International online mentorship for translational researchers.

BACKGROUND: Translational researchers (TRs) fulfill various roles across clinical, educational, and research domains with the ultimate goal of positively impacting patients. Mentorship has been recognized as an important means of career support for TRs, particularly when navigating the complex translational research pipeline and adapting to evolving roles. In response, the Erasmus + PATHWAY project developed and piloted an extra-curricular online preparatory course and mentorship program in 2019 and 2020 to help TRs build mentorship skills, develop their careers, and create online peer-to-peer learning opportunities. METHODS: To assess the pilot online mentorship program, a longitudinal exploratory mixed method study was conducted. RESULTS: Mentees and mentors from both years reported that they joined the program to learn mentorship skills, gain career support, and expand their (international) network. Analysis of evaluation forms indicated that the online preparatory course was evaluated largely positively, with participants suggesting improvements for future iterations. Results of a follow-up survey in 2022 revealed that mentorship was considered helpful in supporting TRs' work in translational research, and an online mentorship program was useful, provided it included interactive online training, multiple mentee-mentor matching rounds, compatible time zones and professional experience for matched pairs, active program moderation with offline activities, and effective online tools. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the mentorship needs of TRs and their recommendations for international online mentorship. The innovative PATHWAY program's online format, mentee-driven matching, and preparatory training for both mentees and mentors contribute to the development of mentorship for the general translational community that could potentially have broader applications, especially in a post-COVID-19 environment.

The interaction of narcissism, agreeableness and conscientiousness in entrepreneurial mentoring: Implications for learning outcomes.

The personality configuration of mentors and mentees is important in understanding mentoring outcomes. While the best mentors appear to have higher degrees of agreeableness and conscientiousness, entrepreneurs generally score lower on agreeableness and have higher degrees of narcissism, a personality trait that could be detrimental to mentoring. We investigated the interaction of narcissism with two traits from the Big Five Inventory, namely agreeableness and conscientiousness, to see how this interaction influenced learning from the relationship of mentee entrepreneurs. Our findings suggest that mentee narcissism negatively influences learning, and mentor agreeableness mitigates the negative effects on mentee learning. These findings show certain beneficial personality configurations in entrepreneurial mentoring and provide elements to consider in managerial practice when pairing mentors and mentees in this context.

Mentoring up: How mentorship training influences mentee intent to change behavior.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate data from different implementations of the Mentoring Up curriculum, designed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research. The study investigated the relationship between participants' self-reported change in mentoring competence and the behaviors they intended to implement post-training. Methods: The data set included 401 respondents who consented to participate after 59 Mentoring Up training events hosted by 34 institutions between 2015 and 2022. Responses to the Mentoring Competency Assessment (MCA) were analyzed to determine which factors were related to self-reported changes in participants' mentoring competencies post-training. Results: Quantitative analysis showed that intent to change, perceived value of training, training modality, and prior mentor training were all significantly associated with the magnitude of change in MCA scores between pre- and post-tests. Further, participants who engaged in face-to-face training found significantly more value in the training than those who participated online. Analysis of open-ended questions demonstrated that participants with larger changes in MCA scores were more likely to address core principles of Mentoring Up curriculum when discussing their behavior change plans post-training. Conclusion: Participants improved their mentoring competence by participating in the Mentoring Up curriculum, and this change was significantly and practically associated with an intent to modify their behavior in their mentoring relationships.

The power of junior faculty mentoring committees.

Junior faculty mentoring committees have important roles in ensuring that faculty thrive and adjust to their new positions and institutions. Here, we describe the purpose, structure, and benefits of junior faculty mentoring committees, which can be a powerful tool for early-career academic investigators in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical (STEMM) fields. There is a paucity of information about what mentoring committees are, how to use them effectively, what areas they should evaluate, and how they can most successfully help junior faculty progress in their careers. This work offers guidance for both junior faculty mentees and mentoring committee members on how to best structure and utilize mentoring committees to promote junior faculty success. A better understanding of the intricacies of the mentoring committee will allow junior faculty members to self-advocate and will equip committee mentors with tools to ensure that junior faculty are successful in thriving in academia.

Mentoring up for early career investigators: Empowering mentees to proactively engage in their mentoring relationships.

