MAA Says, Be our guest

Shane Ellis with pulled down protective gearShane Ellis (MD ’12) still appreciates the kindness of the medical students at the University of Pittsburgh who drove him to Alan Magee Scaife Hall for his entrance interview. Now, he’s volunteering to help Pitt’s fourth-year med students navigate the intense process of finding their residency.

In the new Help Our Students Travel (HOST) program, Pitt’s Medical Alumni Association (MAA) will match  students, interviewing around the country for residency programs, with interested alumni based on location, institution and program. HOST volunteers are Pitt Med alumni (including former fellows and residents) who are willing to offer meaningful conversations about specialties, career paths and opportunities. Help can range from a phone call or video meeting for advice to an in-person dinner for mentorship to an overnight accommodation for students traveling on their search.

Ellis is available to help Pitt students interested in a residency in the Twin Cities. He works in internal medicine at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities.

“The residency interview process is simultaneously stressful and fun. The thrill of traveling to new cities, meeting interesting people and living out of a suitcase for a few weeks was certainly a unique experience,” he says. “Hopefully through the HOST program, I can be a resource for prospective Pitt applicants to learn more about where they may be living for the next several years.”

To volunteer for the program or to get more information, contact Michael Downs at medalum@medschool.pitt.edu or 412-648-9059.