# Developing a Mentorship Network As you get involved with **Specialty Interest Groups, research, professional societies**, **and shadowing** you should begin to think about the relationships you’re forming. You may not realize it but as you participate in these things you are creating foundations for mentorship relationships. Finding mentors is an important part of medical school and mentors can be faculty, housestaff or near-peers. You can have different mentors for different needs. For example, you may have a research mentor and a specialty-specific clinical mentor. Or you may have a mentor who can relate to your identity and help you navigate specific obstacles that may come with that. Later down the line, as you apply for away electives, residency programs and possible research or extracurricular activities, these mentors will be important when it comes to letters of recommendation and advocacy. [Steps for Building Mentorship Relationships](https://mtsinai.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/StudentAffairsTeam/EaQ60PfC5ghImibBTtb7QBcBwBgruPiTOTLtorYD1tC44g?e=3JqymH) ## Join Icahn Connect: Mount Sinai Alumni and Faculty can enroll to participate in Icahn Connect, an online platform designed to cultivate meaningful advising and mentorship opportunities which provide valuable support and guidance as users navigate their careers, or pursue other educational endeavors. Students can use the platform to connect with Alumni in various career fields and to identify current ISMMS Faculty to offer guidance. Students can contact if they have specific alumni in mind that they'd like to connect with. {% embed url="" %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://ismms-md-program.gitbook.io/career-and-professional-development/explore-options/developing-a-mentorship-network.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.