​Virtual Mentorship Circles (VMCs)

​​The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of virtual learning due to the limitation of social distancing. Therefore, YPI has invested in building virtual models to expand its work of mentorship and guidance.
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The YPI Mentorship Circles creates virtual groups of students from specific backgrounds and ethnicities. Medical students and physicians lead each circle providing guidance, mentorship, and opportunities through virtual communication using texting, video conferencing, and email. Since January 2020, YPI has started six mentorship circles groups.

​YPI VMC Goals:  

• Implement a sustainable virtual platform for underrepresented and underserved students to increase their representation in medicine
• Increasing access to mentorship, opportunities and guidance to students regardless of location.
• Encourage team working skills applied to concerns encountered in Health Care.
• Provide high impact mentorship targeted towards medical school application strategies for success.
• Promote low effort, high impact community outreach activities. ​

​What does the VMC stand for?  

• Mentorship 
• Inspiration 
• Networking 
• Opportunity​

Our YPI VMC Directors

​YPI VMC Executive Director 
Julio C Santana
M4
University of Alabama at Birmingham SoM

YPI VMC Senior Director 
Dasiel Bellido de Luna
M3
University of Alabama at Birmingham SoM ​

​YPI VMC Directors
Adonias Lemma
M2
Morehouse SoM

Daniela Sanchez
M1
University of Alabama at Birmingham SoM

Tomiwa Oderinde
M1
Morehouse SoM

YPI-VMC Students

Who can join VMC?

• ​Underrepresented college students interested in becoming physicians can become Virtual Mentorship Circle members and benefit from mentorship and networking​

What are the benefits of joining the VMC?

• Have medical students and physicians to be your mentors
• Build teamwork skills with your fellow VMC members
• Work toward building a competitive and robust application
• Learn about pathways toward becoming a doctor
• Acquire skills to make a Personal Statement and how to navigate in  the application cycle
• Resources for clinical experiences, depending on availability.

​How do you become a VMC member?

• Fill out the student application below

VMC PreMed Student Application

YPI-VMC Leader
Who can be a YPI Virtual Mentor?

• Medial student MS1 - MS4
• Dedicated to our model of sustainability:                        
  • YPI-VMC works like a residency program, where senior mentors train new mentors  
  • Each new mentor is assigned to a virtual group          
  • New mentors will take responsibility for leading their group       ​
  • Train the next new virtual mentors next academic year

Why become a YPI Virtual Mentor?

• It is a low effort, high impact activity that meets medical school busy schedule
• Be a mentor for underrepresented students who want to become a physician
• Inspire underrepresented students to pursue medicine 
• Acquire leadership experience and team-based work experience 
• Work with physicians and other medical students          
• Become a leader in the field of diversity in medicine and mentorship
• Make a difference in underserved communities​

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YPI Virtual Mentor Responsibilities:

• Attend 3 Mandatory General Meetings (Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Engage students during sessions and follow up virtually (WhatsApp) throughout the program 
• Meet with other YPI-VMC members and board leadership as needed to promote the success of the program
• Work with another medical student in leading the group
• Medical Students are the circle leaders, and MD mentors will act as a support
• Every circle will be different, but overall the same expectations will apply​

Our YPI VMC leaders are volunteer medical students who dedicate their time to inspire the next generation of doctors.
Learn to Serve and Train to Lead

VMC Med Student Leader Application

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YPI VMC Medical Advisor
MD Mentors Expectations: 

• Low effort, high impact
• Meet virtually with the VMC group when possible and available
• Engage students virtually (WhatsApp) throughout the program
• Inspire and advise students about the path to becoming a physician 
• Engage with students about their goals and concerns
• Help and provide networking opportunities when available and possible
• Medical Students are the circle leaders, and MD mentors will act as advisor

If you are interested to join, please complete the ​YPI Volunteer Professionals and select VMC as one of the activities.

YPI VMC Community Service
Different YPI VMC circles also partner with various organizations to volunteer in serving their communities. 
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Our first-generation Hispanic immigrant YPI VMC group noticed the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the United States' Latin American community. As a compromised group of students and future healthcare providers, they worked volunteering in masks and hand sanitizer distribution, impacting more than 6000 apartments in Georgia's underserved communities.

COVID Prevention

The Latino Campaign for COVID Awareness (LCCA) has over 300 likes and has reached over 4,400 people  on the mission to educate Hispanic communities during the COVID pandemic. ​