Doctors meet with Life West students during a special networking event, the Mentor Meet Up, at The Wave 2018 in Oakland, Calif., in August.
Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, Calif., hosted its first Mentor Meet Up in August during Life West’s annual WAVE18 chiropractic conference in Oakland. The event is designed to strengthen the bonds between chiropractors and help people in the field make new connections. In that spirit, the Mentor Meet Up brought together doctors and senior students in a fun event with clear benefits for both sides.
From Student to Practitioner with the Help of Mentor Support
Dr. Palmer Peet, Director of Alumni Relations at Life West and an organizer of the Mentor Meet Up, said events like this can help Life West’s students go from student to practitioner, aiding them in finding jobs and setting up practices as well as providing them with valuable mentor support.
“I get lots of requests from people in the field looking for new graduates to fill associate positions,” he said. “The Mentor Meet Up was a successful effort to bring doctors in to hire or be mentors, and fill several needs for senior students.”
The 90-minute event was set up like a speed-dating round during the lunch hour. Two doctors were at each table, and as many as three students rotated every five to seven minutes. Everyone got a number so participants could track each other and follow up. The event allowed everyone to “speed meet” and make as many networking connections as possible.
Chiropractors Meet Exceptional Senior Life West Students
“We have so many doctors looking for exceptional students, and we have tons of exceptional students here at Life West,” Dr. Peet said. About 30 chiropractors from the U.S. and Canada who are looking to be mentors and hire associates or independent contractors filled the tables. They were met by approximately 40 senior students from Life West who were interested in filling the positions available.
The spots filled up quickly. In fact, organizers had to turn some folks away. But those who did have the chance to participate got a lot out of the event. “I think I just met my next new associate,” one attendee said. Another said, “I found a really cool doctor, and now I’m going to go shadow him at his office.”
Event Success Paves the Way for More Meetups
“The Mentor Meet Up was a huge success,” Dr. Peet said. “It clearly illustrated that there is lots more work to be done in regards to facilitating DC and senior student connections.”
A plan is in the works to host another networking type of event at the Life West campus in the coming months. “There’s a great need,” Dr. Peet said. “I still have doctors calling me every week looking for associates, and I still have students looking for work.”
Networking is not the only service offered to students and alumni of Life West. The Alumni Relations department at Life West also can review associate contracts or resumes, offer advice or mentorship assistance, and even help with office leases and location selection.
Dr. Peet wasn’t surprised by the success of the Mentor Meet Up. “We have a number of chiropractors looking to hire quality graduates, and Life West has quality graduates. There were people who registered for WAVE18 just so they could come to the meetup and connect with our students,” he said.
Doctors meet with Life West students during a special networking event, the Mentor Meet Up, above and top, at The Wave 2018 in Oakland, Calif., in August.
Learn more about the student resources at Life West by visiting lifewest.edu/student-resources/ today.