Introduction: Effective mentorship is recognized as critical for the professional development of clinical and translational investigators. Evidence-based mentorship training prompted the development of training for mentees at early career stages who are navigating both mentor and mentee roles. The curriculum titled, Mentoring Up for Early Career Investigators, recognizes the importance of building mentee self-efficacy across proactive mentorship skills and competencies. Methods: Mentoring Up for Early Career Investigators curriculum is based on the research mentor training approach in Entering Mentoring. Pilot implementations of Mentoring Up at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Pennsylvania had positive training outcomes for KL2 Scholars. Subsequently, Mentoring Up was implemented and evaluated at several other institutions. For 26 implementations longer than 4 hours, data were collected on trainee demographics, satisfaction with training, skill gains across mentorship competencies, and the intent to change mentoring behaviors following training. Results: 88% of participants rated the mentee training as valuable. Significant skill gains were reported across all mentorship competencies following training. 77% reported specific plans to change or augment their mentoring behaviors because of the training. The majority aligned with mentorship skill competencies (aligning expectations, effective communications) or mentoring up strategies (voicing needs, setting boundaries, communicating proactively). Conclusion: Mentoring Up training is effective in advancing mentee skills and promoting strategies to be more proactive in getting their mentoring needs met. Mentoring Up offers an expansion to the suite of mentorship education and resources to support the career advancement of all in the translational science workforce.

Implementation of a Mentoring Program for Mentee-Mentor Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Pilot Study.

Introduction: Mentoring is a unique educational workplace relationship that can support both the mentee and mentor's skill, knowledge, social, and emotional needs. The primary aim of this longitudinal pilot study was to implement a formal mentoring program to assess its effect on mentee and mentor satisfaction. Methods: Data was collected from two hospitals in New South Wales, Australia in late 2018 and early 2019. Junior doctors (mentees) and senior medical staff (mentors) were asked to complete pre-, mid-, and oost-program surveys, with questions relevant to mentee-mentor satisfaction, interactions, and participation. Mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression models were used to assess the program effect on mentee-mentor satisfaction, while Fishers' exact test was used to evaluate mentee-mentor interactions and participation. Results: Although there was evidence of upwards trends in the proportion of mentees and mentors who reported their satisfaction in the program as excellent and rated their work satisfaction as being very influenced by the program, both trends were statistically non-significant. While our study was likely underpowered, high participation rates provide promising evidence of the program's acceptability and feasibility. Conclusion: Though not reaching statistical significance, study results suggest that the implementation of a mentoring program has the potential to increase satisfaction levels among its participants, be they mentees or mentors. It is recommended that future studies recruit larger samples thereby having sufficient statistical power. Furthermore, causality should be explored in more detail through a multi-site randomized controlled trial design.

Maximizing Mentorship Throughout Your Breast Imaging Career.

Unlike many other subspecialties in radiology, breast radiologists practice in a patient-facing and interdisciplinary environment where team building, communication, and leadership skills are critical. Although breast radiologists can improve these skills over time, strong mentorship can accelerate this process, leading to a more successful and satisfying career. In addition to providing advice, insight, feedback, and encouragement to mentees, mentors help advance the field of breast radiology by contributing to the development of the next generation of leaders. During the mentorship process, mentors continue to hone their listening, problem-solving, and networking skills, which in turn creates a more supportive and nurturing work environment for the entire breast care team. This article reviews important mentorship skills that are essential for all breast radiologists. Although some of the principles apply to all mentoring relationships, ensuring that every breast radiologist has the skills to be both an effective mentor and mentee is key to the future of the profession.

Advancing Gerontology through Exceptional Scholarship (AGES): a Mentorship Initiative for Early Career Faculty.

Mentorship is critical to supporting professional development and growth of new and emerging faculty members. Working with the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), we created the Advancing Gerontology through Exceptional Scholarship (AGES) Initiative as a mentorship model to promote productivity and peer support for new and early career faculty members. In this commentary, we highlight the AGES Program as a prototype to facilitate peer support, collective learning, and co-authorship opportunities to advance new and early career faculty members, especially in the field of aging. Moreover, we identify four crucial strategies that cultivated and refined our AGES Program including: i) ensuring flexibility to address mentee needs; ii) establishing check-ins and accountability to enhance productivity; iii) fostering peer support and collective learning; and iv) delivering motivational and educational activities. Drawing on our experience with the AGES Program, this commentary provides recommendations to support other groups looking to develop high-quality mentorship programs to support new and early career faculty members in academia.

The experience of good mentoring focused on overcoming turnover intention among millennial nurses.

