Career Advisor's Background and Career Information

Background

Name: Karen Hauer
Career Advisor for: Internal Medicine - preliminary, Transitional
Title(s): Director of Internal Medicine Clerkships, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Best way to contact (e-mail, phone?): 476-1964
Undergraduate & Graduate Degrees/Institutions: Stanford University - A.B. UCSF - M.D.

Career Information

1. What can students do in the 1st and 2nd years to explore and/or prepare for this career?

2. What common variations exist in the length/content of residency programs for this career? Preliminary medicine - 1 year internal medicine Transitional medicine - combination of specialties over 1 year; may include internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology

3. What common variations exist in this career after training?
4. What is a typical work day for you (or someone else representative)?
5. What is the "culture" of this career?
6. How compatible is this career with raising a family? How is this different for men and women?

7. How important, individually, are each the following for admission to a competitive program:

a.Extra-curricular/volunteer work? helpful
b. Research/publications? helpful, but less so than for 3 year IM
c. Honors in third year? Honors and narratives are most relevant
d. AOA? helpful but not at all necessary
e. A sub-internship? IM subI very helpful
f. An externship? not needed
g. (Other important elements to the application?) programs are most interested in an applicant who has good clinical skills and is motivated to learn and work hard during the internship.

8. What are the most important qualities or character traits for a person in this field?

9. How competitive are the residency programs in this field? It is becoming more competitive as the number of applicants for preliminary medicine and transitional positions is increasing.

10. How competitive is the job market after residency?
11. What programs would you consider to be in the 1st tier, 2nd tier, and 3rd tier? It is important to ask your career advisor in your intended specialty about the benefits of academic vs. community based internship programs. In most cases, either is fine. Most students apply to both types of internships. The most competitiventernship programs are those in the Bay Area (because so many UCSF students apply) and the top academic IM programs.

12. What resources (web, books, etc, besides the AMA and AAMC sites) would you recommend for students interested in learning more about this field?