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Positive Value of a Women's Junior Faculty Mentoring Program: A Mentor-Mentee Analysis
Mary Lou Voytko1,2, Natalie Barrett2,3, Diana Courtney-Smith4
11 Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Journal of Women'S Health (2002)
|May 30, 2018
Summary
A dedicated mentoring program for women faculty in academic medicine significantly benefited mentees in career development and well-being. This initiative proved valuable, especially where formal mentoring opportunities are limited.
Area of Science:
- Academic Medicine
- Faculty Development
- Mentorship Programs
Background:
- Women faculty in academic medicine face significant challenges balancing multiple roles.
- Formal faculty mentoring programs are not universally available in medical institutions.
- A specific mentoring program was developed for women junior faculty to address these challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the value and impact of a newly created mentoring program for women junior faculty.
- To analyze mentor-mentee paired data to understand the effectiveness of the program.
Main Methods:
- A novel mentor-mentee paired-data analysis was conducted using annual surveys from 2010 to 2015.
- Data included responses from 83 unique mentees and 61 unique mentors.
- A Mentee Needs Assessment Form was utilized to individualize mentoring relationships.
Main Results:
- Top discussion topics included career development, research, promotion, and institutional resources.
- High congruency was observed in perceived helpfulness of discussions regarding professional development and well-being.
- Mentees reported significant benefits, with unexpected outcomes including promotions, grants, publications, and professional memberships.
Conclusions:
- Establishing dedicated mentoring programs for women faculty is highly valuable.
- Such programs are particularly crucial in academic medical environments lacking other formal mentoring opportunities.
- The program demonstrated success in fostering mentee advancement and satisfaction.