Med Mentors
A supportive, honest, and accessible pathway into medicine — built by those who have been there.
What is Med Mentors?
Med Mentors is a community built to support aspiring doctors at every stage of the journey — from premed through to medical school and beyond.
We exist to make the path into medicine clearer, more accessible, and less isolating.
Through mentorship, resources, and honest guidance, we help you navigate a system that can often feel confusing, competitive, and overwhelming — so you don’t have to do it alone.
Med Mentors Mission Statement
Med Mentors exists to dismantle the toxic culture of isolation, competition, and bullying in medicine — and replace it with genuine connection, collaboration, and support.
We guide aspiring doctors from premed through to medical school and beyond, creating a supportive pipeline that spans the entire journey into the hospital system.
Our mission is to remove barriers — financial, geographic, and social — by keeping our platform online, low-cost or free, and accessible to those from rural areas, underrepresented backgrounds, or without family connections in medicine.
We believe mentorship shouldn’t be a privilege reserved for the well-connected or well-off. Everyone deserves guidance, encouragement, and community on the path to becoming a doctor — and we’re here to provide it.
This is more than mentorship — it’s a shift in culture.
The Journey So Far
Med Mentors began in 2017 as a small pilot program, supporting around 100 aspiring medical students through mentor matching and practice MMI sessions.
At the time, it was simply an idea — to make the process feel a little less overwhelming for those going through it.
But the need was clear.
What started as a small initiative quickly grew into a national community. Med Mentors expanded to support hundreds of students across Australia and internationally, delivering large-scale mock MMI programs with personalised feedback and building meaningful mentor–mentee connections.
In 2019, Med Mentors was recognised as a finalist in the Australian Medical Association President’s Award — recognising initiatives that meaningfully contribute to the values, culture, and future of the medical profession.
Since then, Med Mentors has continued to evolve — shaped by both growth and reflection — with a renewed focus on building something sustainable, accessible, and genuinely supportive for future students.
A Pause — and a Reset
Like many things in life, Med Mentors hasn’t been a straight line.
There was a period where the program paused — shaped by life, growth, and changing priorities.
But that pause created space to reflect, rebuild, and reimagine what Med Mentors could become.
And now, we’re back — with a clearer vision and a stronger foundation.
What’s Next
This next chapter is about building something sustainable, accessible, and far-reaching.
We’re expanding Med Mentors into:
- a structured learning hub
- a more advanced and personalised matching system
- long-term mentorship pathways across medical training
- resources that remain low-cost or free, without compromising quality
Our goal is simple – but important:
to create a system where support in medicine is no longer dependent on luck, connections, or money
“I didn’t get in the first time — or the second, or the third. But I kept going. Let me share with you everything I learned so you don’t have to take the long way into medical school. Although there’s nothing wrong with taking the scenic route.”
About our Founder
Hi, I’m Dr Emma Mackinnon — a junior doctor, mentor, and mum of two, based in Victoria.
I founded Med Mentors to help aspiring medical students navigate the complex, competitive, and often isolating journey into medicine — a journey I know all too well.
It took me seven consecutive years of applying before I was accepted into medical school.
- Seven years of rejection.
- Seven years of uncertainty.
- Seven years of trying to figure it out without clear guidance.
Along the way, I experienced financial strain, self-doubt, and long periods of uncertainty — mostly without clear guidance or support.
The challenge itself was never the problem.
It was how isolating and unsupported the journey could feel — in a field that should value connection, mentorship, and compassion.
That’s why I created Med Mentors — to offer the kind of honest advice, connection, and support I wish I’d had.
Since then, I’ve worked in hospitals across Australia and training as a rural generalist. Outside of medicine, caring for my children — including one with complex medical needs — has deepened my understanding of what truly matters, both in healthcare and in life.
Med Mentors is built on the belief that collaboration is more powerful than competition, and that no one should be excluded from medicine because they lack connections, money, or guidance.
This isn’t about selling expensive prep courses.
It’s about breaking down barriers, creating community, and helping you get there — without losing yourself along the way.