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Objective: The purpose of this article is to document and evaluate the initiation of a mentoring model for junior faculty utilizing a peer group approach rather than the traditional dyadic model.
Methods: Junior faculty members in an academic department of psychiatry at Sunnybrook Hospital, University of Toronto, were invited to take part in a peer mentoring program involving evening meetings every 2 months over a 1-year period from 20042005. Of the 12 invitees, 10 agreed to participate in the program. The group participants developed the program agenda collectively. Learning objectives as well as a list of topics of interest were established at the inaugural meeting. A focus group was held at the end of 12 months to provide a descriptive, qualitative evaluation. The focus group leader prepared a report based on observations and notes taken during the focus group.
Results: The report prepared by the focus group leader identified six main themes that included: program development, knowledge gains, interpersonal gains, psychological/emotional gains, process of the program, and future directions. The overall response was clearly favorable with a unanimous decision to maintain the group and continue meeting into the next year.
Conclusion: A peer group mentoring format for junior faculty in an academic department of psychiatry can be an effective model of mentoring.
Academic Psychiatry 2008; 32:230-235
Mentorship involves a sustained relationship, usually between a senior colleague and junior colleague, the goal of which is the nurturing and development of the junior colleague's career and professional identity. Mentorship goes beyond the simple passing on of knowledge and skills. It also includes encouragement, support, sponsorship, constructive feedback, role modeling, and any other processes that will facilitate the junior colleague achieving their professional and personal goals (1, 2, 3).
Mentoring relationships are common in academic medicine and are felt to be important contributors to the academic development of trainees and junior faculty. One survey of faculty at U.S. medical schools found that 54% of junior faculty reported a recent mentoring relationship (4). Male and female faculty reported having a mentor with equal frequency, as did minority and majority faculty. Mentorship has been associated with increased research activity, increased retention in academic medicine, and increased career satisfaction (5, 6). Also, a study of female faculty found that...