Center for Career Development
Doctor of Medicine students
The Center for Career Development (CCD) supports the Division of Student Affairs’ mission by fostering your academic, professional and personal growth. The Center for Career Development provides support and resources through the Career Pathways Program, individualized career coaching, physician specialty mentoring and advising and residency planning support to promote your career and professional goals.
We support you in your career planning process by:
- Assisting in continual self-assessment and reflection to identify skills, abilities and interests in the selection of a medical specialty
- Supporting in the development of a self-directed career and resource identification plan using national and institutional data to make informed and proactive decisions critical to achieving professional and career goals
- Coaching in the enhancement of interpersonal communication skills through the development of a competitive curriculum vitae, personal statement and participation in mock interviews
The Career Pathways Program
This four-year program is part of the promotion process each year and is a graduation requirement. It relies on current career development theories and models to help with professional identity formation, using the Careers in Medicine (CiM) model to support all phases of your career decision-making process.
Contact us
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and MD Career Advising
Associate Professor of Medicine
cmspatz@geisinger.edu
Julia Kolcharno, MA
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Geisinger College of Health Sciences
jakolcharno@geisinger.edu
Linda Learn, MSW, MBA
Student Affairs Manager for Clinical Activities
lalearn1@geisinger.edu
Carolyn Corcoran, MS
Manager, Center for Career Development
cycorcoran1@geisinger.edu
David Fryzel, MD
Career Pathways Program Lead
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
dfryzel@geisinger.edu
Career coaching
The Center for Career Development is here to provide the knowledge, support, and resources you need to make professional and career decisions using a career coaching model. Our career coaches can assist you in academic, professional and career self-reflection, goal setting and life-long learning.
Physician specialty mentoring and advising
Given the impact mentoring can have on your success and the creation of shared experiences, the Center for Career Development provides physician mentors so you can engage in reflection in a longitudinal and meaningful way. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine has created a customized mentoring platform called Geisinger Connect that lets you freely search for faculty and resident mentors, as well as alumni who can assist throughout the career planning stages. Physician specialty mentors help you clarify personal and professional goals related to your desired specialty. They also provide insight on patient profiles, workload, setting, training and residency tracks, competitiveness, professional affiliations and lifestyle. As you transition to residency application preparation and fourth-year planning, you’ll also work with physician specialty advisors who have experience using MATCH trends and data to plan with you.
Residency planning support
The Center for Career Development’s residency planning team consists of career coaches, a registrar, a senior education specialist and an assistant dean of student affairs and MD career advising, who meet regularly to review all students and ensure application timelines are completed. You’ll be risk stratified based on the likelihood of a successful match, and the team collaborates with specialty advisors to strategically plan for those at risk to identify action plans. Interviews are tracked throughout the season, and select students may be prepared for the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), if needed.