Introduction: Millennials are emerging as a prominent demographic in the nursing workforce. It is necessary to create an environment that harmonizes the advantages of each generation in a nursing workforce in which various generations coexist. As the importance of mentoring programs for millennial nurses grows, it is believed that the effectiveness of mentoring to support millennial nurses can be enhanced by identifying the attributes of good mentors as perceived by nurses. This study aimed to explore the attributes of good mentors according to millennial nurses in the nursing workforce with a focus on overcoming turnover intention problems. Methods: Four focus group interviews were conducted to collect data, which were subsequently analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis method. A descriptive qualitative design involving 22 millennial nurses employed at a tertiary hospital, Hospital A, in Seoul, Republic of Korea was utilized. Results and discussion: Four themes emerged from the analysis: the concept of a significant others, the presence of a driving force to endure, the importance of a guide to a harmonious life, and the value of a partner for growth. The participants themselves identified these themes. To prevent turnover intention among millennial nurses, mentors should employ diverse strategies, and institutional supports are crucial. Furthermore, since it is unrealistic to expect all ideal mentor characteristics to be present in one person, mentor development education is also necessary. This information is valuable for designing mentor development programs and for establishing a solid framework for effective mentoring programs.

Longitudinal qualitative study of paired mentor-mentee perspectives on the abstract submission process.

BACKGROUND: Submitting research abstracts to scientific societies is expected in academic medicine and requires dedicated time and effort. The authors queried mentors and mentees to ascertain what topics and proposed strategies should be included in a new curriculum to enhance the abstract submission process. METHODS: Between May 2019 and March 2020, the authors enrolled 14 senior-rank mentors from diverse disciplines at a tertiary musculoskeletal center and their 14-paired mentees (mostly residents and fellows) into a several-component qualitative study consisting of in-depth interviews several months before abstract submission addressing prior experiences, and longitudinal follow-up interviews 1 month before, 1 week before, and 1 week after submission to uncover challenges faced during the actual process and strategies that were effective in overcoming these challenges. Additional contacts occurred through November 2020 to ascertain outcomes of submissions. Mentors and mentees were unaware of each other's responses. Responses were grouped into categories using grounded theory and a comparative analytic strategy. RESULTS: At enrollment participants recounted details from prior abstracts that included experiences with the submission process such as format, content, and online requirements, and experiences with interpersonal interactions such as managing coinvestigators' competing priories and consulting with statisticians in a timely manner. Benefits of submitting abstracts included advancing mentees' careers and increasing research methodology rigor. Challenges encountered during the submission process included meeting deadlines before all data were acquired, time away from other responsibilities, and uncertainty about handling changing conclusions as more data accrued. Delayed feedback from coinvestigators and broadening the scope or changing the focus of the abstract compounded the time crunch to meet the submission deadline. At the time of abstract submission mentor-mentee pairs agreed that major challenges were dealing with collaborators, incomplete data/limited results, and different work styles. The authors developed a proposal for a comprehensive curriculum to include organizational, technical and interpersonal topics. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal qualitative study involving mentor-mentee pairs revealed multiple benefits and challenges associated with submitting research abstracts. These findings provide the foundation for a comprehensive curriculum to enhance this recurring labor-intensive undertaking and cornerstone of academic medicine.

Benefits of Mentoring in Oncology Education for Mentors and Mentees: Pre-Post Interventional Study of the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies' National Oncology Mentorship Scheme.

BACKGROUND: Formal education of oncology is lacking in many undergraduate medical curricula. Mentoring schemes can expose participants to specific areas of medicine and may address the shortfalls in oncology education. Few mentoring schemes have been designed within the United Kingdom, especially within oncology. There is a need to understand reasons for mentor and mentee participation in such schemes and to identify ways to minimize barriers to engagement. OBJECTIVE: This study identifies motivations for participation in an oncology mentoring scheme and its benefits and limitations to both the mentee and the mentor. METHODS: The British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies launched a National Oncology Mentorship Scheme (NOMS) on September 1, 2021. Mentees (medical student or foundation doctor) were paired with mentors (specialty registrar or consultant), for 6 months of mentoring. In total, 86 mentors and 112 mentees were recruited to the scheme. The mentees and mentors were asked to meet at least 3 times during this period and suggestions were provided on the content of mentoring. Mentees and mentors were invited to complete a prescheme questionnaire, exploring motivations for involvement in the scheme, current experiences within oncology, and knowledge and interests in the field. At the end of the scheme, mentors and mentees were asked to complete a postscheme questionnaire exploring experiences and benefits or limitations of participation. Paired analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. For free text data, content analysis was applied to summarize the main themes in the data. RESULTS: Of the 66 (59%) mentees who completed the prescheme questionnaire, 41 (62%) were clinical, 21 (32%) preclinical medical students, and the remainder were junior doctors. For mentees, networking was the primary reason for joining the scheme (n=25, 38%). Mentees ranked experience of oncology at medical school at 3 on 10 (IQR 2-5). In this, 46 (53%) mentors completed the prescheme questionnaire, 35 (76%) were registrar level, and the remainder were consultant level (n=11). The most common reason for mentor participation was to increase awareness and interest in the field (n=29, 63%). Of those who completed the prescheme questionnaire, 23 (35%) mentees and 25 (54%) mentors completed the postscheme questionnaire. Knowledge in all areas of oncology assessed significantly increased during the scheme (P<.001). Most mentees (n=21, 91%) and mentors (n=18, 72%) felt they had benefited from the scheme. Mentees cited gaining insights into oncology as most beneficial; and mentors, opportunities to develop professionally. Whilst mentees did not report any barriers to participating in the scheme, mentors stated lack of time as the greatest barrier to mentoring. CONCLUSIONS: British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies' NOMS is expanding and is beneficial for mentees through increasing knowledge, providing exposure, and career advice in oncology. Mentors benefit from improving their mentoring skills and personal satisfaction.

