Careers in Medicine Curriculum and Self-Assessments

ISMMS uses the Careers in Medicine 4-Phase Career Planning Model. Phase 1 is Understanding Yourself which involves self-exploration and learning what your values, interests and skills are and how that correlates with different specialties. Careers in Medicine has multiple self-assessments you can take to make this easier to figure out and we highly recommend students take the Physician Values in Practice Scale (PVIPS), the Physician Skills Inventory (PSI), and the Medical Specialty Preference Inventory (MSPI) early on in the medical school journey to give a baseline for what you are looking for. These self-assessments can be done more than once to help you as you go through transitional moments in medical school. Whether you are decided or not, these will help solidify that decision or narrow it down. The Careers in Medicine website has many resources from specialty specific information to residency application guidance.