Academic mentees thrive in big groups, but survive in small groups

Area of Science:

• Academia and scientific research
• Career development in STEM

Background:

• Mentorship is crucial for scientific career success.
• Large research groups are often seen as markers of mentor quality.
• High dropout rates among early-career researchers pose a threat to academia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of mentor group size on mentee academic longevity and performance.
• To investigate the relationship between mentorship success and mentee career sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Collection of longitudinal genealogical data on mentor-mentee relationships and publications.
• Analysis of the influence of mentor group size on mentee academic outcomes.
• Verification of trends across institutions of varying prestige.

Main Results:

• Mentees from larger groups show better academic performance if they remain in academia.
• Academic survival rates are lower for mentees from larger groups and those with highly productive mentors.
• These patterns hold true across different institutional prestige levels.

Conclusions:

• A mentor's success may negatively correlate with their mentees' long-term academic survival.
• Current perceptions of mentorship success may not align with mentee career sustainability.
• Findings suggest a need for revised mentorship models to improve researcher retention.