Mentorship Process

The benefits of mentorship are vast including research opportunities and guidance, professional development and career advancement. During Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) Fellowship, fellows develop their skills to become clinicians, proceduralists, teachers and researchers. Mentorship is an important cornerstone to all aspects of training. There are a variety of possible mentors including research (basic or clinical) advisors, clinicians/faculty with mutual interest in a specific area within or outside of PCCM.

Our mentoring program has both structure and expectations from both the mentor and mentee as outlined below. During the first year of fellowship, you will be mentored by the PD or APD. After this year, all fellows will identify a faculty mentor and confirm his/her interest and inform the program coordinator. The PD will help identify a mentor if the fellow is unable to do so.

The role of the mentor is to help guide the fellow to explore the available research opportunities as well as provide career guidance. The mentor should help the fellow determine the general area of research that best fits with the fellow's aptitudes and interests. Mentor and Mentee should meet at least once every other month and would perform a formal review of the mentoring relationship at least once every six months. This review would be available to the program director for the semi-annual evaluation.

Our three main objectives, which follows the AAMC Mentorship Guidelines, are:

To facilitate positive academic and scholarly outcomes for trainees
To enhance opportunities for collaboration and networking
To foster a community of learning and scholarly inquiry

Ground rules for mentor‐mentee relationships and meetings

It should generally be the responsibility of the mentee to reach out to the mentor for meetings, and it is the responsibility of the mentor to make the time for the mentee.

A mentoring agreement will be entered into by the Mentor and the Mentee which would include the following:

Prior to the first meeting with a mentor, fellows should write down at least three things that they would like to achieve through mentoring. Rank the three items in order of importance.
Fellows should write down at least three things that they would like their mentor to provide as part of the relationship.
Prepare a CV to share with your mentor before you first meet. Be sure to also include your own vision, mission or life goals.

Developing a positive mentoring relationship:

Logistics and timing of meetings: Mentor and mentee would set aside at least half an hour every two months and an hour every six months (for the formal review) during working hours to formally meet and discuss.
Prepare for the first meeting: Mentor and Mentee need to make a list of things that are important in their opinion. The list might include:
1. For the mentor, what it was like to be starting out, what it was like to make the decision for his/her career path, or about expectations concerning the mentoring relationship.
2. For the mentee, factors leading to the decision to become Pulmonary Critical Care physician, goals during fellowship, or any areas of concern.
Be clear about purpose and boundaries: Gift‐giving, loaning money, or becoming involved in dispute resolution are all out‐of bounds. May discuss ethical or moral issues. Mentor should advocate for career advancement as appropriate.
Listen deeply and ask questions ‐ Two essential skills for both Mentor and Mentee are:
1. In‐depth listening: suspend judgment, listen for understanding.
2. Asking powerful questions: questions that are challenging in a friendly way and questions that help the other person talk about what is important to them.
End of the Meeting Review and Plan for the next meeting: The mentor and mentee would review the mutually developed goals to determine progress and complete an action plan. Then each should solicit any ideas about what might be discussed at the next meeting.
Both Mentor and Mentee are expected to maintain and respect privacy, honesty, and integrity.
Both Mentor and Mentee are expected to be responsive: It is critically important that both mentor and mentee establish expectations about when things will be finished – and most importantly that they complete these on time. Both should respond to calls and emails in a timely fashion.
Both Mentor and Mentee are expected to encourage open communication in this relationship: The focus of most successful mentoring is mutual learning.

For Mentees:

Choose wisely: the best predictor of future success is usually past success. Pick a mentor with a proven track record of mentoring house officers and/or fellows. Feel free to ask your potential mentor about his/her track record, his/her philosophy about research, clinical practice, or your area(s) of interest. Take the initiative for the first meeting: Take the initiative to make the first call, but as part of the Mentoring Agreement, determine who will organize meetings moving forward. Bring ideas and “a plan of action” to all of your meetings: Bring ideas to your meetings, in particular to your initial planning meetings.

Be prepared to tell your mentor what you think, why it is important, and what your ideas about developing your ideas are. Be prepared, and expect, to give an update on what you have accomplished at each meeting. Demonstrate initiative, leadership, and self‐reliance. Actively seek feedback: look at what you have accomplished. Ask how you are doing, acknowledge that you would like to improve and ask how you can accomplish this.

Reassess your goals frequently: Ask yourself if you have accomplished what you set out to at the beginning of the process. If you are meeting your goals, communicate this to your mentor. If you are not meeting your goals, also communicate this, and think about how you might meet your goals. Your mentor should be able to strategize with you. Communicate your wishes openly and honestly: If your needs are not being met, discuss this with your mentor. Terminating a mentoring relationship or switching to a different mentor is not a sign of failure by either party. Recognizing your changing needs and finding a respectful way to meet your learning goals are critical.

Summary: Roles and Responsibilities

Mentee

Seeks career, professional and personal advice on issues related to education, research, and academic advancement
Participates in educational and networking opportunities facilitated by the mentor

Mentor

Serves as a guide for the mentee in his/her professional life
Assists in setting goals and provides guidance on career development and advancement in an open, honest manner
Facilitates educational and networking opportunities for the mentee

Both

Engage in ongoing evaluation of the mentoring partnership