Sign up here to join our team of over 2,500 medical student and doctor volunteers from across the UK supporting students from widening participation backgrounds with their journey into medical school.
"Was wonderful to know I am making a difference to these students and en really make sure they have the best shot at getting into medical school. It is such a daunting process and you can see how much these events make a difference to them - especially with interview help!"
- Emily, Year 2 Medicine, University of Southampton
Overview
In2MedSchool is a widening participation initiative that was first established in September 2020 and since then, we have grown to have over 2,500 medical student and doctor volunteers from across the UK wanting to give back to their communities. The initiative aims to support students from widening participation backgrounds with their journey into university, with a focus on medical school applications. Alongside mentoring, we run various webinars and provide a variety of resources to support aspiring medics across the county.
Like every other widening participation initiative, the ultimate aim is to increase the number of students from under-represented groups getting into medical school, as these groups are the ones who receive the least amount of support with regards to applying to medical school. The mentoring scheme aims to achieve this by providing a 1:1 mentoring scheme by matching an aspiring medic with a local medical student or doctor who has signed up to be a mentor.
Applying To Become A Mentor
application Timeline:
-
Apply
-
Submit Safeguarding (receive this within three weeks)
-
Matching process - timing varies with demand
-
First meeting (depends on how quickly you are matched)
-
Meet at least once every half term
-
Up until mentee drops out/get In2MedSchool
Eligibility:
-
Current UK-based Medical Student or a Doctor.
-
Must be enthusiastic about helping a 16-18 year old prospective medical student and be able to offer advice.
-
Must provide evidence of a satisfactory criminal record check (Note: if you are based in Northern Ireland, you will be asked to submit an Enhanced Disclosure Check to AccessNI. More information will follow after you apply).
-
AccessNI policies:
Responsibilities:
-
A mentor’s role is similar to that of a peer mentor – offering a friendly chat and advice.
-
It is entirely up to you and the mentee how many meetings you would like to schedule, however, at least one meeting every half-term is required. Certificates will not be issued if this standard is not met or there is evidence of lack of engagement by the mentor.
-
All meetings should be held via Zoom or Microsoft Teams so that they can be recorded.
-
A mentor’s role is to tailor the meetings to best support the student.
Benefits:
-
Satisfaction from contributing to Mentee's development;
-
Enhanced self-esteem;
-
Improved ability to share experiences and knowledge;
-
Opportunity to participate at In2MedSchool events as a chair, speaker or workshop moderator;
-
Teaching experiences that can be reflected on to enhance a portfolio for junior doctor job applications;
Experience that can be used in an application for further medical education qualifications (e.g. Associate Fellowship to Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) or Membership to the Higher Education Academy (MAcadMEd)).
Information and Resources for Mentors
mENTOR rESOURCES: cLICK hERE
Contact Information:
In the first instance, your first point of contact for questions or feedback relating to your mentorship experience should be your Regional Head.
Other useful contacts include:
Joana Rodrigues
Director of Mentorship
Hannah Okechukwu
Director of Welfare
Brian Wang
Designated Safeguarding Officer
Sign up here to join our team of over 2,500 medical student and doctor volunteers from across the UK supporting students from widening participation backgrounds with their journey into medical school.