Mentoring Network

The OPPA, proudly offers a Mentorship Network designed to support psychiatrists during all phases of their career. Whether you are a resident, fellow, early career psychiatrist, or a seasoned psychiatrist who seeks guidance from a mentor - or wish to serve as a mentor, OPPA's Mentorship Network is for you.

How it Works:

Mentoring within this network is a collaborative relationship where a more experienced psychiatrist (the Mentor) provides invaluable guidance, support, and encouragement to less experienced individuals (the Mentees). The Mentorship Network aims to foster professional growth, enhance clinical skills, and build a supportive community within the field of psychiatry. Mentoring focuses on fostering a supportive and empowering environment where the mentee can thrive and reach their full potential. By joining this network, participants can expect to gain insights into the profession, inquire about specific career paths in psychiatry, develop meaningful relationships that can last throughout their careers, and more.

Whether you are seeking mentorship to navigate the early stages of your career or looking to give back by mentoring the next generation of psychiatrists, the Mentorship Network offers an enriching opportunity for all involved.

OPPA's Mentorship Network's purpose is to:

• Identify and recruit OPPA members who are enthusiastic about mentorship;
• Serve as a repository of contact information to set up initial contacts between mentors and mentees;
• Provide high quality mentors to medical students, residents/fellows, early career psychiatrists and general members;
• Recruit medical students into psychiatry;
• Encourage students to engage with OPPA to serve on a committee, attend advocacy events, write an article for the newsletter and more; and
• Enhance careers and build relationships between mentors and mentees.

Any OPPA member is welcome to sign up as a mentor or a mentee. Any medical student who is a member of APA (which is free) is welcome to request a mentor. Mentees and mentors will be paired by OPPF/OPPA, with consideration given to mentees' needs (geographic location, clinical interests, etc.) when possible.

Mentors and mentees are expected to commit to a one year connection and meet not less than once monthly. While introductions and ongoing correspondence can be done electronically, the goal is for the mentoring pairs to meet either in person (at the OPPA Annual Psychiatric Update is an ideal setting) or by Zoom (or other virtual platform). These meetings can vary from very informal, such as meeting for coffee, to a more structured experiences when the mentee shadows their mentor in a patient care setting.

Once paired, the student is instructed to initiate communication with their mentor. During the course of the mentoring experience, both mentees and mentors are encouraged to provide feedback to OPPF/OPPA about their experience.

Mentor sign-up

Mentee sign-up