Health professions students: Volunteer to mentor an undergraduate student who is interested in rural healthcare.
Why be a mentor?
Give back
Think back to your experiences transitioning from high school to undergrad, and to your journey applying for your current program. Could you have used some advice? Be that person for a rural student!
Help a rural-minded student reach their goal of having a career in rural healthcare. Help your mentee learn how to leverage their passion for rural, understand the skills needed to succeed in their current and desired programs, and share your experiences working in a rural healthcare setting.
What’s in it for you?
- eMentoring is low commitment, high reward: participate in the program on your own time while making a valuable and meaningful mentoring connection.
- Learn skills such as online communication, peer-mentorship, handling difficult situations, cultural competency and building trust and rapport.
- Get access to unique professional development opportunities.
- We love to help our mentors out by providing volunteer hour verifications and professional references (for jobs, co-ops, placements, residencies, etc.) – just ask!
How the program works
Share your experiences, provide advice and support about: rural healthcare career pathways, academics, skill development, applying to programs, student life, etc.
Not sure what to talk about? We provide Conversation Sparkers that can prepare you for your discussions, help organize your thoughts, and help you support your mentee.
An undergraduate student or recent college/university graduate who:
- Has a connection to rural, either:
- Lived in a rural community.
- Interested in working in a rural community.
- Is interested in a healthcare career.
These students sign up for the program voluntarily and could be looking for guidance in several areas, including:
- Considering what kind of health profession to pursue
- Succeeding in undergraduate education
- Transitioning from rural to urban
- Pathways to their desired career
- Applying to programs
- What to expect in their desired program
- Academic and professional skills
- Balancing life and academic commitments, e.g. extracurriculars, funding your education, mental health, relationships, etc.
Fill out a questionnaire and get matched to a mentee with similar goals and interests
Choose how and when to communicate with your mentee: you can exchange messages through our online platform, write emails, video chat, meet-up in person, even game online together – whatever suits you!
Eligibility
Mentors must meet the following criteria:
- Currently enrolled in a health professions program: e.g. current med students, nursing students, pharmacy students, graduate students, etc.
- Connected to rural: from a rural community or planning on practicing in a rural community.
Not sure if you’re eligible? Ask us e.mentoring@ubc.ca
How to apply
- Complete our application form
- Take our short course that introduces you to the program and your role as a mentor. If, after taking the course, you decide that this opportunity is not for you, you will be able to exit the course before applying to the program.
- Complete your mentoring profile: if you are accepted as a mentor, your mentees will be able to view this portion of the form.
- Program training: If you are accepted as a mentor, you must complete online training on your own time. Training includes developing appropriate and meaningful relationships online, handling difficult issues, and program logistics. (1 hour)
- After you have completed training: We will invite you to create an account on our online platform, and you will be eligible to be matched. The eMentoring staff will match you to a mentee when someone compatible becomes available.