Career Development

Some students may choose to pursue a career pathway other than clinical medicine. Please visit the AAMC Careers in the Medicine page for Alternative Careers for further information on careers including:

• Public health and service
• Public policy and government
• Communications and journalism
• Informatics
• Pharmaceutical research
• Consulting

Additionally, Look for Zebras and DOC Jobs have helpful information for individuals investigating alternative career paths.

If you are interested in discussing alternative career paths please contact Marcelo Malakooti, MD, CPE, FAAP, at mmalakooti@luriechildrens.org.

"Anesthesiology is dedicated to the complete medical and anesthetic care of the surgical patient. It is a precise, technical, and intellectual specialty that requires high standards and attention to detail. Anesthesiologists care for the whole patient before, during, and after the operation. They administer powerful anesthetics, render patients insensible to pain and stress, provide respiratory support, and manage every medical need of the patient throughout the surgical experience. To do so, anesthesiologists closely monitor and treat the acute pathophysiology of multiple organ systems: cardiac, pulmonary, renal, endocrine, hematologic, and neurologic. It is a specialty that ties together the cerebral nature of internal medicine with the procedural interventions and life-support of critical care medicine."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York, p.159.

Anesthesiology Resources

• Anesthesiology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Anesthesiology Specialty Information
• Society for Education in Anesthesia

Request an Anesthesiology Advisor

Specialty Career Advisors:

Carmen Lopez, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology (Obstetric Anesthesiology)
View Faculty Profile

Tom Mader, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology (Multispecialty Anesthesiology)
View Faculty Profile

"As the name implies, cardiothoracic surgery is on the heart and in the chest cavity. It also includes operations on the lungs, esophagus, and major blood vessels in the chest. Heart surgery includes coronary artery bypass grafting, valve replacements, heart transplants, thoracic aneurism repairs, septal defect repairs, and trauma to the heart. Thoracic surgery includes lung resections, esophageal resections/reconstructions, video-assisted thoracic surgeries (VATS), pleurodesis, and similar procedures. If you enjoy cardiac and pulmonary physiology, love meticulous procedures, and become excited with the idea of operating within the chest, CT surgery may be your calling."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 233.

Cardiothoracic Surgery Resources

• Cardiothoracic Surgery Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Thoracic Surgery Specialty Information
• The Cardiothoracic Surgery Network
• American Association for Thoracic Surgery
• The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Request a Cardiothoracic Surgery Advisor

S. Chris Malaisrie, MD
Professor, Surgery (Cardiac Surgery)
View Faculty Profile

"Pediatric neurologists are very patient, caring individuals, who spend most of their time with children who suffer from diseases of the nervous system. These problems can range from benign headaches, seizures, that disappear in late childhood, and attention-deficit-disorder to severe and progressively fatal diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, progressive seizure disorders such as infantile spasms and tuberous sclerosis, and various congenital brain malformations such as Dandy-Walker syndrome and pachygyria. Their careful examination skills help to find focal deficits, leading to quicker diagnosis and appropriate treatment."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York, p. 386.

Child Neurology Resources

• Child Neurology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Child Neurology Specialty Information
• American Academy of Neurology
• Child Neurology Society

Request a Child Neurology Advisor

Rebecca M. Garcia Sosa, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Neurology and Epilepsy)
View Faculty Profile

"Dermatology is the branch of medicine concerned with the skin and skin-related diseases and disorders…. Dermatologists see people of all ages who present with skin diseases (either benign or malignant) involving the mouth, hair, nails, sweat and sebaceous glands, external genitalia, and mucous membranes."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p.177.

Dermatology Resources

• Dermatology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Dermatology Specialty Information
• American Academy of Dermatology

Request an Emergency Medicine Advisor

Julia M. Riley, MD
Assistant Professor, Dermatology (Medical Dermatology)
View Faculty Profile

Maria L. Colavincenzo, MD
Residency Program Director
View Faculty Profile

"Emergency medicine involves the immediate care of urgent and life-threatening conditions found in the critically ill and injured. These physicians are really specialists in breadth — their broad-based training encompasses acute problems that span several clinical disciplines. No other specialty can match the astounding variety of patients found within the emergency room. You will see, hear, and smell things that most doctors will not. In just one shift, an EP may care for patients presenting with asthma attacks, atrial fibrillation, gunshot wounds, dislocated shoulders, and even cockroaches stuck in their ears." 

