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Published on: February 19, 2021
Longitudinal program evaluation of an inter-institutional mentorship network for pediatric rheumatology using a
Kristen Hayward1, Alexi Grom2, Eyal Muscal3
1Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital and University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA. kristen.hayward@seattlechildrens.org.
Insights
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Mentoring Interest Group (AMIGO) program successfully provided mentorship access in pediatric rheumatology from 2011-2018. Despite workforce challenges, AMIGO demonstrated sustainability and participant satisfaction, informing future mentorship initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Medical Education
- Professional Development
Background:
- The American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Mentoring Interest Group (AMIGO) was established to address mentorship deficits in pediatric rheumatology.
- Initial evaluations confirmed improved access to mentorship within the field.
- The limited size of the pediatric rheumatology workforce posed a potential threat to the program's long-term viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the sustainability of the AMIGO program between 2011 and 2018.
- To identify and describe the continuing benefits for program participants.
- To outline the challenges encountered in maintaining a sustainable mentorship network.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach was employed, utilizing a quality improvement framework.
- Process and outcome measures were collected and analyzed across AMIGO's annual cycles.
- Surveys of the pediatric rheumatology workforce in the US and Canada were conducted.
Main Results:
- Over 500 individuals in the pediatric rheumatology workforce were identified; 331 unique participants engaged with AMIGO by fall 2018, achieving a 66% response rate.
- Mentees reported high satisfaction with career development, research/scholarship, and work-life balance.
- Mentors experienced enhanced community connection and satisfaction from guiding mentees, though academic portfolio benefits were limited. A parallel program, Creating Adult Rheumatology Mentorship in Academia (CARMA), was launched in 2018.
Conclusions:
- The AMIGO program has consistently provided valuable mentorship opportunities within the pediatric rheumatology community, despite workforce limitations.
- The program's success and sustainability offer a model for addressing mentorship gaps in other academic medical subspecialties.
- Lessons learned from AMIGO can guide the development of future mentorship networks.
Background:
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Mentoring Interest Group (AMIGO) is an inter-institutional mentorship program launched to target mentorship gaps within pediatric rheumatology. Initial program evaluation indicated increased mentorship access. Given the small size of the pediatric rheumatology workforce, maintaining a consistent supply of mentors was a potential threat to the longevity of the network. Our aims were to: (i) describe the sustainability of AMIGO over the period 2011-2018, (ii) highlight ongoing benefits to participants, and (iii) describe challenges in the maintenance of a mentorship network.
Methods:
A mixed-methods approach centered on a quality improvement framework was used to report on process and outcomes measures associated with AMIGO annual cycles.
Results:
US and Canada Pediatric rheumatology workforce surveys identified 504 possible participants during the time period. As of fall 2018, 331 unique individuals had participated in AMIGO as a mentee, mentor or both for a program response rate of 66% (331/504). Survey of mentees indicated high satisfaction with impact on general career development, research/scholarship and work-life balance. Mentors indicated increased sense of connection to the community and satisfaction with helping mentees despite limited perceived benefit to their academic portfolios. Based on AMIGO's success, a counterpart program for adult rheumatology, Creating Adult Rheumatology Mentorship in Academia (CARMA), was launched in 2018.
Conclusions:
Despite the challenges of a limited workforce, AMIGO continues to provide consistent access to mentorship opportunities for the pediatric rheumatology community. This experience can inform approaches to mentorship gaps in other academic subspecialties.
