A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.

Mentorship can have a profoundly positive effect on those pursuing a medical education.  And yet, despite the critical support that mentors provide, almost 2/3 of MD, DO & PA students never find one.

OMEF committed to solve this problem because Oregon’s students deserve all the help they can get.   Click the Online Application button on the right and start giving back.  

The pandemic has made securing a mentor incredibly difficult - not only are students' opportunities to interact with prospective mentors severely restricted, the bandwidth of our senior practitioners, who otherwise wouldn’t hesitate, is at an all-time low.  Unfortunately, access to this valuable resource for students of color, those who are first in their family to study medicine and/or who are from an underrepresented-in-medicine background has been disproportionately limited as well.  

Benefits of mentorship go both ways

A mentor’s encouragement can aid in decision-making around rotation choice and practice field, and their warm introductions to a professional network can influence a student’s ultimate career trajectory.    

Mentors also benefit - your mentee’s passion for learning helps rekindle your own joy in the practice of medicine, and their fresh curiosity helps you stay current.  

What does a great mentor do: 

• Actively listen, take a genuine interest in your mentee & respect confidentiality
• Freely share your own experiences, and advice when asked
• Be active in your professional networks and willing to introduce your mentee around
• Make time to meet at least monthly and respond promptly in-between
• Provide regular feedback to OMEF coordinator, sharing wins/challenges as they arise.  

OMEF will seek the closest match across a range of factors, including but not limited to:

• Background and demographics
• Medical specialty
• Career goals
• Passion projects and special interests
• Communication style and frequency
• Compatibility on a personal level   

Other Resources

OMEF wants to help all students match to a mentor if needed.  We proudly support the Oregon Medical Association's Mentor Match initiative through our Community Grant program.  Details on that program, including re-launch date, to come.

If you would like us to list your organization's Oregon-based mentor-medical/PA student match program please let us know.