Thank you for your interest in becoming a mentor for the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program! This form takes 5 - 10 minutes to complete. You are able to save your information and return to it at a later date by clicking the option at the top right corner of the page. If you have any questions, visit aao.org/minority-mentoring or email mentoring@aao.org.

Mentors: At the heart of the program is a dynamic team of ophthalmologist mentors who guide underrepresented in medicine (UIM) students* on the path to becoming competitive ophthalmology residency applicants. Each mentor is matched one-on-one with a student whom they guide through medical school and, ideally, ophthalmology residency; therefore, mentorship is a commitment of several years. As a mentor, we ask that you:

• Support your student's career development as they explore different areas of medicine
• Demonstrate how ophthalmologists positively contribute to the healthcare community by preventing vision loss from diseases, such as diabetes and glaucoma
• Illustrate how ophthalmologists help protect patients' valuable eyesight and how practicing ophthalmology is fulfilling to you personally
• Communicate by phone, video chat, email or in person with your student 3 to 4 times each year, and more frequently when needed

This program has proven to be very popular among Academy members. If you are not matched with a student this year or selected to speak, your interest will be noted for subsequent years. 

* Student Eligibility: For the purposes of this program, underrepresented in medicine (UIM) students include those who are Black, Hispanic and/or Native American (American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian). We are seeking students who will be in their first year in an LCME or COCA accredited U.S. medical school during the 2023-24 academic year.