Does the DO ILearn Mentoring thing actually work?

[ash118]

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Hi All!

I have been trying to find a DO to search in my area (NorthWest Arkansas) and I have been unable to do so. I registered for the ILearn Mentoring from DOs but I have not heard back from any doctors yet. Has this worked for anyone in the past? If so, what advice could you give me?

Also, do you know of any DOs in the NWA area that is okay with having a mentee shadow?


Thank you in advance for any response!

 

[iceman132]

I registered.... Still nothing in my email for some strange reason and can't log in

 

[Postal]

It worked for me when I did it. How long has it been? Some doctors got back to me ridiculously late.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Not for me, tried it last year with 42
doctors. Not a freaking word. Finally just started showing up at doctors offices and handing them my resume, personal statement, and a memo asking for the doctor to contact me about shadowing them. After 12 of those I found one DO trauma surgeon that let me shadow him.

 

[shushumiga]

I had no trouble finding a DO from iLearn. I emaled 5 and heard back from 3. Ended up shadowing 1 of them for 3 months. Before I knew about iLearn I searched for DOs in the AOA website and tried about 15 of them but none of them wanted for me to shadow due to "patient privacy" issues 😡. Sometimes I feel like the "shadowing" activity should not play any part in the application because not every physician is comfortable having a pre-med (thats not even a medical student) to follow them.

 

[Mbeas]

As you can see, it works for some people better than others. Personally, I contacted about 20 docs through the program and heard from one. And the one doc that got backed to me moved out of state, so it forced me to go looking in person (which yielded remarkable results; go figure).

It's kind of interesting, though. Don't the "mentors" sign themselves up to be mentors?

 

[Postal]

It's kind of interesting, though. Don't the "mentors" sign themselves up to be mentors?

They probably signed up with good intentions but find themselves unwilling to have a pre-med shadow them later on...
I also think it depends on location. Some parts of the country may be more D.O. heavy so you might find a mentor more easily in those places.

Make sure you guys are writing good introductory request e-mails and say specifically what you're trying to gain from your mentor. Give details about yourself so that the doc is more inclined to take you on.

If all else fails....go door to door and beg a D.O. to let you shadow them.

 

[Dharma]

I have tried on numerous occasions and never heard a thing. While it may have worked out for others, the fact that so many are left hanging gives this program a bad name. I actually wrote it off as complete b.s. and a lame attempt at PR until I saw that a few people were actually contacted. Now I just see it as a bit of a crapshoot.

Maybe they should inform students of the chance (and a very good chance) that they may NOT hear back from ANYONE instead of passing it off as more of sure shot. I was all excited when I signed up... even on my second attempt and now I'm just disappointed, mostly in these docs that sign up and fail to respond with a simple e-mail. Pretty bogus.

 

[Dharma]

Some parts of the country may be more D.O. heavy so you might find a mentor more easily in those places.

I'm sure that is the case but I signed up in NYC, Brooklyn to be specific, and the area is LOADED with D.O.s.

I think you are from NYC also Postal; I guess you lucked out.

 

[Poliscidoc]

So I just looked at the AOA database and got the names address and faxes of 186 D.O.'s within a 75 mile radius of my zip code. (well I mean just got done- took about an hour)

Already had a generic letter so I just cut and paste their names and I just faxed and/or mailed 186 letters.

Surely someone is going to get back to me? I already have shadowing experience but I would like more...

P.S. - The paper, ink, postage, and faxing all came at the expense of the company I work for 😀

 

[scummie]

I've posted about this before.

In my experience, I signed up for it and tried to get all the DOs that were in my area. At the time, the place I was living in had several million people. So there had to be at least one DO that would talk to me, right? WRONG!

So I rolled up my sleeves, lathered on some elbow grease and google mapped DOs in my area. Seriously. Cold called the first one that came up and the rest is history.

For some people the mentor program works great. I wouldn't wait around for people to contact you though. You'll be 65. Take some initiative. Grow some chest hair.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Well after searching the AOA database I used about 30-40 fax numbers that they had listed for the DO's.

12 of them weren't the correct number (not a fax machine) and I had 7 replies that said Dr. Blank either no longer works there or I have the wrong fax number..


Who in the hell updates these list and iLearn?

 

[stefspets]

The iLearn thing never worked for me. I didn't get any responses. I emailed a doc I met while volunteering and he responded right away. Personal connections, if you have them, or cold calling docs are both better choices than the mentor thing imo.

 

[ksmajmudar]

Had no trouble using it. Emailed about 50 doctors, and got about 20 responses. Some were immediate, but most had about a 1-2 week delay. I live in the northeast though, which has a higher population density, so maybe that's why?

