people who actually do this work, it can be an important addition to get a feel for the specialty across the country.

When planning for CaRMS you are going to get advice from lots of people. Some of this is going to be good, evidence based advice, others will be of the “it worked for me” variety, and still others will be based on urban myths, rumours or other unfounded sources. What you can count on is that there are multiple strategies that can work, and that most students will find a match in their preferred discipline.

CaRMS does collect data on strategies and how they’ve worked, and taking a look at that data can be reassuring and help you plan for your electives. Here’s a link to the most recent data published by CaRMS: https://www.carms.ca/data-reports/r1-data-reports/electives. You can look at this data for the disciplines that interest you, to get a really good idea of how important it is to do an elective in that discipline or in a particular location, and how much time in one discipline is “enough.”

Remember, what worked for one student may not work for another, and every discipline is a little different. Look at the data and make a plan that you think can work for you!

The Canadian Federation of Medical Students, in association with CaRMS, puts together a Matchbook every year to inform students about the match, share perspectives of recently graduated medical students, and answer questions you may have. The matchbook is accessible here: https://www.cfms.org/what-we-do/education/cfms-matchbook.html. There is also great info from the CMA that is specialty specific, and you can link to it from the matchbook site.

External electives allow you to explore alternate programs and different (possibly warmer!) cities. If you’re committed to a certain specialty or just desperate to leave Winnipeg then you’re certainly going to want to explore a couple of different universities. Even if you’re planning on never leaving Manitoba for training or practice, an external elective can provide a unique perspective on how medicine is done elsewhere and help make you a better doctor. External electives aren’t mandatory (and some folks may not be able to swing one) but they’re a great opportunity if you can make it work.

For those of you open to moving, external electives are an important part of career planning. Time, money and rules around electives mean you can’t go everywhere. Decide on which would be your top one or two choices to match to and try to get electives in those programs. An elective will give you a much better view of the program, and the people than any website or interview will do. It will also help showcase your talents and abilities to the program so you’re more of a familiar face at interview time. If you’re interested in more than one specialty, consider doing back to back electives at the same place in different specialties. It will reduce your travel costs and be a smoother transition. Because some electives are competitive, don't panic if you can’t get an elective at the exact program of your choice. Program directors know how hard it can be to fit everything in.