Mentoring

The mentoring of early-career medical researchers is critical to their academic and scientific success. Access to one or more senior colleagues who has demonstrated a career of scientific prowess, is willing to facilitate, nurture and transfer the necessary behaviors for personal and professional growth and understands the vicissitudes of academe and its institutions has been recognized as a vital factor for setting the stage for potentiating the career of the mentee. Studies have shown that young researchers and junior faculty members who identified a mentor felt more confident than their peers, were more likely to have a productive research career and reported greater career satisfaction. Furthermore, as an added bonus to the providing institution, departments that deliberately assist their new members in learning how to thrive in an academic research culture gain the benefit of improved productivity, stability, loyalty and leadership capacity.

UT Southwestern recognizes that a successful mentoring program is dependent on the availability of willing and effective mentors. When a faculty member is identified as being either a scientific or humanistic mentor, a formal communication is sent to the mentor. This communication consists of a) formal notification of their role as a mentor in the UTSW Scholars program; b) the name of their mentee; c) their defined role in the mentee’s training – scientific mentor, humanistic mentor, or both; d) a copy of the UTSW Mentor Guidelines; e) how and when to contact program faculty/staff with issues regarding their mentees; and f) formal recognition and gratitude for the critical role these mentors play in the academic success of their mentee. This formalized process of mentor notification has been in place for the last three years with overwhelming success. The mentors frequently contact program leadership to discuss specific issues with their mentees, allowing the program faculty/staff to muster additional resources for the students. The Mentor-Mentee Guidelines/Agreement are the basis for the relationship, and contain explicit expectations for mentors and mentees alike.