Either way, good luck!

 

[Gigantron]

I live in the Northeast as well. Emailed about 17 docs from the iLearn site and three private Neurosurgery practices (independent of the iLearn website). That equates to about 40+ physicians. However, I have not received a response yet. 😕

Conversely, I had requested a cardiologist nearly two years ago and it worked just fine.

 

[Mbeas]

It's such a great premise and has so much potential, but it doesn't seem like it gets updated frequently...

 

[J-Rad]

From the other side: while in my fellowship, I was contacted to mentor by three people. I responded to all three within one week. Told all who I was and how I thought we could arrange to work together (there definitely can be a hassle to get people authorized to shadow in my training institution due to institutional policy). One was already a volunteer in our ED so there was no issue with going through the appropriate training. This one I met once and we talked for a while and we were going to set up some further times to work together (division leadership was fine with it). Another I though we could get around some of the institutional red tape by having him shadow in an outreach clinic in a city much closer to where he was. He was to get back to me about what times might be good so I could make arrangements to join the outreach staff. The third was to get back to me as to when we could meet and talk and get things rolling on necessary training for the hospital. After said interactions, I never heard another word from any of them again; not even a "thanks" I found someone closer, in a field I'm interested in, staff doc, or anything else. Most likely I'm going to take myself off the iMentor list. My request: if someone gets back to you and circumstances change in such a way that the mentor/mentee thing isn't going to work out for you, have the common courtesy to let them know. I'd just about guarantee that their feelings aren't going to be hurt, and they'll appreciate the heads up.

 

[Poliscidoc]

From the other side: while in my fellowship, I was contacted to mentor by three people. I responded to all three within one week. Told all who I was and how I thought we could arrange to work together (there definitely can be a hassle to get people authorized to shadow in my training institution due to institutional policy). One was already a volunteer in our ED so there was no issue with going through the appropriate training. This one I met once and we talked for a while and we were going to set up some further times to work together (division leadership was fine with it). Another I though we could get around some of the institutional red tape by having him shadow in an outreach clinic in a city much closer to where he was. He was to get back to me about what times might be good so I could make arrangements to join the outreach staff. The third was to get back to me as to when we could meet and talk and get things rolling on necessary training for the hospital. After said interactions, I never heard another word from any of them again; not even a "thanks" I found someone closer, in a field I'm interested in, staff doc, or anything else. Most likely I'm going to take myself off the iMentor list. My request: if someone gets back to you and circumstances change in such a way that the mentor/mentee thing isn't going to work out for you, have the common courtesy to let them know. I'd just about guarantee that their feelings aren't going to be hurt, and they'll appreciate the heads up.

Is iLearn something that you join or is it a database that the AOA just throws you in? Also being a doctor are you more sympathetic to pre meds that ask to shadow you and do you know they really need an LOR?

 

[J-Rad]

Is iLearn something that you join or is it a database that the AOA just throws you in? Also being a doctor are you more sympathetic to pre meds that ask to shadow you and do you know they really need an LOR?

It's voluntary. You identify yourself as someone who would be willing to mentor and then you get an email from the potential mentee (that is routed from the AOA service). I don't really understand your 2nd/3rd questions. I opted into the service because I thought I'd be able to help people get a flavor for medicine (and have read of others' difficulty in finding people to shadow here on SDN on more than one occasion). I assumed all would be looking for an LOR. Beyond that, I'm not sure what you are asking about.

 

[Poliscidoc]

It's voluntary. You identify yourself as someone who would be willing to mentor and then you get an email from the potential mentee (that is routed from the AOA service). I don't really understand your 2nd/3rd questions. I opted into the service because I thought I'd be able to help people get a flavor for medicine (and have read of others' difficulty in finding people to shadow here on SDN on more than one occasion). I assumed all would be looking for an LOR. Beyond that, I'm not sure what you are asking about.

Sorry I was watching football and wasn't paying attention. Forgot what I was trying to say but thanks I think you answered everything.

 

[Poliscidoc]

It's voluntary. You identify yourself as someone who would be willing to mentor and then you get an email from the potential mentee (that is routed from the AOA service). I don't really understand your 2nd/3rd questions. I opted into the service because I thought I'd be able to help people get a flavor for medicine (and have read of others' difficulty in finding people to shadow here on SDN on more than one occasion). I assumed all would be looking for an LOR. Beyond that, I'm not sure what you are asking about.

Sorry last question- how long do you believe someone should shadow before they ask for a LOR? Would you get mad if I spent a day with you and asked?