Mentor Expectations
The MOM program includes a dynamic team of Ophthalmologist Mentors dedicated to working with students to reach their career goals. Mentors guide their students through their formal education and help them to become competitive residency applicants. Mentors are asked to:
- Support their student's career development as they explore different areas of medicine
- Demonstrate how ophthalmologists positively contribute to the health care community by preventing vision loss from diseases, such as diabetes and glaucoma
- Illustrate how ophthalmologists help protect patients' valuable eyesight and ophthalmology is fulling to them, personally
- Mentors and students are expected to communicate by phone or in-person three to four times per year or more frequently, when needed
- Mentors meet with their students at AAO 2019 in San Francisco on October 12 and 13.
Speaker Expectations
The MOM program, through a competitive application process for college and medical students, introduces them to ophthalmology, guides them through their educational year, helping them to become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants. As a speaker, we ask that you:
- Learn about the MOM program so that you are comfortable speaking about it and answering questions
- Reach out to local colleges and medical schools to tell their diversity officers and/or under-represented minority* (URM) students about the MOM program, encouraging them to apply
- Using our library of PowerPoints, flyers and other resources, speak about the many facets of ophthalmology and why you love being an ophthalmologist
You should schedule outreach opportunities to speak between January and June. The deadline for students to apply for the MOM Class of 2019 is June 15.
Dates and Deadlines (2019)
- June 15: Student Application Due (application opens November 1, 2018)
- July 15: Mentor Interest Form Due (interest form opens November 1, 2018)
- July 15: Student Acceptance Notifications Sent
- July 29: Mentor Status Notifications Sent
- October 12 and October 13: Student Engagement Weekend at AAO 2019 (San Francisco, California)