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Coffee Hour is led and sponsored by Dr. Sam Yared( right) in coordination with medical student leaders. This collaboration allows for planning of topics, scheduling and dissemination of opportunities on a monthly basis.
Medical students from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and the University of Kentucky College of Medicine gather at Barnes and Noble to discuss updates in cardiovascular medicine, fostering inter-institutional collaboration and knowledge exchange.
The Student’ s End Goal
The program’ s goals for its participants are clear: to provide the skills and network necessary to transition from pre-clerkship student to confident clinician. The experience is structured to help students:
• Early Exposure and Discussion: Engaging in productive and flexible academic and professional discussion on advanced medical topics.
• Career Guidance and Networking: Receiving dedicated time for mentorship, providing career guidance and facilitating essential introductions.
• Professional Development: Increasing confidence and professional readiness, especially in preparing for the challenges and knowledge required in the clinical years. Students have been able to engage with opportunities typically not present, such as volunteering with GLMS through the Doctors’ Ball and other events.
At the end of the day, however, the monthly coffee hour provides a low stakes, casual and enjoyable forum for learning. It’ s a vital opportunity for students to engage in the unique human side of medicine, seeing the profession through the eyes of one successful path.
Prospective Study Model: Quantifying Mentorship’ s Impact
This mentorship club is more than a learning opportunity; it is a prospective study model designed to assess the tangible impact of early, consistent senior physician mentorship on medical students.
The research goals of this initiative are focused on generating data to support the value of this model:
1. Measuring Engagement and Learning Outcomes: Using qualitative feedback from participants regarding their learning outcomes and the value of the academic discussions.
2. Assessing Mentorship and Networking Value: Gathering feedback on the value of the networking opportunities and the overall mentorship relationship provided by Dr. Yared.
3. Defining Long-Term Success: Tracking the sustained participation and commitment of the students over the course of the program to define long-term viability and impact.
By establishing a consistent platform and bringing together a diverse group of high-potential students, the program offers a unique structure for long-term observation. The results will help quantify the benefits of integrating highly experienced, retired physicians into the formal mentorship pipeline, offering a blueprint for institutions seeking to foster future leaders in medicine.
References:
1
Ripley E, Markowitz M, Nichols-Casebolt A, Williams L, Macrina F. Training NIH K award recipients: the role of the mentor. Clinical Translational Science. 2012; 5( 5): 386-393. doi: 10.1111 / j. 1752-8062.2012.00436. x
2
Haddock-Miller, J. The roles of the mentor and mentee [ webinar ]. National Institute for Health and Care Research. 2023.
Caden Seraphine is a second-year student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Dr. Yared is a retired Louisville cardiothoracic surgeon and serves as the Senior Physician Committee Chair for the Greater Louisville Medical Society. His training includes Cardiac Surgery Fellowship at Texas Heart Institute in Houston, TX, among other programs.
Additional thanks for participation and contributions to the coffee hour model goes out to Ashton Collins( M3), Torianna Alfieri( M2), Paige Oldfield Hart( M2), Shannon Nguyen( M1), Tristan Thornsberry( M1) and Jonathan Scherff( M1) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine; also to Abigail Chambers( M1) and Maya Rao( M1) at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine.
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