MCW Mentorship Programs for Medical Students: A Comprehensive Overview

Mentoring plays a crucial role in medical education, guiding students in their professional development, career choices, and overall well-being. The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) offers a variety of mentorship programs designed to support medical students at different stages of their education and career exploration. These programs encompass various formats, from traditional one-on-one mentoring to group settings, and cater to diverse interests, including research, specific clinical areas, and career advancement.

The Importance of Mentorship in Medical Education

The evolving landscape of medicine necessitates innovative mentoring models that can effectively guide students. Mentorship programs have been shown to positively impact medical school satisfaction and career development. A review of mentoring programs for medical students revealed that while the traditional dyad model is the most common, a combination of dyad and group mentorship is also frequently used. While outcome measures are often survey-based, with satisfaction being the most frequently assessed metric, programs with objective outcome measures, such as improved residency match data and increased scholarly productivity, tend to be smaller and focused on specific clinical areas.

Summer Academic Programs for Medical Students (SAMS)

The MCW Medical Student and Summer Research Programs, collectively known as SAMS, provide medical students with opportunities to engage in basic science, clinical, or translational research. These programs aim to expose students to cutting-edge research and encourage them to consider careers in research and academic medicine.

Medical Student Summer Research Program

This program, the largest within SAMS, integrates students into the laboratories of full-time MCW faculty investigators. Students gain valuable experience as members of a research team, contributing to the preceptor's ongoing research. The program is highly competitive and funded by various sources, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and internal organizations within MCW.

Key Program Features:

Hands-on research experience: Students actively participate in research projects under the guidance of experienced faculty.
Mentoring relationship: Developing a close mentoring relationship between the student and preceptor is a core objective. Faculty are expected to dedicate time to mentoring and integrating the student into the research environment.
Eligibility requirements: Stand-alone, student-driven projects that are not integral to the preceptor's investigation are not eligible for grant-funded fellowships. Students must take a meaningful role in some aspect of the preceptor’s existing investigation.
Time commitment: The research training must be conducted continuously within the 8 or 10 weeks specified by the funding source, with students and preceptors expected to develop a 40-hour per week work schedule.
Stipend: A stipend is provided to help offset basic living expenses during the training period, although it is not considered a wage or salary.

Honors in Research Program

This optional program allows Medical Student Summer Research trainees to extend their summer research experience throughout their education. The goal is to further explore aspects of their project, potentially generating new data and enhancing their overall research exposure. It is open to MCW medical students who have completed the 8 or 10-week Medical Student Summer Research Training Program under the supervision of MCW faculty. Students are expected to submit an “Intent to Apply” for the Honors in Research program after the annual fall poster session.

Visiting Student Health Equity (VSHE) Program

The VSHE Program offers senior medical students the opportunity to connect with MCW faculty, students, and trainees while receiving mentoring and advising. This award is open to all full-time senior medical students seeking to take a 4-week elective for credit at MCW during the months of June-December. More information is available on the MCW Visiting Senior Medical Students Program page.

Pathology Career Exploration Program

This program is designed for medical students and medical graduates interested in exploring a career in pathology and learning more about the pathology training programs at the Medical College of Wisconsin. A limited number of paid research fellowships are available each summer to MCW-Milwaukee medical students between their M1 and M2 years.

Cancer Research Opportunities

The MCW Cancer Center and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) have partnered to develop an undergraduate research program to train future cancer researchers. The program aims to recruit talented undergraduate students into cancer research labs at MCW early in their undergraduate studies, fostering long-lasting scientific relationships between MCW mentors and UWM mentees. Accepted participants must identify an MCW faculty mentor with a cancer-related research question.

Other Mentorship and Research Programs at MCW

MCW offers a variety of other programs that incorporate mentorship components, including:

Pre-Pharmacy Scholars Program: This program exposes high school and college students to pharmacy career opportunities and includes quarterly mentoring activities. Scholars are required to attend a one-week boot camp on the MCW Milwaukee campus in August.
Program for Undergraduate Research (PURE): This non-paid program provides undergraduate students with experiential research opportunities through the MCW Graduate School.
BUILD: This program offers full-time research opportunities for undergraduate engineering students, providing hands-on experience in biomedical research laboratories.
Genetic Counseling Career Research & Exploration Workshop (GC-CREW): This virtual workshop is designed for undergraduates, recent graduates, and others interested in pursuing a career in genetic counseling.
College STEP-UP: This program supports local undergraduate students interested in pre-medicine and biomedical studies through a four-year curriculum.
Advocates in Medicine Pathway (AMP): This year-long program supports the professional development of individuals from rural and economically or environmentally disadvantaged backgrounds who are interested in attending medical school and practicing primary care in rural Wisconsin.
Cardiovascular Research Center Summer Fellowships: The Cardiovascular Research Center at MCW offers paid summer research fellowships for undergraduates.
Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR): This program provides hands-on research experience for undergraduates interested in biomedical science.
CTSI 500 Stars Initiative: This comprehensive initiative aims to enroll 500 students over ten years into clinical and translational science settings.

MCW Staff Mentorship Program

Recognizing the importance of mentorship for staff development, MCW has also implemented a formal Staff Mentorship Program. This program pairs staff members with mentors (faculty or staff) from outside their department to facilitate networking and professional growth. The program runs on a six-month cycle and includes orientation training, a mentorship manual, and virtual networking sessions. Evaluations of the pilot program showed significant increases in core program areas, demonstrating the program's effectiveness.

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