News & Events: Member Articles

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