Mentoring Program Process and Details

Cusanovich and Gilliland state that a “mentoring relationship involves professors acting as close, trusted, and experienced colleagues and guides.” The goal of the College of Pharmacy mentoring program is to provide students with an opportunity to develop a closer professional relationship with a member of the COP faculty. It is hoped that these relationships will lead to student growth and development – academically, professionally, and otherwise. Though not required, all students and faculty are encouraged to take an active part in the program.

A list of faculty who are interested in mentoring students is available here. Interested faculty will fill out a Faculty Information Form listing their clinical/research interests, work experience, hobbies, and other pertinent information that they would like to share with students, to aid students in choosing a mentor.

All students who wish to select a faculty mentor must complete a Student Information Form listing their career goals, hobbies/interests, concerns about pharmacy school, and other pertinent interests they would like to share with faculty. Included on this form is a place to list the names of their top two or three choices for their faculty mentors. Students should list at least two names, based upon the information provided in the list mentioned above. 

Mentors will be assigned by OSPA based upon student preferences and the information provided in the forms completed by both students and faculty volunteers, in the hopes of making a good match.

Students and faculty should determine the nature and structure of the mentoring relationship, but topics such as managing the transition into pharmacy school, professional development, and career pathways should be covered in some form.

At any time, either party can terminate the relationship for any reason by emailing Dr. Laurel Sampognaro in OSPA. At that time, the office will assign a new mentor based upon student preferences and/or information previously provided in the student and faculty forms. Students who don’t initially select a mentor may choose to do so at any time. Students can have several mentors throughout their pharmacy program but only one mentor at a time.

If either students or faculty members have questions regarding the mentoring program, please email or call Dr. Laurel Sampognaro