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The virtual advisor program: linking students to mentors via the world wide web
Wendy C Coates1, Felix Ankel, Adrienne Birnbaum
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90509-2910, USA. coates@emedharbor.edu
Summary
This study highlights a virtual advisor program connecting medical students with emergency medicine (EM) faculty mentors. The program successfully provided career guidance to students lacking access to EM residency programs.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Career Development
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Emergency Medicine (EM) is a sought-after medical specialty.
- Many medical students lack mentorship from affiliated EM residency programs.
- Students often seek specialized career advice based on interests and location.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the characteristics of users of a Web-based virtual advisor program.
- To outline the pairing of medical students with Emergency Medicine faculty advisors.
Main Methods:
- Prospective users accessed the virtual advisor via the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) homepage.
- Demographic data and user guidelines were collected.
- Students registered for a virtual advisor; faculty mentors were assigned based on student preferences via electronic communication.
Main Results:
- 264 students from North American and international medical schools requested a virtual advisor.
- 121 faculty advisors from 56 U.S. medical schools participated.
- Qualitative feedback from both students and faculty was positive.
Conclusions:
- The virtual advisor program facilitated access to experienced EM faculty career mentors for medical students.
- This initiative addresses mentorship gaps for students pursuing Emergency Medicine careers.