How To Network Like A Boss with Dr. Jasmine Weiss

Unlock the secrets to crafting a robust network in the medical field with Dr. Jasmine Weiss, your guide to becoming a networking virtuoso on this week's episode of the       B-Med Podcast. If you're like Michelle, a freshman dreaming of med school with no medical connections to speak of, you'll discover the transformative power of engagement within campus organizations and how to step out of your comfort zone to forge valuable relationships. Embark on this essential journey from the biology club to the big leagues of national medical conferences, and arm yourself with strategies to not just attend events, but to actively participate and connect with potential mentors and peers.

Get ready to level up your networking game as we explore the vast world of opportunities beyond the college quad. This episode isn't just an auditory experience; it's a treasure map to the Annual Medical Education Conference hosted by the Student National Medical Association, where your ambition meets a multitude of like-minded individuals and professionals. Dr. Weiss doesn't just talk the talk; she walks you through the practical steps to make every handshake count and every introduction a stepping stone to your future in medicine. Whether it's tapping into student sections of professional organizations or maximizing your visibility among potential mentors, this episode is your networking boot camp, setting you on a path toward a career as vibrant and connected as your aspirations.

Transcript

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 0:00

Have you ever thought about what it means to actually connect with other people on your journey to med school and beyond?

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 0:06

Have you thought about what the power of networking and building a strong network can do for you now and in your future career? Well, today, on this week's episode of the Be Med Podcast, we're going to talk about how to network like a boss, that's right. How to get the skill and gain the skill of networking so that you can get to know others, not only your peers, but people who can be future mentors and colleagues as you pursue your career. Before we jump into networking like a boss, first I need you to do me a favor. I need you to follow blackmedconnect on youtube. Okay, now that you've hit that button, let's jump right into the episode. Hi everyone, I'm Dr Jasmine Weiss.

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 1:04

Welcome back to the Black Med Connect podcast, and today we're going to talk about the strategies and tips you can use to learn how to network like a boss. That's right. So I want you to imagine a student. Her name is Michelle, she's a first year in college and she wants to go to medical school, but she doesn't know any physicians around her, so she feels really like she's alone in this journey. Well, this is where networking comes in. We're going to take Michelle on a journey to learning how to build her network from where she is as a freshman in college. So the first thing I would want Michelle to do is look around her college campus to see what organizations are helping students who are pursuing medical careers. Are there biology student organizations or chemistry student organizations, or women in STEM organizations that are helping students learn about the process of navigating to health professional schools? So that would be the first step for Michelle Make sure she looks out on her campus to see what organizations are supporting students along the journey to going to medical school and other health professional schools. So now that Michelle is aware of these organizations, it's time to go to some meetings and start meeting people. It's really important not to just sit back on Zoom with the video off. It's time for Michelle to actually start to introduce herself and tell students that she's interested in medical school. This way, she can find peers that will help her along the journey, who may also be freshmen, but she also may get to connect and meet some upperclassmen as well who are a little bit further along, who can give her guidance and advice.

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 2:49

So for Michelle, it's not just about joining the organization, but it's actually about becoming engaged and more active in the organization to get to know people. It's not just about the organizations on your campus either. There are also organizations all across the country that may not be on your campus but may allow for college students to join so that they can start to become familiar with the different exposure opportunities. So, for example, if Michelle is interested in pediatrics, she can look at the American Academy of Pediatrics and see if there is a student section American Academy of Pediatrics and see if there is a student section. So that way she can get to connect with people who are already in the field that she's interested in. So now that we know a little bit about how to help Michelle get into organizations and start to connect, now it's time to level up her networking experiences. So now it's time to think about what events she can attend and what conferences she should go to, as she's interested in pursuing a career as a doctor.

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 3:50

So for us here at B-Med, the first suggestion we have is AMEC, the Annual Medical Education Conference hosted by the Student National Medical Association. This is a huge organization and for Michelle, this is an opportunity to connect with students all over the world, all across the country. And if she's on a campus with a undergraduate chapter, the chapters are called the Minority Association of Pre-med Students. So she should already be connected if she found the MAPS chapter on her college campus and now she can think about how to get to the conference. So, again, we've talked about student organizations, professional organizations and now going to conferences, and let's talk a little bit more about what to actually do at these conferences. It's not just enough to go. You have to be willing and ready to go and be actively engaged. And it's an exciting conference to go to. So, for Michelle, this will be an opportunity for her to connect with other freshmen, other individuals who are in college. But then the conference also has medical students, residents, medical schools and just in general, a lot of wonderful melanated physicians and those who are training to be physicians for her to connect to.

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 5:06

So a few key tips Michelle should consider are figuring out what sessions she actually wants to attend. So, for Michelle, she should think about which events she wants to attend and which workshops she wants to go to. So it's important for her to go ahead and look on the app that they have to see which events or workshops are going in which order and see which ones interest her the most. Order and see which one's interest her the most. When you're there at the conference and when Michelle is there at this conference, she should be sure to introduce herself to the people around her, talk about what school she goes to, what her interests are and what she hopes to get out of the conference.

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 5:44

Everybody's a little bit nervous at these conferences and everyone is meeting new people. So even if you're an introvert or shy like me or maybe like Michelle, that's okay. Everybody's kind of in the mode of trying to get to know people and everyone's very, very friendly at this conference and at most conferences we attend as those who are trying to get into med school. So don't forget to engage with individuals who are at the conference and introduce yourself with confidence so you can get to know them even better. Now, if you happen to run into an individual or a mentor or a potential speaker that you wanna get to know more, a lot of times speakers are very friendly at these conferences because, like you, they once were in your shoes, and so if you have questions that come up during a workshop, be sure to jot those down and go introduce yourself to the speaker at the end of the workshop. Not only introduce yourself, but get their contact information in their email and be sure to send them a follow-up email. You want to thank them for the talk that they gave. You can always rehash or reiterate what question you may have had. If you truly want to reconnect with them and have a virtual meeting, go ahead and ask A lot of times. They'll set aside some time for you if they know that they connected to you at the conference and they remember the conversation that you had. So be sure to follow up with individuals who you really want to connect with at these specific conferences.

Dr. Jasmine Weiss 7:13

So we've taken Michelle all the way through from being a freshman not knowing what to do now being able to attend conferences and network like a boss. But we can't forget, here at BMED we have another way for Michelle to network like a boss. Our new BMED app is the future of medical networking. On the BMED app, students like Michelle can connect with one another in college or she can connect with medical students, residents, fellows and practicing physicians. This will be a great community to continue networking just like an in-person event, but doing this every day to get to know one another at schools all across the country. So we can't wait for hypothetical Michelle to use the app, but for you, specifically, to use the BeMed app as well. So we hope we've taken you on the journey of what it takes to network like a boss today and I want you to comment below what are some of the strategies you use at conferences when you're trying to get to know new individuals and network like a boss. Until next time, always remember to dream without limits.