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Women physicians and their mentors
Journal of the American Medical Women'S Association (1972)
|July 1, 1989
Summary
Women physicians experienced more career sponsorship with high-ranking male mentors but more personal advice and autonomy with female mentors. Mentor rank, not gender, determined sponsorship effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Gender Studies in Medicine
- Physician Career Development
Background:
- The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions within medical institutions persists.
- Understanding the nuances of mentorship for women physicians is crucial for career advancement and retention.
- Previous research has explored gender dynamics in mentorship, but a direct comparison of experiences based on mentor gender and rank is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the mentorship experiences of women physicians with male versus female mentors.
- To investigate the impact of mentor rank (administrative or academic) on the effectiveness of mentorship, specifically career sponsorship.
- To identify potential challenges and benefits associated with different mentor gender pairings for women physicians.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 189 women physicians.
- Respondents were categorized based on the gender of their primary mentor (male or female).
- Experiences related to career sponsorship, personal advice, relationship autonomy, and mentor rank were assessed.
Main Results:
- Women physicians with high-ranking male mentors reported greater career sponsorship.
- Women physicians with lower-ranking female mentors reported receiving more personal advice.
- Female mentors were associated with fewer reported problems in maintaining autonomy within the mentor-mentee relationship.
- Mentor's administrative or academic rank was a more significant factor in sponsorship effectiveness than mentor gender.
Conclusions:
- Women physicians may face a dilemma when selecting mentors, balancing the need for sponsorship with the desire for supportive guidance and autonomy.
- Promoting women physicians to higher administrative and academic positions is essential to increase the availability of effective sponsors and role models.
- Mentorship programs should consider the impact of mentor rank and gender to optimize support for women physicians' career progression.