Just matched a mentor

[JeetKuneDo]

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I just made an appointment to see a mentor that I was matched with from teh Osteopathic mentor website. I already have some questions down, but any tips on what I should ask/talk about? What did anyone here that's gone through the process talk about?

 

[Chocolate Bear]

What's the meeting about? Are you planning on shadowing this doc? Getting a letter?

 

[JeetKuneDo]

What's the meeting about? Are you planning on shadowing this doc? Getting a letter?

For one physician, I'm just going to go to his office and have a brief Q&A session. He says he has other premeds that are shadowing him at the moment, so I probbly dont have the option of shadowing.

I am also meeting another physician to discuss DO schools and some more Q&A. I think I can get a shot at shadowing this one. Also, she went to med school at my top choice school, so hopefully I'll get a LOR from her 🙂


Finally, what questions should I ask during the interview?

 

[Chocolate Bear]

If I personally had a few minutes to sit down with a current doc for a Q&A session, I'd probably try to get a feel for what his(/her) lifestyle was like and if he felt it to be common within that particular specialty, what political issues may affect his practice by the time I'm licensed, would he do it all again and why, and what would he say the most important criteria is for determining where you go to med school (like, does he wish he had received more opportunities in X or more exposure to Y).

 

[mic2377]

I have several tips.
1. Be prepared to talk about "why medicine."
2. Be at least somewhat educated about the dr.'s specialty, what it involves, procedures, etc.
3. Be prepared to demonstrate that your a capable and driven individual, preferably one who is dedicated to healthcare for the "long haul."
4. Also, consider the "why DO" question. The importance of this will vary depending on the Dr. in question. The one I am with never used OMM, and was a surgeon, so this question was of less importance.

I had no idea what to expect when I first went to the meeting. I figured he would probably have more questions to ask then me. It turned out he was a former trauma surgeon in the armed forces, and I had a great time talking to him about his experiences. I also talked about some of the issues in healthcare that the US is experiencing right now - I have first-hand experience with it from my EMS career, and it was a good common ground to chat about.

The other Q's about lifestyle and such are good too.

Just go, talk, and be yourself!