The WIO Mentorship Program provides encouragement and guidance to the next generation of ophthalmologists for a lifetime of impact. We aim to implement multi-faceted opportunities to engender organic mentorship relationships.
WIO’s Mentorship Committee is dedicated to ensuring that WIO’s Mentorship Program is a success and that our mentees and mentors have a positive and productive experience, and we are thrilled to offer many mentorship opportunities to our members. We invite you to join our mentorship community, and we hope that you will find the support and guidance you are looking for.
To join WIO’s Mentorship Program, which is free to WIO members, simply click the link below! Student Members must be MS4s who have matched into an ophthalmology residency to participate. (Please note, as of April 2024, there is a mentee waitlist.)
JOIN WIO MENTORSHIP PROGRAMMentorship Matching:
As part of our commitment to cultivating meaningful relationships, we are initiating individual matching of mentees and mentors. Be on the lookout for your match!
Upcoming Events & Initiatives:
We are hosting intimate virtual sessions throughout the year, as well as networking events during the 2024 Summer Symposium and during AAO 2024 in Chicago, IL. Current WIO Mentorship Program participants will receive information on these events as they are confirmed.
Recent virtual programs we’ve hosted:
- Challenges and Strategies for Success in Academic Medicine
- Work-Life Balance, Burnout, and Physician Wellness
- Women’s Perspective on LGBTQ+ in Ophthalmology
Future topics will include leadership and public speaking, motherhood, financial planning, career planning, residency/fellowship applications, work-life balance, advocacy, and more!
Social Media:
Join our Facebook page to stay in the know. Request to join by clicking the link below!
Please remember to include #WhyWIOMentorship with your mentorship social media posts!
JOIN WIO MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FACEBOOK GROUPMentorship Stories & Quotes:
“Coming into residency, I didn’t know if I wanted to pursue fellowship. My senior resident, Nicole Topilow, was applying to oculoplastics. We had many call shifts together where she taught me the basics of anatomy and how to repair my first complex lid lacerations. Her excitement for oculoplastics and enthusiasm for teaching sparked my interest in the specialty. She got me involved in research projects and introduced me to faculty. She guided me through the fellowship application process, and two years later, I matched into my first choice oculoplastics fellowship! I’m so grateful for her mentorship and friendship, and I wouldn’t have gotten where I am without her.”
-Shanlee Stevens
#Building relationships with female mentors has cultivated my confidence, helped me realize my potential, and pushed me to pursue opportunities I would have let pass by
#Mentorship has provided me with deep connections, professional insight, and female support from a community of highly successful women
#Finding a close mentor has given me access to opportunities, motivated me, and held me accountable for reaching my goals
We Want to Hear From You
The mentorship program is designed to adjust to the needs of our members. Have a suggestion? We would love to hear it. Please email us at wiomentorship@gmail.com to send us your suggestions for mentorship. We would also love to hear about any mentorship matches and success stories or if you would like to be featured in our next newsletter.
Cheers,
The WIO Mentorship Committee:
Andrea Kossler (Chair), Sruthi Arepalli, Erica Alvarez, Kavita Bhavsar, Angela Chen, Maja Magazin, Zahra Markatia, Mahsaw Mansoor, Sruti Rachapudi, Emily Xu
THANK YOU TO OUR 2024 MENTORSHIP PROGRAM SPONSORS!
