Making Connections

The UTHealth Alumni Community provides a center to help you build your professional network and find mentors. Below are some practical resources to help you make the most of this networking and mentorship tool.

Tips for Mentors

Check email and UTHealth Alumni Community regularly
Check the UTHealth Alumni Community and your email associated with your account regularly so you don’t miss any mentorship requests.

Set expectations early
When you receive a mentorship request, talk with the prospective mentee about your availability and the ways you might be able to assist them. That can help you and the mentee determine whether you can support them with their goals.

Tips for Mentees

Clarify goals
All mentorships require an awareness of yourself and your goals, as well as an awareness of what you want from the mentor-mentee relationship. You might want advice on transitioning from academia to industry or guidance as you prepare for the residency application process. As your first step, think about what you hope to learn from your mentor.

Identify multiple mentors
Mentorship holds a variety of benefits, including guidance, advice, information, and introductions to professional connections. However, it may be difficult for one person to provide all of these, so it’s recommended that you find multiple mentors who can provide you with different types of support.

How to find mentors
You can search for people in the UTHealth Alumni Community Directory who are willing to serve as a mentor, offer career advice, or review your CV.

How to approach mentors
When you are ready to approach a potential mentor, click the “Request Mentorship” button on the right side of their UTHealth Alumni Community profile. In the message box, include a brief background about yourself and provide a clear explanation of the assistance you need.

Check email and UTHealth Alumni Community regularly
Check UTHealth Alumni Community and your email associated with your account regularly so you don’t miss any mentorship requests.

Follow up
If you don’t hear back from a potential mentor within two weeks after your initial email, follow up with them. If you still don’t hear from them, or if they are unable to serve as your mentor, don’t give up. Continue searching on UTHealth Alumni Community. If you need additional help, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at ms.alumni@uth.tmc.edu.