Academic & Career Advising

The deans and directors in the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs provide career advising to students through various programs, services and regularly scheduled events.

Pre-Clinical Students

Career advising in the pre-clinical years is delivered by Dr. Dana McDowelle and Nicole Dubuque. Together, they help students begin exploring specialty interests and planning their path toward residency.

Support is offered through a combination of required and optional activities, including:

  • Informational sessions
  • One-on-one advising appointments
  • Weekly drop-in advising hours

These resources are designed to help you confidently navigate your early career development and make informed decisions about your future in medicine.

  1. Required and Optional Information Sessions

During the MS1 and MS2 years, students will participate in a series of large and small group sessions focused on career exploration and planning. They will be introduced to the AAMC Careers in Medicine (CiM) program—a valuable resource that supports their career development throughout all four years of medical school.

These sessions will guide you on how to effectively use the CiM platform, including its self-assessment tools designed to help you better understand your interests, strengths, and specialty options.

  1. Individual Advising

Students interested in personalized guidance on career exploration and development are encouraged to schedule one-on-one advising appointments. These sessions offer tailored support to help you clarify your goals, explore specialties, and plan for residency.

  1. Drop-In Advising Hour

Have questions about your specialty selection, building your CV or planning your next steps? Join us for our weekly Drop-In Advising Hour, hosted by deans and directors from the Office of Admissions & Student Affairs.

These informal sessions are a great opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance on a range of career advising topics—no appointment needed. Common questions include:

  • Exploring your specialty options
  • Building your CV – extracurricular involvement
  • Gauging your competitiveness
  • Preparing for residency – from applying to arriving at residency!

When & Where:
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
MSB B.100
Available during normal campus operations

Clinical Students

During the clinical years, career advising is led by the deans of the Office of Admissions & Student Affairs in collaboration with specialty-specific faculty across departments. These faculty advisors bring valuable insight into current trends and expectations within their fields and offer timely, informed guidance to students regarding residency application.

Students are supported through:

  • Sponsoring specialty interest information sessions for early career exploration
  • Advising on elective selection and scheduling
  • Advising on specialty selection, taking into account individual career interests and personal goals
  • Informational sessions on residency application strategy, personal statement writing, residency interviewing, and couples match
  • Introducing students to application resources such as Texas STAR, AAMC’s Residency Explorer, National Residency Matching Program’s Charting Outcomes
  • One-on-one advising appointments
  • Mock interviews during application season
  • Hosting panel discussions with Residency Program Directors and current residents to address residency application strategy

This coordinated approach ensures students receive both broad and specialty-specific support as they prepare for residency and beyond.

Pre-Clinical Advising Team

  • Dana McDowelle, PhD
  • Yolanda Bell
  • Nicole Dubuque

Clinical Advising Team

  • Erin Furr-Stimming, MD
  • D. Ryan Hall, MD
  • Sheela L. Lahoti, MD
  • Nancy Perrier, MD
  • Bal Reddy, MD