On the evening of September 24, 2015, the UBC Faculty of Medicine Alumni Centre was buzzing with excitement as over 180 students and faculty gathered for the annual opening event of the VFMP Medical Undergraduate Mentor Program. Over a lovely spread of food and drinks, the VFMP Mentorship Program “Meet and Greet” was taking place. The program has been running for over 20 years and provides students with the opportunity to focus on their own personal and professional development in an informal, supportive environment with an impartial person – a mentor – outside of their day to day relationships.
For John Lee (VFMP 2018), the evening was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with his mentor, Dr. Rod Rassekh. “He is an invaluable resource,” says Lee. “There are so many questions and difficult decisions to be made and having a person to advise you along the way is very helpful.”
Dr. Rassekh knows the value of mentorship first hand. He decided he wanted to be a mentor after having come through UBC Medicine with the help of what he claims was an amazing mentor group led by Dr. Bill Webber and his wife Marilyn.
“I very much enjoyed the evenings at the Webber’s house where we would gather for a night of great food, laughs and words of wisdom,” Dr. Rassekh recalls. “I felt that the best way to honour the support Bill and Marilyn gave me was to follow in their footsteps and host my own mentor group.”
Dr. Janette McMillan, Associate Dean Student Affairs, feels mentorship is an integral part of student success in the UBC MD program. “Life as a medical student can get pretty overwhelming,” she emphasizes. “Having someone to talk to, someone who has been though the same experiences and challenges can make the world of difference in a student’s life.”
Dr. Rassekh says his mentoring style will be very much influenced by the experience he had with Dr. Webber. “I hope to bring my mentees together so that they can learn from each other, and have the senior students teach the junior students,” he explains. “That’s how Bill Webber ran his group and it worked so well. I want to be a mentor who everyone in my group feels comfortable with…so that they can be successful in achieving their dreams in the long run.”
John Lee is looking forward to developing his relationship with Dr. Rassekh. “As I start to consider important decisions such as CaRMS, I hope to gain valuable insight and advice from Dr. Rassekh,” he says. “During and after residency, I am sure there will be several personal and career opportunities he can help me through.”