So You’ve Made It to UCSF: What’s Next?

Right now, you are probably overwhelmed by the frantic bustle of returning to school, wondering where your next classroom is, looking for a study buddy and watching any savings you have evaporate in rental or textbook costs. Hopefully you’re also still basking in the pride of having made it to UCSF!

But in a few months, once you’ve settled in the routine of classes, exams and endless shuttle or elevator rides, you might well ask yourself: What’s next? What comes after UCSF? And how do I prepare for it?  That’s when you’ll want to turn to the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD).

The OCPD helps students from all UCSF schools hone their academic or professional skills, decide on a career path and prepare for a successful job hunt.

• Are you a pharmacy student looking for an internship? A dentistry student preparing a research poster? The OCPD staff can help you polish your resume or craft an outstanding poster presentation.

• Are you a graduate student interested in teaching? The OCPD organizes teacher training and teaching opportunities.

• Are you going to a professional meeting and unsure about how to put a talk together or how to network with strangers? The OCPD runs workshops on slide presentations and on networking at conferences.

• Are you trying to figure out how to approach a difficult professional conversation with a supervisor or mentor? We can help you craft a conversation strategy.

• Are you unsure whether you’ll go into private practice or residency? Academia or industry? Research, teaching or the clinic? The OCPD offers workshops and one-on-one consultations to help you find the career path that’s right for you.

Where to find us?

OCPD has offices located on the Parnassus campus (Medical Sciences Building, Room S-140) and on the Mission Bay campus (Community Center, Room CC310). You can call (415) 476-4986 or e-mail (ocpd@ucsf.edu) to make an appointment.  

In the meantime, check our extensive Web site (http://career.ucsf.edu/). It describes our programs and services for each school and specialty, has links to a detailed calendar of OCPD-sponsored events and gives you access to a wide collection of annotated samples — residency letters, cover letters, CVs and resumes, and sample interview questions — to help you prepare for your next move.

Note: The OCPD serves not only students but also postdoctoral researchers. Our one-on-one consultations are free and confidential. 

URL: career.ucsf.edu; telephone: (415) 476-4986; email: ocpd@ucsf.edu