DMU’s Development & Alumni Relations department, in collaboration with Sigma Sigma Phi (the National Osteopathic Honor Society) and the Internal Medicine Club, invited 22 alumni from all programs to participate in the most recent Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) event on April 24, 2017. More than 120 students gathered to glean knowledge from those who have gone through the same programs before them, hoping to gain insight about their future professions.
It was a win-win event for all who participated.
During the three roundtable sessions, alumni visited with up to eight students at a time. They answered students’ questions about studying for boards, rotations, residencies, trends in their given profession and much more.
“You have to make yourself competitive,” explained Mace Boshart, PA-C’08. “You have to position yourself by advertising your skills that you’ve learned during your rotation year and using that with your employers to find that position you want.”
Michael Hall, D.O.’19, found the sessions particularly beneficial when compared to other networking events he has attended.
“Not only was I able to learn more about different specialties, but I was also able to speak with DMU alumni about what they did to stand out in their respective fields. While speaking to physicians in various specialties is great, there is something special about speaking to those who have literally been in your shoes and have learned how to use the DMU brand to help them out.”
The alumni gained benefits from the experience, too.
“Students keep me on my toes. They ask me great questions, and it also reminds me of why I went into the profession – to give back to others,” says David Drake, D.O.’83. “Hopefully I can inspire and encourage students to be the best doctors they can be.”
This event had no boundaries as the Development & Alumni Relations department wanted alumni nationwide to take part. To make this possible, alumni were able to utilize Skype to interact with students from afar. With this new feature, the University received an overwhelming response from alumni to participate and a wait list had to be created.
“The ASK event was an excellent way to connect with students,” says Nicki Nigro, D.P.M.’89, FACFAS. “I was so grateful to have the opportunity to participate.”
Alumni Sharing Knowledge is a network of alumni who volunteer their time to share their perspectives, advice and expertise with DMU students. For more information or to get involved in the ASK program, contact Melanie Weibel at melanie.weibel@dmu.edu or register online. In addition, if you have a LinkedIn profile, you can stay connected and network with students and alumni by joining the “Des Moines University ASK (Alumni Sharing Knowledge)” LinkedIn group. By joining, you will provide students with an important career development resource and a wealth of information.