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p.189.

Emergency Medicine Resources

• Emergency Medicine Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Emergency Medicine Specialty Information

Request an Emergency Medicine Advisor

Molly Estes, MD
M4 Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director
View Faculty Profile

David H. Salzman, MD, MEd
Emergency Medicine Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile

"In the tradition of this community-based specialty, family physicians are well integrated into their communities and actively address issues in their patients' lives other than medical problems. This is why family medicine doctors serve as advocates for patients, health care systems, and social change. No matter the role, these physicians emphasize health maintenance, disease prevention, and chronic illness management, always aware of the psychosocial dimensions of their patients' lives."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 207.

Family Medicine Resources

• Family Medicine Match Lists
• AAFP: Medical School and Residency
• AAFP App
• FAQ about Family Medicine (from "American Family Physician")
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Family Medicine Specialty Information
• STFM: Advising Students for Matching Into Family Medicine

Request a Family Medicine Advisor

Deborah Clements, MD
Chair, Department of Family Medicine
View Faculty Profile
312-503-1273

Anna B. Shannahan, MD
Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine
View Faculty Profile
312-926-3627

"Internists take care of the general medical problems of adults. In a single day, they can act as a diagnostician, an educator, a director, an advocate, a motivator, a healer, and a comforter. In the clinic, they treat their patients' aches, pains, and sniffles. They also come to their bedsides in the hospital and manage their inpatient care. Some internists spend their time providing acute and chronic primary care; others become sub-specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and more."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York.p.239.

Internal Medicine Resources

• Internal Medicine Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Internal Medicine Specialty Information

Request an Internal Medicine Advisor

Stefanie Reiff, MD
M3 Clerkship Director
View Faculty Profile

Michelle Fletcher, MD
M4 Sub-I Director
View Faculty Profile

"Improved imaging techniques, combined with the development of various catheters, have given rise to a field known as interventional radiology. This subspecialty enables radiologists to do much more than just diagnose. These specialists use medical images to help guide small instruments such as catheters through blood vessels or other anatomic pathways in the percutaneous treatment of disease. With these invasive techniques, interventional radiologists are in many ways similar to surgeons. They scrub in, gown up, and perform procedures that are often invasive enough to require general anesthesia. Some examples include draining abscesses, opening blocked areas of the cardiovascular system, creating vascular shunts in the liver, and inserting various devices into patients requiring long-term vascular access (for things like chemotherapy, antibiotics, or dialysis). As you can see, these radiologists combine the fundamentals of diagnostic radiology with the technical and clinical skills of a surgeon."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York, p.432.

Interventional Radiology Resources

• Interventional Radiology Match Lists

Request an Interventional Radiology Advisor

"Blending together the principles of internal medicine and pediatrics, med-peds (or IMP) is the largest and most popular combined program. ...IMP offers an alternative choice for physicians-in-training who wish to treat patients of all ages but do not want to become family practitioners. ...After completing the four year program, they are eligible to sit for board certification examinations in both internal medicine and pediatrics. ...Family practice has a wider scope, while IMP has a greater depth. ...Instead of rotations in obstetrics, gynecology, and surgical subspecialties, [as in family medicine residency programs] IMP residency provides additional training in inpatient and critical care experiences involving both adults and children. ...It is possible for patients and families to meet all their health care needs in the same setting with the same doctor. ...This continuity of care is particularly beneficial for children with chronic illnesses, such as cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, or congenital heart defects, as they transit into adulthood."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 81-82.

Med-Peds Resources

• National Med-Peds Residents' Association Website
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Med-Peds
• Med-Peds Match List 

Request an Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Advisor

Cheryl Lee, MD
Specialty Career Advisor
Internal Medicine-Pediatrics
View Faculty Profile

"Neurology is the practice of medicine that concentrates on the human brain and nervous system. From higher cognitive disorders (such as Alzheimer dementia) to diseases of nerve and muscle (neuropathies and myopathies), neurologists serve as nervous system specialists at every level. With compassion and dedication, neurologists take care of patients presenting with a wide variety of complaints: headaches, numbness, weakness, tremors, seizures, speech difficulty, and changes in consciousness."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 263.

