Our award-winning career mentorship program connects motivated MCB students with accomplished professionals, including alumni, across the country. Clinicians, researchers, educators, and more provide valuable insight to students through our formal mentoring program and multiple online or in-person events held during the year.
Apply to be a mentor Student Mentee Application Career Symposium Registration
Currently, the MCB career mentorship program is only available to declared biology, MCB, neuroscience, and biochemistry majors. Students must apply to the program every year, typically in the fall. Participants will be required to attend an information session before being matched with a mentor. We try to match as many students as possible, based on availability. Our goal is to pair students with mentors who are practicing in fields or industries related to their career interests. We also consider geographic location and other factors. The 2024-2025 student application is now open. Application for fall 2024 closes Monday, October 21st at 8:00 am.
Each fall, The School of MCB hosts a Career Symposium for students in our majors. Several alumni and professional mentors come to campus, or join us virtually, to share their experiences and career paths and connect with our students. The School of MCB Career Symposium is on pause for fall 2024. We fully intend to resume in fall 2025.
We have more than 100 participating MCB mentors, including many alumni, in various professions across the U.S., and the program is always looking to recruit new members. To sign up to become a mentor, please fill out this Online Registration Form.
We encourage mentors to provide one or two shadowing opportunities per year (if possible) and to keep in touch with their student(s) via phone, email, Zoom, Skype, or Facetime during the rest of the year. Mentors can provide students with valuable information regarding health professions, industry-based professions, and other exciting biology-related careers. Mentors may also provide advice on the application and interview process for professional and graduate school. In return, our students keep the mentors connected to the university and the School of MCB.
The SMCB mentorship program began in 2010 as the “MCB Pathways to Health Programs.” Founded by alumnus Dr. Richard Berkowitz (BS, '79, biology) and Tina Knox, (BS, ’93, biology), assistant director of advising and recruiting in the School of MCB, the program initially paired MCB students interested in medical careers with alumni physicians. Over the years, the program expanded to include mentors in all health careers as well as those in research, biotechnology, and other related professions. In 2013, the mentorship program received the IlliAAC Outstanding Established Program Award and was recognized in an article in the Spring 2016 LAS Alumni Magazine.