Midwestern Welcomes New Mentees for AZ Mentors in Medicine & Science Program

The 2026 fall kick-off event for Mentors in Medicine & Science (MIMS) was held on October 20 on the Glendale Campus, with 118 undergraduate students participating from more than 10 colleges and universities. The year-long program pairs local undergraduate students interested in healthcare careers with current Midwestern University students, providing one-on-one mentorship. The mentees receive advice for choosing a healthcare career, study tips for admissions tests, guidance on applying to graduate school, and pointers on finding shadowing and research opportunities.

At the fall kick-off event, the visiting students networked with Midwestern students in their prospective career fields and chose a mentor for the year. After the networking and mentor pairing, students visited informational tables to learn about all the programs offered at Midwestern University. The program tables included resources from University Admissions, insight from faculty and students, and interactive activities such as learning canine CPR, practicing intubation, and seeing how a heart-lung machine works.

Throughout the school year, the undergraduate mentees will have several opportunities to learn from Midwestern students and faculty. In addition to monthly check-ins with their mentors, they’ll have the chance to participate in virtual MIMS lectures and shadow their mentor in class. In the spring, the mentees will return to campus for an event in the Clinical Skills & Simulation Center to practice hands-on clinical skills such as taking patient case histories and vital signs.

The value of these experiences was emphasized by Erin Raney, Pharm.D., BCPS, Professor, Pharmacy Practice and faculty mentor for MIMS, who told mentees, “Your mentor was just sitting in your seats as an undergrad not too long ago. They’ve been through this, they’ve been successful, and they’ve gained admission into the program you’re looking forward to, so they can give a lot of advice because it’s been so recent for them.”

For some mentors, this isn’t just a symbolic speech. Several current Midwestern student mentors participated in MIMS themselves as undergrads, returning to the program to pay it forward by mentoring the next generation of future healthcare professionals.

The event set the tone for an engaging and informative year, introducing undergraduate mentees to the resources, experiences, and relationships that will support them as they prepare for a career in healthcare and science.

For more information about the Mentors in Medicine & Science Program in Arizona, visit MIMS-AZ.