APA mentoring

[PeeWee137]

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has anyone had experience trying to find a mentor thru the APA? im still a med student but i have sort of a odd situation, so im on the 5 year plan technically. im in my limbo year between 3rd and 4th year rotations. aside from you wonderful people on SDN, has anyone contacted any of the mentors thru the APA? i've found some people locally, who are specifically willing to mentor on choosing a residency. any advice would be appreciated. thanks!

 

[whopper]

You might want to check the local APA members though the APA or through your state's specific APA chapter.

I'm VP of the residents' chapter of the NJPA. Its easier to locate a mentor that's within a reasonable geographic distance to yourself.

 

[PeeWee137]

thanks for your reply. the APA mentor site gives a location for everyone so I can choose one near me. the NY psych association website is kind of lame and lacking information. But i have emailed them to ask about mentoring. any other ideas? thank you.

 

[gioia]

You mentioned that you are between year 3 and 4?

Have you done a psychiatry rotation?

If so, and if you were pleased with that rotation, you may consider requesting the mentorship of an attending with whom you worked.

The best advice I have regarding mentoring is:

1. know what you would like to achieve from a mentor
2. choose a mentor that shares similar interests or has experience in a field that you would like to explore
3. Think of ppl you admire and have worked with and consider asking them if they are willing to mentor
4. Ask your potential mentor if they have mentored before and if they are currently mentoring anyone

😉

 

[PsychMD2100]

Agree with gioia,

It's best to start locally. Although the APA is good, their contacts may be private practice types that may not be as helpful to your immediate goals of getting a psych letter of recommendation and applying to psych residency.

Find a mentor at your hospital with whom you've had good experiences.

 

[PeeWee137]

thank you for the advice. i did my psych rotation and i absolutely loved it. its the place i want to match at. i already have a strong LOR from the attending i worked with. i was just looking for some advice on 4th year rotations and basically how i can get them to choose me for residency. if it were only that simple... 🙂
the only thing that is hindering me is the time commitment. i had an opportunity to "shadow" the psych residency director at that same hospital, but psych is pretty much a 9-5 job, but i am stuck on my school's campus for those exact same hours. so unfortunately that didnt pan out. i have kept in contact with them just so they remember my name. but i thought i'd give the APA mentoring a shot, since it seems to be through email which is alot easier for me.
i appreciate your replies! 👍