A mentor in med school

[kouentou13]

Hey all,

I've recognized the benefit of finding a mentor and the transfer of knowledge that naturally comes from the relationship. I'm starting med school in the fall and am eagerly looking forward to finding an amazing mentor, but right now I'm wondering 2 things:

1. How do you think is the best way/approach in finding a suitable mentor when I don' know what speciality I'm specifically interested in. I know interest groups can help me narrow down a list, and I'm planning on exploiting that resource, and maybe that's the first step and then the mentor will come. Thoughts?

2. Who's your mentor? What have you learned from him/her?

Thanks!

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[natti101]

Would love to hear responses to this as well, please.

 

[Jepstein30]

There are a lot of ways to get a mentor in med school.

Some schools will have specific programs that do this. For instance, my school has a program that you sign up for and they pair you with a physician mentor that you can talk to about whatever over the course of the four years. If you have a specific specialty in mind, they will try to match you up.. but otherwise, you'll still get one.

There are also programs built through research, which I think is a common route for mentors. Your PI (presumably in a field you are interested in) is sort of an automatic mentor.. and if your in a research track program, you may have an additional general research mentor on top of that.

I think just play it by ear. Explore some specialties you are interested in. Attend some lunch talks in various fields. Find a few you like and look some more. If you find someone you think would be a great resource, just ask. I did that myself for my PI this summer. It's a field I'm interested in but more importantly, a physician that I thought could be a good mentor.

Don't expect to find someone who will take you by the hand and tell you what to do. Don't expect your 'mentor' to be one person, either. Don't expect your mentor not to change..

 

[mmmcdowe]

My biggest mentors haven't been of a specific specialty, but of a specific light that drew me to them. People I want to be like as a doctor, who do medicine (regardless of what type) in a way that seems to me at least a better way than the norm. The person who did the most for me in medical school was a neurologist. He forced me to improve the way I approached problems and how I organized things. While the subject that I organize and approach is different, the method is still the same. He also almost made me cry on rotations and high passed me, lol.

 

[Law2Doc]

Some schools assign you one, and that guarantees you a willing mentor, but honestly once you pick a specialty you are best off picking someone in that field. IMHO, there's no good or non-awkward way to do this. Once you pick a Specialty, start by asking an attending or two in that field if you can shadow them and see a procedure/surgery/rounds whatever in your "spare" time. If they seem receptive to you being there and after they do some teaching, maybe ask them if you can pick their brain for some career advice within the specialty. If they take the bait you are set. If not, try again with someone else in the field. If you are research oriented you can see if they have some research project you can work on too. Getting a good mentor is kind of like building any kind of relationship -- you have to put yourself out there and work for it.

 

[MedWonk]

Hey all,

I've recognized the benefit of finding a mentor and the transfer of knowledge that naturally comes from the relationship. I'm starting med school in the fall and am eagerly looking forward to finding an amazing mentor, but right now I'm wondering 2 things:

1. How do you think is the best way/approach in finding a suitable mentor when I don' know what speciality I'm specifically interested in. I know interest groups can help me narrow down a list, and I'm planning on exploiting that resource, and maybe that's the first step and then the mentor will come. Thoughts?

2. Who's your mentor? What have you learned from him/her?

Thanks!

Interest groups can be helpful if you have no idea what you're interested. Another way would be to just shadow someone in a specialty you might be interested in, which should be easy to arrange as a med student. Sometimes there are programs your school has that can hook you up with someone who is willing to mentor med students. Another way, as someone else mentioned, would be through ECs like research. Generally, the school has the resource in place, but it's up to you to seek it out and use it.

I have an official mentor and two unofficial ones. The official mentor is the one everyone is assigned to, while the one unofficial mentor is someone who I (sort of) sought out because I expressed a passing interest in peds at the time, and he pretty much latches on to anyone who expresses an interest in peds. The other is someone I worked with prior to med school. I suppose the most important mentoring I received during M1 is that I am more than just my preclinical grades. Not that we should be skating by, but realize that most doctors around you were average in their class (even the ones in your med school). Don't worry about the grade unless you're failing/close to failing.

 

[operaman]

Beautifully put, SS.

For the OP, another way is to ask upperclassmen applying to fields you're considering. I get asked this a lot and am pretty good and getting people hooked up with the faculty who really enjoy mentoring students. It definitely has to fit though and sometimes it takes a little searching. As SS said, you will likely find multiple mentors who you turn to for guidance in different areas. Most of these are not formalized and kind of evolve on their own.

As a first year, I would ask upperclassmen first and then reach out to faculty to shadow in your free time. Attend IG meetings and stick around and chat with the faculty who are there if you find yourself genuinely interested in what they're doing. If you have someone in your dean's office or student affairs office who has been around awhile, you can ask them which people you might approach. Your school may have a formalized process as well, but as others have said, this can be hit or miss and is often just another mandatory meeting where you get a form signed that says you were there. Our school is a little better at this in that they had us list fields we were considering and then paired us up with people in those fields and also let students switch if their career plans change or the relationship isn't really working well.

OP, I think this is an excellent question to be thinking about early and the fact that you asked about it suggests you will do very well. I think many schools have a hard time giving students adequate opportunities for career exploration, especially in fields that are not core rotations. Too often I hear of people who only find they love something like Rad Onc or Derm or ENT later in the third year and have little time to really prepare a strong application. It really does fall to students to do their own due diligence and get exposure to everything they can, and through this exploration you will likely find your mentors.

