From the end of the fall semester to the beginning of the spring semester, I participated in the Boonshoft School of Medicine’s AMSA Mentorship Program. As a first-generation college student, I desired additional support, specifically from a medical school with which I was paired, that gave me insights into the inner workings of the admissions process for medical school.
The hosted six sessions over the course of two and a half months. They had structured sessions with topics ranging from MCAT & CASPER to interview prep. Each session was followed by a Q&A.
General Outline:
Session One– Meet your Mentor!
- Every student got paired with a current medical student. During this first session, we got put into breakout rooms with our mentor; my mentor was a first-year medical student, so he had great advice as he had just completed the process himself! We got to know each other and then had the opportunity to ask any general questions we had about the process. At the end of the session, my mentor gave me his contact information. He has been such an amazing mentor and resource. During my MCAT prep in December, he sent me a multitude of CARS resources since this was the section I was struggling with. In addition, he has read and edited two versions of my personal statement, even after the program has technically ended.
Session Two– Study Tips and Pre-Reqs
Session Three– MCAT & CASPER
Session Four– Extracurriculars & Gap Year
Session Five– Personal Statement & Letter of Recommendations
Session Six– AMCAS & Interview Prep
This was truly an amazing program that provided me with more confidence going into this application cycle! At the end of each of these sessions, they sent out the PowerPoint slides and resources, which I have continued to look back on.
AMSA Mentorship Program: https://www.amsa.org/prepare/pathway-to-medical-school/
Other mentorship programs:
