Bridges to Residency Career Advising Program

BRIDGES TO RESIDENCY
Career Advising Program at Pitt Med

The Pitt Med Career Advising Program, Bridges to Residency, provides longitudinal guidance to help students explore specialties, choose and schedule clinical rotations aligning with career goals, and ultimately to match into their chosen specialty.

Deciding on a medical specialty is one of the most important decisions a student will make during medical school. The process involves self-discovery, advising and mentorship, clinical rotations, and strategic planning.  

Career Advising by Phase

The Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Advisory Deans are available to meet at any time.

Foundations Phase

• House Reveal event during orientation, during which students are sorted into their Advising Houses.
• Orientation Career Exploration event
• House dinner during which students get to know their Advisory Dean, Academic Coach, and the other students in their coaching cohort.
• One-on-one meetings with your Advisory Dean to discuss your career goals and to connect you with resources and advisors throughout the school.
• Two Advising House lunches (one in the fall and one in the spring) to discuss general career planning and resources available to meet each student's goals.
   
• In the fall of MS2, students attend the Clerkships Phase Scheduling Meeting to learn about clerkships and scheduling.
• Students then meet with their advisory dean for individualized advising on their scheduling preferences and elective choices.

Clerkships Phase

• Career Night (generally in September) during which students will be able to meet with program directors and residents 
• Begin working on the Residency Counseling Checklist with your Advisory Dean and department-based career-specialty advisor
• Class-wide Bridges Phase Scheduling Meeting to learn about Bridges phase and scheduling
• Meet with your Advisory Dean to discuss specialty choice and exploration and to discuss Bridges Phase scheduling
• Peer-peer advising sessions during Discovery Weeks
• Class-wide Match meeting during which residency application process is reviewed, and a practical session on how to develop the residency application experiences and research sections, personal statement, and noteworthy characteristics of MSPE

Bridges Phase

• Work with Advisory Dean to draft Noteworthy Characteristics for MSPE
• Work with Advisory Dean and career-specialty advisor to develop personal statement
• Class-wide Match #2 meeting during which Preference Signals and Geographic Preferences are explained and best practices for use are reviewed 
• Meeting with residency program director and career-specialty advisor to identify program to apply to for away rotations and for residency, and to develop a plan for how to use Preference Signals
• Class-wide Match meeting during which residency application process is reviewed
• Peer-peer advising sessions during Discovery Weeks
• Schedule mock interviews through department-based career-specialty advisors

RESOURCES

Organization of Program Director Associations (OPDA) - Promotes the role of residency and fellowship program directors and societies in achieving excellence in graduate medical education.

Career Exploration

• Advisory Deans (ADs), Career/Specialty Advisors, and Faculty at large
• AAMC Career in Medicine

Scheduling Advice 

• Advisory Deans 

Residency Application Preparation

• Advisory Deans 

Specialty Specific Advice

• Career/Specialty Advisors 
• Program Director

Residency Counseling Checklist

• The Residency Counseling Checklist (RCC) Process 

Advisory Dean

You will be assigned to one of eight advisory deans who will provide support, advocacy, mentorship, and advice throughout all four years of medical school.  You will also have an opportunity to get to know your faculty advisors outside of the medical environment and see what their lives are like and how they balance their choices.

You will continue to have regular meetings with your AD, both group and individual, throughout your medical school years. Your AD will serve as your advisor, mentor, and advocate, and will help provide information, feedback, and reflection regarding your academics, longitudinal research project, Areas of concentration, other extracurricular activities, life balancing, and your personal and professional growth. They will have no role in making promotion or evaluation decisions. 

Your AD will also help you optimize your third- and fourth-year schedules and will be available to counsel you in all aspects of your career aspirations, applications for residency, and the match process.

Career/Specialty Advisors

Additional Resources for Specialty Specific Rotation Advice

2024 Survey of All Residency Program Directors - Guidance for MS4 student's Senior Year

Radiology Electives 2025-206

Residency Application Reference Materials (by specialty)

Program Directors Association Guides for Residency Applicants 2025-2026

Anesthesia

Internal Medicine 

Dermatology