Networking Tips

Written by Rachana Raghupathy, MD

The term “networking” can be extremely intimidating for anyone: medical students included. When I was first introduced to the concept, I recall feeling awkward and out of my element at best. If you are looking for ways to up your networking game, you’re in luck! We at Inside the Match are here to give you any tips we can to make the networking process a little easier and a whole lot smoother.

Who should I network with?

In reality, you can network with pretty much anyone: peers, residents, attending physicians, researchers, program directors, associate program directors, program coordinators, etc. A good mentor is someone who you think could help guide you in any part of your medical training and professional development.

Where does networking take place?

Networking can happen in a lot of places—really anywhere you may meet others professionally.

-      Conferences:

• Conference sessions: these are great places to build your network. Next time you are at a medical conference, identify talks or sessions that most interest you and interact with those who also attend the session. This can even include going up to the speaker to ask questions and continue the conversation. If you end up chatting with anyone, make sure to ask for their contact information to follow up at another time!

• Mentorship sessions: I could not recommend these more! Many conferences will hold mentorship breakfasts/luncheons/events sometime during the conference. These types of events are specifically meant to allow trainees to interact with attendings, program directors, or those further along in their training experience and gather advice on how to succeed. If you get any good advice along the way, be sure to ask for a business card or find a way to keep in touch—the people you meet could be future career or life mentors too!

• Rachana’s tip for success: if you are a self-proclaimed introvert like me, you know how difficult it is to muster up the confidence to go up to potential mentors, especially at conferences where attendees are among some of the most decorated and accomplished in the field. Some of the best advice I received to make the best use of conference time is to challenge yourself to talk to at least 3 potential mentors each conference day. This can be as simple as asking questions about the session topic or networking. Having a tangible goal for myself helped push me out of my comfort zone and ultimately changed the game for my networking skills.

-      Social Media: social media as a networking tool is extremely underrated and not as well-utilized as it should be. You’ll find that many of your potential mentors are active on professional social media including, #MedTwitter and LinkedIn. If you don’t have a Twitter or LinkedIn account already (or your accounts are a little dusty), networking is a good reason to create an account/reopen the app! If you meet someone that helped you or gave you any advice (faculty from your school, research mentors, professionals met at conferences, etc.), go ahead and find them on these social media outlets. Social media is a great resource (if used correctly, of course) in that its algorithm can help connect you with your mentors’ networks as well.

• Rachana’s tip for success: when you follow or connect with someone on social media, many times there is an option to send a message too. Use this function to help provide a face to the social media handle. Consider sending them a message stating who you are, where you met them (if relevant), thanking them for their help thus far (if you have met and interacted with them before), and asking to keep in touch as you continue to navigate the rest of your medical career.

• Bonus tip: if you are presenting research at a conference or have business cards, list the handles on your professional social media! It’s a quick and easy way to spread your information to people who may have mutual interests.

-      Internet: internet searches can be helpful if you know what you are looking for—the internet is simply so vast and can sometimes yield unspecific information. If you are looking for specific mentors at a specific institution, the institution's website may help you locate basic contact information such as an email address to reach out to. I have heard of many peers having success locating research mentors in specific fields using this method, but just know that your search results may give you more information than you know to make use of.

What should I even say?

The best way to ask to be part of someone’s network is to not ask. Start by introducing yourself. Then thank the mentor for their help thus far (if applicable)—this is particularly relevant if you met this individual at a mentorship session or conference. Then ask a question (or two)—a good conversation is one of the best ways to make yourself known and engage your mentor. After some back and forth, ask if there is any way to keep the conversation going offline: what is the best way to reach them for follow-up questions? And then (this is the most important part!), follow up! If someone offers to continue to mentor you, it’s probably because they want to continue to help! Make use of that offer.

What if I get turned away?

From speaking to a lot of my peers, this is the overwhelming cause of hesitation when it comes to networking: fear of rejection. One of the most important realizations I came to on this front was that in reality, there is nothing to lose from networking. Worst-case scenario, you don’t get anything from your attempt, but the best-case scenario, you expand your network and gain some resources in your career development arsenal. In my experience, most mentors do genuinely want to help you, and a lot of times, when they cannot offer you help, it is not personal. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response or get turned away—if you cast your net wide enough, you should catch at least a few new mentors. Stay optimistic, and keep on working it!

Good luck, and happy networking!