The Toledo Lucas County Academy of Medicine, the
local chapter of the Ohio State Medical Association, is preparing to
launch a new community program to benefit pre-medical students enrolled at
The University of Toledo. The Academy of Medicine Mentorship Program or
AMP, will link local community physicians with students early in their
academic career. The idea is to not only support the students with
information but also help pre-med students clarify their career choice.
Medical training is a long and difficult process and some pre-med students
may have little or no contact with it prior to selecting medicine as a
career option. The program will assist by linking them with someone who
can provide information about all aspects of a career in medicine.
Over the next several months, local physicians, of
all specialties, will be recruited to participate in the program. They
will be asked to consider speaking to groups of pre-med students or to
serve as a one-on-one mentor. Pre-medical students have questions about
all aspects of a medical career, including things like personal time,
lifestyle and interests, time commitment. They also want to know about
various medical specialties, training requirements, how the healthcare
system really works. Our community physicians will be asked to share a
bit of themselves with the students to give them the real flavor of what
it is like to be a physician in Toledo. Students will find that images of
physicians created by the media, especially television comedies and
dramas, do not always reflect reality.
It is hoped that the mentorship program will become a
lasting community benefit for UT students, strengthening its already
strong pre-med program. It will be another way for the members of the
local medical community to provide service to the Toledo area’s needs.
You may see or hear more about it as the summer progresses and when the
program launches with the start of fall classes at UT. If you have
questions, you can contact the Academy of Medicine at
www.toledomedicine.org or
419-473-3200.
James North, MD
Academy of Medicine of Toledo and Lucas County