Key steps and suggestions for a promising approach to a critical care mentoring program.

In critical care medicine, where there is a demanding career with a problematic work-life balance, mentoring is an important support tool to grow professionally, creating a network of support throughout the career. The mentoring process consists of evidence-based steps to guide critical care mentors and mentees and pair them with each other according to the correct selection and matching of participants.In order to focus on the active role of a young intensivist selected as a mentee at any level and to support their success in a mentoring relationship, the NEXT Committee of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) developed 2012 a mentoring program.The critical steps of the mentoring program start from establishing a policy and program objectives, passing through the selection of participants, and matching with mentors up to the definition of the personal development plan supported by checklists, worksheets, and evaluation forms. The present manuscript provides key steps and tips for a good, essential based on our experience in the ESICM NEXT-Mentoring Program so that they guide for future mentoring programs conducted by other scientific societies. In addition, we discuss common challenges and how to avoid them.

Nurse Mentoring: A Scoping Review.

INTRODUCTION: Mentoring programs minimize stress and anxiety in recent graduates and in newly recruited nurses, guiding their careers and enabling them to retain their skills and correctly care for patients. The objective of this scoping review is to explore and summarize the existing literature on mentoring models and programs in the clinical nursing context. METHODS: The databases searched include PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, Cuiden, Scielo, MEDES, OpenGrey, Trove and MedNar. Published and unpublished studies worldwide that included nurse mentoring programs in a clinical context, in public and private systems and primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare settings, and articles published in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, were included. Nurse students and training specialists were excluded. The papers were screened by two independent reviewers. In cases of discrepancy, a third reviewer made the decision. RESULTS: Eleven studies were included. Most of them were conducted in the USA. A wide range of nurse mentoring programs were identified with highly variable characteristics. The duration of the programs and the evaluation systems were different, but the expected results matched. CONCLUSIONS: Mentoring programs need more in-depth and extensive study. In spite of their differences, they all lead to improvements for nurses, patients and organizations. A gender influence was found in our results, which could be studied in future research.

Advancing understanding of discordant mentoring relationships in STEMM: A method and framework.

Having a diverse workforce in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) fields is essential for the United States to remain competitive in the global economy and to create a more just society. Faculty-mentored undergraduate research experiences have been identified as a high-impact practice for encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to pursue STEMM education and careers. Despite extensive research examining factors influencing the effectiveness of mentor-mentee relationships, there is still limited understanding of how differences or similarities in the social identities of mentors and mentees, which we term mentor-mentee discordance, impact undergraduates' research experiences and outcomes. In this perspective, we propose that mentor-mentee discordance should be conceptualized as a multidimensional, continuous construct and suggest a global index to measure varying degrees of discordance in mentoring relationships. We also offer a conceptual model that incorporates the Discordance Index to systematize the understanding of the effects of discordant mentoring relationships on student development across social contexts and over time. Finally, we provide recommendations for future researchers, STEMM educators, and program directors who are interested in using the Discordance Index.

Mentoring on Orthopedic Surgery Clinical Rotations: A Survey of Mentor Effectiveness on Student Mentees Compared to an Unmentored Control Group.

