Beta Mu Chapter
Annual Mentorship Program
Gabriel Vivas PharmD Candidate 2024
Background
Methods
Result
Discussion and Barriers
Being a new student at a graduate level program can be found to be challenging for some people and the transition from an undergraduate curriculum to a graduate one can difficult for most. Therefore, PLS Beta Mu Chapter, every fall, hosts a mentorship program to help the Temple University new pharmacy students navigate their first year in the curriculum.
The main barrier that it is sometimes observed is continuous involvement, as after the mentee-mentor match happens some students do not keep frequent communication with their mentee/mentor, so constant checking, and reminders from the PLS officers is required. For the past few years, the program has allowed many pharmacy students to create and maintain good relationships with their counter part as well as help them growth as future health care professionals. For PLS the goal is to maintain the program running for the years to come due to all the success among the student body.
We start by recruiting new and old students in the program by doing morning class announcements, emails and social media advertisements. We provided all students with a link to a google form in which they can enroll as mentees if they are in their first professional year; while students in their second and third year would enroll as mentors. When registering both, mentees and mentors, can choose what qualities and characteristics they would like in their counterpart (professional interest, academic success, networking, sex, hobbies, goals, etc.) and can also talk a little bit about themselves, which will allow us to make a more educated decision when matching them. Once the registration period is concluded we use the data collected from both groups and match each first year student with one or two upperclassmen whose goals, interests and characteristics match the best with the ones from a first year student.
Then we organized a meet and greet with all mentees and mentors for them to get to know each other better and establish that relationship that will allow for a more successful program.
For the last few years the enrollment average for the program has been over 100 students each year matching over 50 new students with over 50 upperclassman, each year. This program gives everyone involved the opportunity to expand their networking and develop their communication skills, at the same time it allows mentees to learn more about pharmacy from someone with experience in the program and in the profession, and it allows mentors to develop their tutoring and leadership skills as they take on the role of helping a new student to feel more comfortable in the program