I vividly remember the moment when I first took a look at the course listings required for a pre-medical track, biology major, CBS major, and everything else that was offered on SIS, and just feeling this overwhelming sense of being lost. But I also vividly remember sitting down with my mentor and fellow mentees for the first time during one of the first Pre-Medical Society events, and feeling that sense of overwhelming slowly dissipate. As I talked with my fellow freshmen and my sophomore mentor, I saw myself grasping an idea of the directions I would take in order to best handle the rigorous course loads ahead of me.

As the year went by and with each subsequent mentorship event with the society, I felt more and more comfortable with my work, my classes, my extracurricular activities, and just generally being more at ease with the inherent stress of being a pre-medical student. I had also decided to pursue a biology and CBS double major, so that did the exact opposite of helping the burden. However, never once did I feel that I did not know what I was doing, much thanks to the help of discussing my possibilities with my mentor and my mentor group, who were currently or had been in the same shoes as me.

The following year, as a sophomore, I wanted to channel the experience I had gained as a mentee toward becoming a mentor for the incoming freshmen. Through talking with my previous mentor, my own familiarity with several of the classes that the freshmen would be looking at, and my involvement with both biology and CBS, I knew that I could serve as a relatable and accessible source of information, as someone who was in their shoes not too long before. Where I felt an overwhelming sense of confusion the past year, now I had felt an overwhelming sense to give back and calm my mentees’ similar confusion.

The job of a mentor was just as fulfilling and rewarding as I expected it to be. Being on the other side, I felt that my job was essentially to be someone they could turn to at any time regarding any sort of doubts about their track, as both a friend and a mentor. During the events, I answered any questions that they might have, gave them advice about what classes they could take together or what clubs they could get involved in, and just general tips on how to manage the obstacles that may lie ahead of them. Getting to know my mentees as people and reciting the things that I already knew and had been through not only helped them, but was also a huge plus for myself, as I was able to solidify my knowledge as well as develop my ability to provide help to people who needed it. This stemmed from simply being able to talk to them and relate with their position in order to create an environment of comfort. And at the end of the day, that is one of the most crucial aspects of the interactions between a patient and a physician, so looking forward, the mentorship program has helped me come a long way in developing certain skills that are components which make up any great medical professional.

Vibhav Prakasam
Class of 2016
Biology Major

 

For similar articles regarding mentorship, please see the previously posted blog posts:
https://sites.tufts.edu/prehealth/2016/09/14/mentorship-program/
https://sites.tufts.edu/prehealth/2016/09/09/why-look-for-a-mentor/