Mentors

Thank you for your interest in the Underserved Pathway! Mentorship is a cricual element for students participating in the Underserved Pathway.

UP mentors are healthcare professionals from across the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) region who are involved in the care of underserved populations in a variety of capacities. UP mentors must satisfy at least one of the following criteria:

– primarily care for underserved patients
– have extensive history of caring for underserved patients
– are from a group historically underrepresented in medicine
– conduct research related to the health of historically marginalized people

The mentorship program is a longitudinal relationship to help support students’ commitment to a career caring for underserved populations. Mentoring provides students the opportunity to learn from an experienced role model who can field questions, discuss residency and career plans, and support them in their education while maintaining focus on each student’s commitment to the underserved.

Mentorship is a requirement for all students in the Underserved Pathway. Students have a conversation with their mentor at least once a quarter, either in-person or via phone, video chat, or email. Students take the lead in identifying their mentor and the UP team often helps connect students with potential mentors, based on their geographic location, patient population interests, specialty, and other factors.

If you are interested in being an Underserved Pathway mentor, and you are a healthcare professional who works with underserved populations, please email the Underserved Pathway Program Manager at upath@uw.edu. We will refer potential mentees to contact you directly, and please know that you are never obligated to accept a new mentee.