skip to main content
UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Main Menu
Donate Now Directory myUTRGV

You are here:

Academic Advising Four Year Guide & Timeline

Academic Advising & Support Services UTRGV School of Medicine

  • Home
  • Meet Our Staff
  • Academic Advising
    • Advising Policy
    • Four Year Guide & Timeline
    • Faculty Listing
  • Resources
    • Time Management
    • Study Strategies
    • Note Taking
    • Test Taking Strategies
    • Important Links
    • Online Resources
  • USMLE Preparation
    • Prep for Step
    • Step 1 Resources
  • Tutoring
    • Peer Tutoring
  • F.A.Q.

Academic Advising - Related Links

  • Advising Policy
  • Four Year Guide & Timeline
  • Faculty Listing

Contact Us

Mercy O. Azeke, Ed.D.
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs SOM
Academic Advising and Academic Support
Team Based Learning Center ETBLC 1.130
Email: SOMAdvising@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 296-1924

Quick Links

School of Medicine Home School of Medicine Library UTRGV Home Admissions & Aid United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Careers in Medicine USMLE Preparation UTRGV SOM Library USMLE Guide

Academic Advising Four Year Guide & Timeline

 

UTRGV School of Medicine Academic Advising Four Year Guide & Timeline

Year 1

  • Orientation to Academic Advising in July
  • Connect with your advisor or mentor
  • Know your advisee/mentee responsibilities
  • Understand the role of your academic advisor
  • Attend scheduled meetings with your academic advisor and learning specialist
  • Attend academic skills presentations and activities
  • Get help early if you perceive a need
  • Begin to participate in tutoring, faculty help sessions, open lab hours, clinical skills sessions, and study groups
  • Attend Careers in Medicine presentations and activities
  • Begin taking self-assessments to maximize your study skills and reading comprehension
  • Read all information regarding USMLE Step 1 Examination
  • Consider participating in a research or preceptorship if interested during Year 1 Summer
  • Familiarize yourself with high-yield resources

Year 2

  • Continue to connect with your academic advisor
  • Begin to connect with a career mentor
  • Continue to participate in tutoring, faculty help sessions, open lab hours, clinical skills sessions and study groups
  • Get help and remediation as needed
  • Complete self-assessments in CIM
  • Review your assessment results with your advisor and career mentor
  • Begin gathering basic information about specialties of interest
  • Attend specialty interest groups and panels at your school
  • Attend clerkship related presentations
  • Participate in site selections
  • Conduct informational interviews or participate in preceptorships
  • Compare your assessment results to the information you’ve gathered about specialties
  • Plan your third-year schedule
  • Prepare for the USMLE Step 1 using high yield resources
  • Take the USMLE Step 1

 

Year 3

  • Connect with your clerkship directors
  • Continue to participate in group discussions
  • Periodically, connect with your academic advisor as needed
  • Get remediation with NBME exam as needed
  • Read all about professionalism
  • Begin clinical rotations; record your reflections on the Clinical Rotation Evaluation
  • Review competitiveness data to assess your qualifications
  • Join appropriate specialty associations and organizations
  • Meet with your advisor and clerkship director to discuss your top specialty preferences
  • Complete the Specialty Indecision Scale if you're having difficulty making a specialty decision
  • Monitor when ERAS opens for applicants
  • Register with ERAS and begin preparing residency application materials
  • Request letters of recommendation from faculty in your chosen specialty

 

Year 4

  • Periodically, connect with your academic advisor as needed
  • Get help and remediation as needed
  • Look into various Residency training programs. You can do this through the AMA’s FREIDA Online
  • Determine your preferences using the Residency Preference Exercise
  • Register with the National Resident Matching Program® for the Main Residency Match
  • Register for early Match programs, if applicable
  • Begin applying to programs and transmitting applications through ERAS
  • Take USMLE Step 2
  • Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) released
  • Interview with residency programs
  • Rate programs using the Residency Preference Exercise
  • Early Match deadline
  • Rank your selections for the NRMP Main Residency Match
  • Match Day
Jump to Top

UTRGV

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • CARES, CRRSAA and ARP Reporting
  • Site Policies
  • Contact UTRGV
  • Required Links
  • Fraud Reporting
  • Senate Bill 18 Reporting
  • UTRGV Careers
  • Clery Act Reports
  • Web Accessibility
  • Mental Health Resources
  • Sexual Misconduct Policy
  • Reporting Sexual Misconduct