A Qualitative Evaluation of a Clinical Faculty Mentorship Program Using a Realist Evaluation Approach

Clinically focused faculty (full-time clinical faculty and clinician educators) comprise an increasing proportion of academic faculty, yet they underutilize mentorship nationally. The aims of this study were to test and refine a program theory for an institutional mentorship program for junior clinically focused faculty and to understand the facilitators and barriers of sustained participation.

We conducted a qualitative study using a realist evaluation approach. Between July and December 2017, we performed in-depth semistructured interviews of 2 participant groups from a junior faculty mentorship program at our institution: 1) those who attended more than two thirds of the program sessions; and 2) those who only attended 1 session. We used inductive thematic analysis to identify key context and program mechanisms that led to meaningful outcomes for faculty mentorship.

We interviewed 23 junior faculty representing 15 pediatric specialties. We identified 4 contextual themes (past personal experience, current competing priorities, institutional culture, and gaps in support and resources), 3 mechanisms (connecting with faculty, sharing ideas and strategies, and self-reflecting), and 3 outcomes (sense of community, acquired tools and skills, and broadened perspectives), which we organized into a programmatic theory representing the program's impact on participants. Themes that emerged were consistent between both groups.

A mentorship program that provided junior faculty with opportunities to connect, share ideas and strategies, and self-reflect led to improvement in meaningful outcomes for clinically focused faculty. Our program theory provides a basis for institutions seeking to build a mentorship program targeted towards this increasing proportion of junior faculty.