 

[touchpause13]

When do you think it's a good idea to start looking for a mentor?

 

[moonwake]

+1 on this thread- I shadowed a surgeon over the summer and he was an invaluable resource that helped me come to grips with reality and he was invested in my future - not like every physician you shadow.

 

[charmiedermie]

When do you think it's a good idea to start looking for a mentor?

I would say second half of 1st year so you can maybe get involved in a clinical research project with a faculty member you mesh well with that upcoming summer.

 

[touchpause13]

I would say second half of 1st year so you can maybe get involved in a clinical research project with a faculty member you mesh well with that upcoming summer.

Me and research don't really get along haha.

 

[charmiedermie]

Me and research don't really get along haha.

That's why I said clinical research and do it in an area of a specialty you're passionate about. All specialties have areas in which they're trying to find new info. You can also write review articles or case reports. That counts as clinical research too.

 

[Samir Desai]

A few years back, I wrote an article on mentoring for SDN which covers some important issues:

http://www.studentdoctor.net/2008/04/the-successful-match-2/?reload=1&r=1424555860812

Glad to see that you're thinking about how to develop a mentoring relationship.

Samir Desai

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Pre-clinical years, your professors have amazing potential to be mentors. You go to class, and see them regularly usually, so it's easy to get in touch with them. Many of our pre-clinical professors were enthusiastic, and happy to help and get to know students. A few of my classmates often times went to chat with them and developed relationships with them. Since they worked with incoming med students, they also knew a lot about the ins/outs of the school and what we were going through. So they are great sources of advice.

My school also does a preceptor program, where you get paired with a resident or doctor for a year and they take you up with them to practice history taking/physical exam stuff on real patients. I had a lot in common with the resident I had first year, and she was incredibly approachable and friendly. Though I'm done with the preceptorship and am a second year now, we still keep in touch and she's served a mentor as well.

You'll be in contact with so many, professors, doctors, and residents, you'll likely find that you click well with at least one of them. If you do, try and get to know them more and you might find yourself with an amazing mentor. Keep your eyes and ears open, and see who you mesh with.

Best of luck! I wish I had taken the time to develop some good relationships with my professors earlier in first year. My mentors in college, were so caring, and helped me so much and I realize how important they are here in med school.

 

[spicysoup55]

Definitely agree that a med school mentoring relationship is important for getting advice on specialties, research, life, etc. On the flip side, what can med students offer in return? I'm wondering because a "two-way" relationship would probably be stronger.

 

[Psai]

Definitely agree that a med school mentoring relationship is important for getting advice on specialties, research, life, etc. On the flip side, what can med students offer in return? I'm wondering because a "two-way" relationship would probably be stronger.

being a good student by being engaged, well prepared by reading, performing research, etc.

 

[pd1112]

Go to every interest group physician panel no matter the specialty, pick out a few to ask to shadow, then go from there. You might be able to connect right away or it might take a few days of shadowing over the course of the semester/year. For me, it was pretty obvious which faculty were truly interested in students and which ones were physicians who just happened to be at an academic center.

 

[familyaerospace]

When do you think it's a good idea to start looking for a mentor?

As soon as you can find one. In your case, don't forget to look at GLMA's site which is how I found mine.

1. How do you think is the best way/approach in finding a suitable mentor when I don' know what speciality I'm specifically interested in. I know interest groups can help me narrow down a list, and I'm planning on exploiting that resource, and maybe that's the first step and then the mentor will come. Thoughts?

I was really lucky and when I was doing my sheer mountain of shadowing, I found a few resources of mentors through professional organizations. I was really trying to just acquire shadowing resources, but it turned into more. One mentor issue didn't work out because of how the hospital was. Another mentor (from GLMA) did and he has been one of my mentors for years. Now one of my personal physicians who did some behind the scenes work to help me is coming to the forefront to be more active.

2. Who's your mentor? What have you learned from him/her?

My main mentor is an internist. I really wasn't that interested in internal medicine at the time of contact but I have started to enjoy it. It's now on my short list of specialties to consider due to all the "What specialty should you be" routinely putting it in the top 5 plus my experience. I personally give the specialty a B+. As for what I learned from him, what DIDN'T I learn from him? I can ask more questions than anyone I know. The poor man also gets recruited for fashion advice. He is a pretty snazzy dresser, although it bothers me that he doesn't know which is Tom and which is Jerry from his "Valentine's Day" tie. (Really Dr S, if you are reading this, how do you get through medical school and residency without knowing that vital bit of information? Tom is a Tom Cat, get it?)

My secondary is my neurologist who like me majored in anthropology. I think I learned how to deal with a difficult patient from him. He really needs to win an award for having me as a patient. ;-)

I also think it is important to have a non-medical related mentor too. I have a few rabbis that take turns doing mentoring duty.

 

[touchpause13]

I'm just unsure about how this all works. Like did you just email someone and ask hey will you be my mentor pretty please?

 

[familyaerospace]

I'm just unsure about how this all works. Like did you just email someone and ask hey will you be my mentor pretty please?

You don't ask specifically for that, it just ideally evolves into a mentor role. First off, meet someone. See if you mesh well with them. Start asking them questions (eventually move towards "life" questions), if they answer them, you might have found yourself a mentor. It generally doesn't happen overnight.

How come every time people talk about finding or working with a mentor, it ends up sounding sexual?

One of my professors (who was on my thesis committee and was a good friend's dissertation adviser) said working on a dissertation with someone is about as close as one can get without ending up in bed with them. Mentorship isn't that far off!