Long-term follow-up of a facilitated peer mentoring program

Area of Science:

• Academic Medicine
• Faculty Development
• Mentorship Programs

Background:

• Mentoring is crucial for academic medical faculty career advancement.
• Peer mentoring represents an emerging model in academic settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the sustained impact of a facilitated peer mentoring initiative on academic achievements.
• Evaluate long-term outcomes of peer mentoring for faculty development.

Main Methods:

• Women faculty (instructor/assistant professor) participated in a facilitated peer mentoring program (2005-2009).
• Academic skills, career satisfaction, and self-efficacy were surveyed pre-program and in 2011.
• Curriculum vitae were analyzed for publications, academic activities, and promotions.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated lasting improvements in perceived academic skill mastery.
• Scholarly output, including peer-reviewed publications and presentations, increased post-program.
• Positive program perceptions were reported, with 44% maintaining peer group connections.

Conclusions:

• Facilitated peer mentoring is linked to enhanced skills and academic productivity.
• Further research is necessary to explore program effectiveness across diverse demographic groups in academic medicine.