MSMA Introduces: Medical Student Mentor Program

Membership recruitment and retention is a critically important task for any organization. At the Missouri State Medical Association, it is especially important that we reach out to medical students— our youngest colleagues. Yet, any invitation must also provide benefits that make membership and participation rewarding.

Ravi Johar, MD, (then MSMA President) and I had the opportunity to discuss ideas with three University of Missouri - Columbia (UMC) medical students—Ariel Carpenter, Matt Faubion, and Jared Lammert during an American Medical Association meeting. From our brainstorming arose the idea of a “Medical Student Mentor Program.” The program pairs a medical student with a graduate physician (MSMA member) in our state. Some physicians might have as many as five students. Geographic and specialty interests of the student is also accommodated. This relationship may be as simple as an occasional phone call or email from the student to his/ her mentor to ask basic questions or advice. Such issues as career direction, clerkship priorities, or residency choices might benefit greatly from the input of a graduate physician, who would have experienced this themselves. The student and Missouri physician might also choose to meet in Columbia or the mentor’s community. Obviously, a valuable relationship could develop. This would hopefully also promote the student’s connection to the MSMA and all that it has to offer.

A “Pilot Program” of this mentoring concept – initially at one institution – is necessary before expanding it to all seven Missouri medical and osteopathic schools. UMC was chosen for this effort, due to its central location. Patrice Delafontaine, MD, UMC School of Medicine Dean, and Michael Hosokawa, EdD, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Education, warmly received the Student Mentor Program. MSMA is thus introducing the program and initial enrollment of UMC medical students at the start of the 2017–2018 academic year. Recruitment of graduate physician mentors started at MSMA’s Annual Convention. It was gratifying that some 60 MSMA members promptly volunteered! Dr. Johar is the coordinator, in collaboration with MSMA staff and Executive Committee.

If all goes as planned, the Medical Student Mentor Program could, over a few years, expand to involve students at the other six medical and osteopathic institutions. It might also be possible to involve residents at those training sites, as they would also benefit from graduate physician mentors. Over time, we hope the program grows into a large network of physicians, medical students, and residents. It would certainly be a great model for participation and membership recruitment/retention.

As this program develops, we need the help of more graduate physicians around Missouri. This would require a minimum of time commitment, but would likely provide benefits for years to come. Contact MSMA’s Haley Wansing at 800-869-6762, email hwansing@msma.org, or sign up at www.msma.org/student-mentorship.