Application Deadlines:
Spring Deadline: January 19th, 2018
aBout the Program
I genuinely feel it's a great fit and I'm extremely thankful. I never saw myself working in research before this mentorship, but I have been surprised that I find everything so interesting. [My mentor] is great and has done an amazing job at making me feel comfortable and allow me to meet the others in the lab. She has been setting up meetings for me with other professionals working in the hospital so I can learn about the many different career paths in healthcare as well as helping me make connections in the hospital for my future endeavors.
- Deqa, student "The Mentorship experience was great. Not only was my mentor helpful, but so was the team that surrounded us. Everyone pitched in to make my experience as rewarding as possible."
- Nelson, student "The mentorship experience was phenomenal! It was so great to come to the Mayo Clinic and shadow under somebody. The application process and initial instructions for the mentorship were very easy to follow. The whole experience went very smooth and was easy to follow through with. I really liked working with Chris in his lab and learning about the work they were doing around there."
- Braydon, student |
Mayo Clinic has a longstanding program to introduce high-school age students to a career in medical research. Juniors and Seniors are paired with a research lab at Mayo Clinic, they meet with members of the lab, design and perform their own scientific experiments, and put together a paper or presentation on their work, presenting at a lab meeting or at their high school.
This program is fully supported by both Mayo Clinic and area high schools. The program is a 60 hour total commitment over the course of several months, it is meant to work around students' busy schedules. There are certain academic requirements to participate, and most students can earn high school credit. The specifics of the program are handled by your school's Gifted and Talented Coordinator. "I mentored a high school student from Owatonna during my fourth year of graduate school. It was a great chance to give back to the younger generation of scientists, and the motivation for research my mentee displayed was really refreshing. I hope to teach at the college level, so mentoring students is always exciting for me. I think this program is a great opportunity for both the mentor and the student."
- Kirsten, mentor |
So where does our group fit in?
One of the major set-backs to most students who participate in the program is that they have to find their own mentors at Mayo Clinic. This can be very intimidating to students, and might exclude students who don't already know somebody there - precisely the students who might get the most out of this program.
The majority of BMES's members are students themselves in the graduate program at Mayo Clinic. As a collective group, we meet a lot of scientists, and furthermore we know the researchers who might be most excited to mentor a high-school student. As part of our outreach effort, we have pledged to work alongside Mayo Clinic and local schools to help find a mentor for each and every high school student who is interested in this program. By doing so, we are also hoping to spread the word about high-school mentoring and get more local students excited about science. |
"I participated in the program in the summer of 2010 as a high-school junior (at my parent's insistence). I was in the lab of Dr. Matt Urban, who is developing ultra-high tech ultrasound equipment to better diagnose cancer. I eventually returned for a college internship (through the SURF program) and then applied to Mayo Graduate School for my Ph.D. This program is the sort of opportunity that can grow into something really cool for a local small-town kid."
-Alex, former student |
HOW to apply
If you are interested in applying, please read the following carefully:
1. Double-check that your school is eligible to participate. Most schools in Olmsted County, MN are eligible, for a full list see the bottom of this page. If your school isn't listed as being eligible you may still be able to participate, please fill out the survey to indicate your interest.
2. Talk over this information with your parents and decide if this is a good fit for your interests
3. Identify the education coordinator at your high school who can assist with your application. Most schools have a designated teacher, usually the gifted and talented coordinator, who knows about this program and can guide you through the application process. If you don't know who that person is, it's fine to use another teacher, usually someone already involved in STEM education.
4. Meanwhile, fill out the survey to request help finding a mentor. Also, take a look at the application form (link below).
5. If we find you a mentor, Alex will contact you with more information. We won't be able to place everybody, unfortunately, so please also take a look at Mayo Clinic's research page (link below) and feel free to reach out on your own to someone who fits your interests
6. If it looks like a good fit, we will set up an interview with the potential mentor.
7. If everything goes well (and it usually does!) you will complete your application and be accepted into the program
1. Double-check that your school is eligible to participate. Most schools in Olmsted County, MN are eligible, for a full list see the bottom of this page. If your school isn't listed as being eligible you may still be able to participate, please fill out the survey to indicate your interest.
2. Talk over this information with your parents and decide if this is a good fit for your interests
3. Identify the education coordinator at your high school who can assist with your application. Most schools have a designated teacher, usually the gifted and talented coordinator, who knows about this program and can guide you through the application process. If you don't know who that person is, it's fine to use another teacher, usually someone already involved in STEM education.
4. Meanwhile, fill out the survey to request help finding a mentor. Also, take a look at the application form (link below).
5. If we find you a mentor, Alex will contact you with more information. We won't be able to place everybody, unfortunately, so please also take a look at Mayo Clinic's research page (link below) and feel free to reach out on your own to someone who fits your interests
6. If it looks like a good fit, we will set up an interview with the potential mentor.
7. If everything goes well (and it usually does!) you will complete your application and be accepted into the program
If you have any questions about applying to this program, please reach out to us at the following email:
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Some useful links:
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Application for a Mentor - If you are interested in this program and would like help finding a mentor, please start by filling out this survey. (Note-- this is just for BMES to assist in finding you a mentor. It doesn't affect your application to the program. For the application form, see below link)
Mayo Clinic Mentorship website contains more details about the program, and a link to the application form. You must apply with this form to participate. Mayo Clinic Research Page has a list of all the research being done at our institution. Any of the scientists listed are eligible to mentor high-school students |
Eligible Schools
In order to participate, your high school must be registered for the program with Mayo Clinic. As of Fall 2017, the following schools around Southeast Minnesota are participating:
Byron, Chatfield, Dover Eyota, Hayfield, Kasson-Mantorville, Kingsland, Lewiston-Altura, Lourdes, New Ulm, Owatonna, Plainfiew, Schaeffer Academy, Southland, Shattuck St. Marys, Stewartville, TransformED Academy, Rochester (Century, JM, Mayo)
Byron, Chatfield, Dover Eyota, Hayfield, Kasson-Mantorville, Kingsland, Lewiston-Altura, Lourdes, New Ulm, Owatonna, Plainfiew, Schaeffer Academy, Southland, Shattuck St. Marys, Stewartville, TransformED Academy, Rochester (Century, JM, Mayo)