Neurology Resources

• Neurology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Neurology Specialty Information

Request a Neurology Advisor

Stephen Van Haerents, MD
Neurology
View Faculty Profile

Evelyn Jones
Neurology Coordinator

“Since neurosurgery is a specialty focused on a physiological system rather than a specific anatomical region, neurosurgeons treat diseases that affect all types of patients in various parts of their bodies. For example, a typical neurosurgeon not only operates on the brain and spinal cord but may also perform procedures on the skull, face, neck, spine, arms, and legs. Neurosurgeons care for some of the youngest patients in the hospital, such as a premature infant with a congenital malformation, as well as young and elderly adults suffering from trauma, tumors, infections, vascular anomalies, or degenerative disorders.”

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 281.

Neurological Surgery Resources

• Education Opportunities
• Neurosurgery Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Neurosurgery Specialty Information

Request a Neurological Surgery Advisor

Najib El Tecle, MD
Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile

Matthew Potts
Residency Program Director
View Faculty Profile
312-695-6200

S. Kathleen Bandt, MD
Medical Student Clerkship Director
Specialty Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile
312-695-6200

"These multidisciplinary specialists practice preventive medicine, deliver new lives into the world, and perform life-altering surgery. Half of their patients are healthy young women who come for prenatal care or annual physical examinations. However, with the longevity and desire for a healthier life, the rest of the practice consists of physically active mature women who are concerned about ‘life surrounding and after menopause.’ More than just experts on the pelvic region and reproductive tract, obstetrician-gynecologists must handle problems that require highly technical medical and surgical skills, and, at the other end of the spectrum, be sensitive observers who can give psychological support."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 297.

Obstetrics & Gynecology Resources

• Obstetrics & Gynecology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialty Information
• APGO Resources for Medical Students
• ACOG – Student Membership and Resources Information

Request an Obstetrics & Gynecology Advisor

Weronika Armstrong, MD
M3 Clerkship Director

Kathleen Drexler
Obstetrics & Gynecology Career Advisor

For more information or to arrange an appointment, please contact Jamillah Collins in the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education:

Jamillah Collins
Prentice Women’s Hospital
250 E. Superior, Suite 05-2166
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-472-4672

For More Information

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Prentice Women’s Hospital
250 East Superior Street, Suite 03-2303
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.472.3980

"Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that provides the complete medical and surgical care of the eye and related structures of the visual system (extraocular muscles, eyelids, orbit, nerves, visual pathways, and more). Yes, they can (and often do) prescribe glasses and contact lenses. But their spectrum of care extends much further. It requires mastery of the anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and pathophysiology of the eye, as well as an understanding of optical physics. To treat ocular and visual disorders, ophthalmologists are really both internists and surgeons."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p.311.

Ophthalmology Resources

• Ophthalmology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Ophthalmology Specialty Information

Request an Ophthalmology Advisor

Rukhsana Mirza, MD
Ophthalmology Career Advising Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-908-8152

"The specialty of orthopedics basically involves the care of the musculoskeletal system, which includes care of most disorders and injuries in the upper and lower extremities as well as the spine. As such, future orthopedic surgeons need a thorough knowledge of the anatomy, mechanics, and physiology of this body system. You master everything there is to know about each muscle, nerve, and blood vessel within all parts of the musculoskeletal system. In addition, proper diagnosis and management of orthopedic injuries requires a solid grasp of forensics and physics to understand the mechanisms of injury."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 325.

Orthopaedics Resources

• Orthopaedics Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Orthopaedics Specialty Information

Request an Orthopaedics Advisor

Kevin D. Hardt, MD
Orthopaedics Residency Program Director
View Faculty Profile

Lucas Buchler, MD
Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile

Latisha Emerson-Henderson
Residency Program Coordinator
Notary Public
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

"The official name for this specialty is Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. This specialty involves both the medical and surgical care of all structures related to the head and neck (basically, above the clavicles and excluding the brain and eye). … Although most physicians and patients still refer to these surgeons simply as ‘ENTs,’ this specialty is, in reality, so much more than ears, noses, and throats. Otolaryngologists are also experts in the management of head and neck tumors (e.g., thyroid and salivary gland), chronic pediatric infections (tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies, and tympanostomy tube placement), facial trauma and cosmetic deformities, and diseases of the airway and phonation (laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, palate surgery for snoring and sleep apnea), and assessing and treating hearing loss in adults and children."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p.340.

