Initially, the design of the Pathway Program was based on a five-step decision-making model, and these Specialty Profiles and the specialty compatibility exercise are intended to help students survey and evaluate their options.

If you use this program in its entirety, you will have a personal profile of your long-range values and interests that you can compare with profiles of practicing physicians. The exercises provide an opportunity for you to determine what specialties might be the most compatible with your values and interests.

Many students may have access to other components of the Pathway Program and should contact the Office of Student Affairs to inquire about the status of the Program at their schools.

The Pathway Program was developed in 1989 by Glaxo Inc.—currently GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)— a pharmaceutical company with U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC. In the fall of 2001, the administration of the program was transferred to Duke University School of Medicine, supported by a grant from GSK. Working in partnership with GSK, Duke produced this fifth edition of the profiles. An advisory board comprised of medical administrators and faculty members guided the research and development of the program.

Another valuable resource to help students with career planning is the Careers in Medicine Program sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The web address is: www.aamc.org/students/cim/start.htm.

Details of the research design for the Specialty Profiles can be found in Methodology.