INTRODUCTION: Mentorship is an important aspect of medical education in providing students guidance and connections to new opportunities, ultimately leading to increased productivity and career satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to design and implement a formal mentoring program between medical students participating in their orthopedic surgery rotation and orthopedic residents to determine if this relationship improved students' experiences during their rotation compared to students who were not mentored. DESIGN: Third- and fourth-year medical students rotating in orthopedic surgery and PGY2-PGY5 orthopedic residents at one institution were eligible to participate in a voluntary mentoring program between the months of July and February during 2016 to 2019. Students were either randomly paired with a resident mentor (experimental group) or not (unmentored control group). Anonymous surveys were distributed to participants at weeks 1 and 4 of their rotation. There were no minimum number of meetings required between mentors and mentees. RESULTS: Twenty-seven students (18 mentored, 9 unmentored) and 12 residents completed surveys during week 1. Fifteen students (11 mentored, 4 unmentored) and 8 residents completed surveys during week 4. While both mentored and unmentored students experienced an increase in enjoyment, satisfaction, and level of comfort at week 4 compared to week 1, the unmentored group demonstrated a greater overall increase. However, from the perspective of the residents, excitement for the mentoring program and the perceived value of mentoring decreased and 1 (12.5%) resident felt that it detracted from their clinical responsibilities. CONCLUSION: While formal mentoring enhanced the experience of medical students on orthopedic surgery rotations, it did not substantially improve medical student perceptions when compared to students who did not receive formal mentoring. The greater satisfaction and enjoyment observed in the unmentored group may be explained by informal mentoring that naturally occurs among students and residents with similar interests and goals.

How to Become a Mentor and Be Good at It.

Mentoring skills are key assets for academic medicine and allied health faculty. Mentors can influence and help to shape the careers of the next generation of health-care providers. Mentors are not only role models but they can also teach the intricacies of professionalism, ethics, values, and the art of medicine. A mentor can be a teacher, a counselor, or an advocate. Mentors can enhance their own leadership skills, improve self-awareness, and increase professional credibility. This article will review the types of mentoring models, the benefits of mentoring, and the core and critical skills of mentoring.

How to Be a Mentee: Getting the Most of Your Mentorship.

Mentorship is a key part of the development of knowledge and skills in orthopedics. Mentorship at each of these different phases is important to preparing and enabling a competent, knowledgeable, and well-rounded surgeon. Although the mentor is generally the one in a senior position, experienced in their field, the mentee is the protégé or the trainee engaged in a relationship with the person with expertise. There should be mutual responsibility on both sides to develop a collaborative relationship in order to optimize value in the relationship for both parties.

Developing a Physician-Led Model for Research Mentorship in Academic Urology.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Quality mentorship is difficult to attain amidst the conflicting demands of academic medicine. In this review, we sought to characterize mentor-mentee relationships and discuss their optimization towards productivity in the research team setting. RECENT FINDINGS: A high-value mentor, defined by exceptional commitment to both research productivity and mentoring, naturally attracts prospective mentees, who can demonstrate their interest by shadowing and completing delegated tasks. Once fully initiated, the mentee establishes expectations with the mentor, identifies their roles within the research team, and, over time, takes ownership of the mentor-mentee relationship and collaborates with near-peers. Mentorship is a dynamic, reciprocal relationship that enhances career development of both participants. In the research team setting, episodic virtual research meetings and prudent delegation orient the entire team, while the mentor-mentee relationship is upheld by embracing a culture of responsiveness, feedback, and collaboration.

Bigs in Blue: Police officer mentoring for middle-school students-Building trust and understanding through structured programming.

PURPOSE: Clashes and tragedies between the police and citizens in recent years have focused greater attention on the increasingly negative interactions between community police officers and youth. The purpose of this paper is to describe the extensive evaluation of a New York City police mentoring program, Bigs in Blue (BIB), a component of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The evaluation will measure the success of the program with middle-school youth throughout the districts. Through police mentorship, BIB is intended to build youth's skills and development and promote their trust in the police. The design is grounded in evidence-based studies of youth/officer programs. This paper describes the logic model, goals, program implementation, and comprehensive plans for quantitative and qualitative evaluation. RESULTS: Preliminary results of both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the New York BIB program indicated that positive change can take place on individual bases between youth and officers, with development of mutual trust and understanding, correction of prejudicial attitudes, and reduction of youth criminal behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Early findings of the BIB program showed promise for additional success. The evaluation described here accounts for measurement and input regarding all of the BIB program goals. With input from advisors in many related fields, each component of the evaluation has been refined to capture both quantitative and qualitative elements for tracking and improvement toward greater success. The BIB program offers young people not only opportunities for mentors but also more positive police branding and the building of mutual trust. The program brings responsible adults into challenging neighborhoods, and evaluations are necessary to track progress and institute improvements.