Otolaryngology Resources

• ENT Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Otolaryngology Specialty Information

Request an ENT Advisor

Whitney Liddy, MD
Residency Program Director
View Faculty Profile

"The practice of pathology involves the detection, analysis, and understanding of disease process. As the only branch of medicine considered both a basic science and a clinical specialty, pathology is somewhat unique. By studying tissues, cells, and fluid samples, pathologists unravel the mysteries of how a particular disease arises and develops. To do so, they draw on a variety of methods, ranging from microbiology to molecular biology …The practice of pathology is divided into two primary areas - anatomic and clinical. Anatomic pathologists examine organs, tissues, and cells to diagnose or further characterize a disease process. They make exact diagnoses on specimen from sources including biopsy, fine-needle aspiration, body-fluid analysis, exfoliation, autopsy, and surgery--and the information they provide in the pathology report is used for patient prognostication and management. . ….Clinical pathologists analyze blood, body fluids, or other patient specimens. They are experts in the scientific principles and techniques of laboratory medicine as well as administrative aspects of overseeing a laboratory."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. pp. 354-355.

Pathology Resources

• Pathology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Pathology Specialty Information

Request a Pathology Advisor

David J. Escobar, MD, PhD
Pathology Career Advising Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-503-8144

"Pediatrics is the specialty of medicine that focuses on the comprehensive care of children – beginning from birth and continuing through the adolescent years. …In addition to the primary care and preventive medicine of general pediatrics, pediatricians can choose to focus on acute problems requiring immediate treatment (critical care, neonatology, emergency medicine) or a wide range of technical procedures (cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology). …It is important to note that caring for kids is not just about treating their physical and medical problems. Every good pediatrician also addresses the mental and emotional health of his or her patients, which is equally as important as organic disease."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 349.

Pediatrics Resources

• Pediatrics Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Pediatrics Specialty Information

Request a Pediatrics Advisor

Lindsay R. Koressel, MD, MEd
Pediatrics Career Advising Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-227-6645

"It has been said that plastic surgeons operate on 'the skin and its contents,' alluding to the fact that on any given day plastic surgeons might find themselves operating on the face, on the hand, inside the cranium, or inside the abdominal or thoracic cavities. The field has developed from the contributions of people from many different backgrounds, including general surgery, orthopedics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, dermatology, neurosurgery, and otolaryngology. Plastic surgery encompasses all of aesthetic surgery, yet it also deals with clinical entities, including chronic wounds, limb replantation, and head and neck reconstruction…..The breadth of anatomy seen within a typical week (or even within a single day) often includes the head, neck, chest, abdomen, lower and upper extremities, breast, and hand. Some may view this as a liability. Most plastic surgeons, however, welcome the variety and tend to become bored if repeatedly faced with the same types of clinical problems. They enjoy the beauty of anatomy, especially that of the more intricate regions, such as the hand and face."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 407-409.

Plastic Surgery Resources

• Plastic Surgery Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Plastic Surgery Specialty Information

Request a Plastic Surgery Advisor

Marco Ellis, MD
Plastic Surgery Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile

"Physical medicine and rehabilitation is the discipline concerned with preventing, diagnosing, and treating a variety of neurologic, musculoskeletal, and cardiopulmonary disorders through rehabilitative measures. A typical patient base can include, but is not limited to, those with conditions such as strokes, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, postchemotherapy and cancer deconditioning, sports injuries, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and in children, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, and postoperative orthopedic procedures. Because of the vast spectrum of disease, physiatrists can focus on one (or more) of these medical problems."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York.p. 389-390.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Resources

• PM&R Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialty Information
• American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Association of Academic Physiatrists

Request a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Advisor

Allison Kessler, MD, MSc
PM&R Career Advising Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-238-1000

