Welcome to the final edition of Vital Signs for the 2019-2020 academic year. We hope that each and every one of you are doing well and are adjusting to life during COVID-19. The Virtual Match Day (image featured on the left or above, depending on your view) illustrates one of the many ways we have adapted to social distancing obstacles and leveraged creativity and technology to help overcome challenges.

In this issue, you can learn more about the outstanding Match of the Class of 2020, discover career discernment insights from a UMN alumnus as well as a 2020 graduate who matched in Orthopedic Surgery, explore great ideas for recharging from the Purpose Dimension of the Well Being Committee, and much more!

Take care and stay healthy and safe. Please let me know if you have ideas or content you would like to share in future editions of Vital Signs.

In kindness,

Maija Braaten

mbraaten@umn.edu

Read below for some specific ideas for how to make the most of time for career development.

Successfully navigating the homestretch of your adapted first year curriculum is the top priority to set you up for future career success. As your schedules allow, you may want to consider the following:

• Review information in the new Career Development Toolkit for Understanding Yourself and Exploring your Options phases. Although opportunities to gain clinical experiences and shadowing are directly impacted by COVID-19, there are still many things you can do to gain insight into yourself through Careers in Medicine assessments, researching potential specialties, updating your CV, and other action items.
• Monitor your email for any announcements related to virtual events to enhance career exploration.
• Keep connected with your Faculty Advisor for professional and career development advice. Group meetings will be occurring in May - watch your email and monitor Canvas for updates.
• Consider journaling about your current experiences. Your observations and reflections during this challenging time can help inform career decision making and identify what matters most to you for your path. Here is an ARTICLE and a VIDEO if you are interested in getting started.

Balancing Step 1 preparation and beginning MS-3 adapted curriculum are the highest priorities. As your schedules allow, you may want to consider the following:

• Review information in the new Career Development Toolkit for Exploring your Options and possibly Choosing a Specialty phases. Although opportunities to gain clinical experiences and shadowing are directly impacted by COVID-19, there are still many things you can do to gain insight into yourself through Careers in Medicine assessments, researching potential specialties, updating your CV, and other action items.
• Monitor your email for any announcements related to virtual events to enhance career exploration.
• Consider journaling about your current experiences. Your observations and reflections during this challenging time can help inform career decision making and identify what matters most to you for your path. Here is an ARTICLE and a VIDEO if you are interested in getting started.

• Review the Virtual Residency Workshop materials beginning on April 17th to gain access to important information.
• Access information in the new Career Development Toolkit for Choosing a Specialty and Preparing to Match. Although opportunities to gain clinical experiences and shadowing are directly impacted now, there are still many things you can do to gain insight into yourself through Careers in Medicine assessments, researching potential specialties and programs, updating your CV, developing your Noteworthy Characteristics and Personal Statement, and other action items.
• Begin signing up for your MSPE appointments with your Faculty Advisor via Zoom. Watch your email for correspondence from your Faculty Advisor and instructions for signing up for your appointment.
• Monitor your email for weekly Information Exchanges for Residency Application/Match and other important/timely announcements.

Congratulations and celebrations for the incredible accomplishments! We are so proud of you and the work you will achieve as you begin life as a resident.

As you are in the homestretch of moving/preparing to begin residency, here are reminders about the Virtual Commencement on May 1st:

By April 10, send us the following using this Google Form:

• A photo of you (does not need to be a professional headshot) and some written parting words to your classmates or words of gratitude for your support network (no more than 50 words)

OR

• A video of you shot horizontally or landscape (not vertically) offering some parting words to your classmates or words of gratitude for your support network (no more than 15 seconds)

Note: If you don’t send anything, we will use only your name and photos from your ERAS headshot and White Coat Ceremony.

• The number of Commencement programs you would like (five programs max per person) and your mailing address, so that we can mail them to you.

By April 24, we will send you the information to join the virtual Commencement ceremony on May 1.

On May 1, you will join the virtual ceremony and hear from your Commencement speakers and classmates. Then, this summer, you will receive your diploma in the mail as originally planned.

While we look forward to hosting this virtual Commencement, we understand that it’s nowhere close to replicating the pride you feel as you receive your hood. Yet, we knew by finding a way to celebrate your moment, it would bring some light back into such an odd, unsettling time for all of us. Together, we can still make this event one that you will cherish for years to come.

We look forward to hearing from you all on this special day.

Sincerely,

Bob Englander, MD, MPH

Associate Dean

Undergraduate Medical Education

University of Minnesota Medical School

If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Rudeen (rude0105@umn.edu).