Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. April Renee Ruffin. In this episode, they talk about everything you need to know about mentorship and finding the right mentor at the early stages of your medical career.
- [00:00] Introduction
- [03:54] The Importance of Mentorship
- [09:30] How Do You Find a Mentor?
- [13:33] How Many Mentors Should You Get?
- [18:47] Dr. Ruffin’s Advice For Those Starting Out in Medicine
- [20:39] Parting Words
The Importance of Mentorship
There’s existing literature that suggests how students excel academically and have higher graduation rates when they have a mentor no matter what grade they’re in. Mentors even help with promotions, sponsorships, and other career development. But beyond that, mentors also help you grow as a person. It helps you learn new skills, identify gaps in your own skill sets, and develop new ones. Mentees eventually become mentors and are able to keep that cycle going, mastering a certain level of expertise and being able to share that knowledge to someone else.
For graduate and medical students looking to find a mentor, first start with the community that you have around you. For undergrads on the other hand, you can look to certain professors that you may have a good relationship with, and even organizations. Look their bios up online and don’t be afraid to say hello and set an appointment. If you don’t have any organizations you can reach out to, you can take advantage of different clubs and organizations that have partnerships or affiliations with the school who can offer support and assistance. Harnessing the power of social media and finding your interest groups are also a plus.
You can find Dr. Ruffin on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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