The primary purpose of the UC Merced Department of Medical Education (DOME) Mentorship program is to build early health career identity among baccalaureate students to support the growth of the health care workforce in the San Joaquin Valley. We aim to do this through small group mentoring that fosters a sense of community and provides mentees with the opportunity to hear the experiences of health career professionals. There are also optional curricular materials and activities that can be used in these sessions so that mentees can begin building important relevant career building skills, including those related to the SJV PRIME+ and AAMC premedical competencies.
In addition to professional mentorship, mentors emphasize the importance of peer support, encouraging students to share experiences, challenges, and successes. This collaborative environment fosters a strong sense of community and resilience, ensuring that every student feels supported on their journey to becoming compassionate and capable healthcare providers.
Mentors make a huge impact on our students by sharing professional insight and helping baccalureate students visualize their own pathways to medicine. We are always looking for more mentors from all health careers to join our program.
For more information or to get involved in the Mentoring Program as a student or health professional mentor, please email mededmentors@ucmerced.edu.
Testimonials
Student, " I found it really helpful how my mentor was able to help connect me to oppertunities specific to me and my goals."
Student, "I liked the mentoring program because it allowed me to ask a professional their opinion and allowed me to gain a mentor."
Student, " I have greatly enjoyed my time with my physician mentors. They have provided wonderful advice surrounding both personal and academic converns."
Mentor, " I enjoyed, listening to the students interact with each other. They seemed relieved when I talked about mishaps that I had in my career, eg. actual clinical mistakes, or the fact that it took me three tries to get into medical school. They aslo seemed attentive when I talked about how I had to adapt to a rigorous academic schedule, both in pre-med and medical school."
Mentor, "I think the oppertunity to contribute to a students' very early introduction to impact concepts like empathy, the importance of communication with patients, and clinical reasoning (problem/puzzle solving) in medicine is very impactful. The students' enthusiasm and fresh perspective has been energizing."