Psychiatry Resources

• Psychiatry Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Psychiatry Specialty Information

Request a Psychiatry Advisor

Michael Marcangelo, MD
Psychiatry Career Advising Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-695-5060

"Radiation oncology is the specialty of medicine that uses radiant energy for treating usually malignant disease and occasionally benign disease. Radiation oncologists are a fundamental component of the interdisciplinary practice of cancer treatment and may act as both consultants to referring physicians and primary oncologist to patients. Using a broad oncologic fund of knowledge, the radiation oncologist approaches the treatment of cancer with meticulous application of his/her technical expertise. If their knowledge base and relationship to the patient is like that of the medical oncologist (doctors who prescribe chemotherapy), the approach is more akin to the surgeon."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 435.

Radiation Oncology Resources

• Radiation Oncology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Radiation Oncology Specialty Information

Request a Radiation Oncology Advisor

"Radiology is the branch of medicine in which radiologic images are interpreted for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Technological advances in medical imaging - and its growing role in the diagnosis and management of disease - have transformed radiology into one of the premier fields of modern medicine. Many of the greatest achievements in health care have come from radiologists."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p.453.

Radiology Resources

• Radiology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Radiology Specialty Information

Request a Radiology Advisor

Senta M. Berggruen, MD
Radiology Career Advising Co-Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-695-5753

Jonathan Samet, MD
Radiology Career Advising Co-Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-695-5753

Cecil Wood, MD
Radiology Career Advising Co-Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-695-5753

Surgery Resources

• Surgery Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Surgery Specialty Information
• Medical Student Information on Surgical Residencies
• Essentials on General Surgery Residencies
• American Board of Surgery
• Association for Surgical Education
• American College of Surgeons

Request a Surgery Advisor

Tad Tomita, MD
Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile

Rebecca Williams, MD, PhD
Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile

"Urology is a surgical subspecialty focusing on the urinary tract of men and women, as well as the reproductive system of men. …Urologists are masters of everything that has to do with the passage of urine, from its production in the kidney to its release through the urethra. They surgically correct problems such as obstructing posterior urethral valves in newborn boys or bladder outlet obstruction caused by benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) in elderly men. Urinary tract infections (UTIs), which affect every age group and can be quite destructive, make up a large proportion of cases seen by urologists, especially if it progresses to a worrisome infection of the kidney itself (pyelonephritis).”

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 467.

Urology Resources

• Urology Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Urology Specialty Information
• American Urological Association

Request a Urology Advisor

Robert E. Brannigan, MD
Urology Career Advising Coordinator
View Faculty Profile
312-695-6124

"Vascular surgery involves the arteries and veins of the entire body, from the neck to the distal extremities. Surgical procedures include carotid endarterectomies, arte­riovenous fistulas, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs, bypass procedures to revascularize threatened extremities, angiographic procedures, amputations for ischemia, repair of pseudoaneurysms, and repair of any type of disruption of blood vessels. Vascular surgery is now characterized by procedures including endovas­cular AAA repairs, carotid stent grafting, peripheral endovascular therapies, and advances in vascular technology and research. There is an increasing demand for vascular surgeons given the aging population with vascular diseases. Due to the fact that the vascular disease process is not limited to specific parts of the body, patients often have heart, pulmonary, and comorbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and increased cholesterol. Therefore, these patients are very sick and high-risk operative candidates. Vascular surgeons are skilled operators who operate despite dangerous conditions in hopes of improving the lives of their debilitated patients. The fellowship is 2 years in length. If you are confident in pursuing a vascular surgery career, you may want to consider applying to several integrated vascular surgery residencies that now exist. They are 5 years in length and the first 2 years cover core general surgery rotations. The last 3 years are dedicated to vascular surgery training."

— Freeman, B. (2013). The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty. 3^rd Ed. Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill: New York. p. 235.

Vascular Surgery Resources

• Vascular Surgery Match Lists
• AAMC Careers in Medicine: Vascular Surgery Specialty Information

Request a Vascular Surgery Advisor

Heron Rodriguez, MD
Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile

Andrew Hoel, MD
Career Advisor
View Faculty Profile