Felix A. Okah, MD, MS
Assistant Dean for Career Services,
okahf@umkc.edu
M4-205C, 816-235-2189
Kristen Kleffner, M.Ed.
Manager of Career Counseling
kleffnerk@umkc.edu
M4-205G, 816-235-1811
Kim Kalaiwaa
Senior Office Support Assistant
kalaiwaak@umkc.edu
M4-205F, 816-235-1900
Office of Career Services
- Overview
- Learning Activities in Career Advising by Year in Medical School
- Career Advising Elective for the Undecided Student
Career Advising
- Meet with students individually as they develop Curricula Vitae and Personal Statements; advise on career choice, residency selection and interviewing process.
- Presentations on how to:
- Assess compatibility and ‘fit’ with different career paths
- Explore specialty options and make an informed choice
- Construct Curricula Vitae and Personal Statements
- Research residency programs and prepare to be a competitive applicant
- Interview skillfully and follow up properly
- Establishment of a database of physician specialists in the Kansas City area and elsewhere who are willing to mentor students in their specialty exploration and choice.
- Meet with the School of Medicine’s student interest groups, e.g., Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, etc. to assist with members’ career planning process.
Match Services
- Prepare Dean’s Letters of Evaluation and process accompanying material for the matching program, including processing letters, transcripts, board scores, etc.
- Monitor the Electronic Residency Application Service, including processing applications, letters of reference, transcripts, photos, etc. (Specialties currently include: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Physical Medicine (&) Rehabilitation, Transitional year programs, combined Internal Medicine/Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine/Family Medicine, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, Internal Medicine/Physical Medicine (&) Rehabilitation, and all Army GME-1 positions.
- Enroll students in the National Resident Matching Program.
Additional Resources
- UMKC Career Services
- Specialty Mentors
- NRMP/AAMC – Charting Outcomes in the Match
- NRMP – Results and Data – Results of the 2018 Program Director’s Survey
- AAFP’s Strolling Through the Match
- ERAS Residency Webpage
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
- AAMC Careers in Medicine Webpage – To use this webpage, you must have an existing account or get a temporary access ID from your ETC. With temporary access, you can set-up your account. Click here to login
- FREIDA Online – database of nearly 9,000 accredited GME programs and over 200 combined specialty programs