Medical Student Mentorship Program

Medical Student Mentorship Program

Mentor: A wise and faithful counselor or monitor; a teacher or instructor.

Purpose: Medical students believe that their medical training would be greatly enhanced if they could connect with an actively practicing physician to serve as a mentor. It is their desire to foster working relationships with physicians to give them exposure to and observe the work of physicians. Mentor relationships could be as simple as talking on the phone or exchanging e-mails/texts, or it could develop into opportunities for shadowing experiences.

The IMS Medical Student Mentorship Program will by design be informal, but would appreciate the participants following these guidelines.

Expectations of Medical Students:

  1. Be respectful of the physician's time-limit your phone calls to no more than 20 minutes on the phone, or have multiple e-mail threads, text messages, etc. (at least initially). Your mentor will let you know if they have more time to give you.
  2. It is suggested that student contacts/questions/inquiries to mentors should be kept to about 1 per month unless the physician mutually agrees to more frequent contacts.
  3. Your mentor is a source for answers to some of the questions on your mind. Students should feel free to ask questions about the practice of medicine to enhance your knowledge base, and help guide them in the pre-clinical years. But be cautious about getting too specific on some information-exact salaries, bonuses, etc.
  4. It is acceptable for medical students to engage with more than one mentor. This may be beneficial if they have narrowed down their choice of specialty to two or three fields, and believe a mentor might lead them to the specialty that best fits their needs.

For more information, or if you would like to become a mentor please contact:

1001 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines, IA 50265
515-223-1401

Mentors

Expectation of Mentors [+/-]
  1. Be responsive when a student contacts you
  2. Mentor no more than 2 students at one time
  3. Once contacted by a student, set up a date/time for a 15-20 minute phone call.
  4. If you live/practice close to the student, consider meeting him/her for coffee, lunch, dinner
  5. Types of questions students may ask:
    1. Why did you pick your specialty?
    2. What is the licensing examination process like? For DO students, should they take the COMLEX alone, or both the COMLEX and USMLE?
    3. What do you like/dislike about your current practice situation?
    4. What advice do you have as the student chooses a residency program?
    5. Pros & cons of self employment, group practice, being employed.
    6. What is your typical day like-how many hours do you work a day?
    7. What is being "on call" like?
  6. The student may wish to shadow you for a week during the summer or school breaks
Click on physician's name for more information.
Name Specialty Location Phone
Gregory P. Neyman, MD General Practice   
Stuart J. Kolner, MD Dermatology  Ames 515-239-4492 
Donald L. Skinner, Jr., MD Family Medicine  Ames 515-663-4892 
Jamie A. Weydert, MD Pathology (Anatomical/Clinical)  Ames 515-239-4448 
Bethel G. Kopp, MD Internal Medicine  Corning 641-322-5245 
Jeffrey D. Anderson, MD Anesthesiology  Des Moines 515-241-5722 
James H. Bartlett, MD Anesthesiology  Des Moines 515-283-0463 
Louis De Wild, MD Anesthesiology  Des Moines 515-241-5722 
Kathleen M. Massop, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology  Des Moines 515-241-4161 
Lawrence R. Hutchison, MD Family Medicine  Dubuque 563-557-5900 
John C. Moore, MD Allergy and Immunology  Dubuque 563-584-4100 
Michael H. Scott, MD Ophthalmology  Dubuque 563-584-4100 
Dale P. Nystrom, MD Family Medicine  Hawarden 712-551-3400 
Jeanette A. Harrington, MD Anesthesiology  Iowa City 319-356-2633 
Robert A. Lee, MD Family Medicine  Johnston 515-402-2829 
Ronda Dennis-Smithart, MD Pediatrics  Oskaloosa 641-673-7537 
Thomas E. Benzoni, DO Emergency Medicine  Sioux City  
Leah M. Johnson, MD Family Medicine  Sioux City 712-294-5000 
Alexander Pruitt, MD Orthopedic Surgery  Spencer 712-580-2022 
Michael L. Deters, MD Internal Medicine  Waterloo 319-272-2002 
Robert D. Foster, MD Orthopedic Surgery  West Burlington 319-768-3320 
Michael J. Mc Coy, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology  West Burlington 319-768-2750 
Christopher L. Haupert, MD Ophthalmology  West Des Moines 515-222-6400 
Douglas W. Massop, MD Vascular Surgery  West Des Moines 515-875-9090