Evaluating and Giving Feedback to Mentors: New Evidence‐Based Approaches

Abstract

A comprehensive mentoring program includes a variety of components. One of the most important is the ongoing assessment of and feedback to mentors. Scholars need strong active mentors who have the expertise, disposition, motivation, skills, and the ability to accept feedback and to adjust their mentoring style. Assessing the effectiveness of a given mentor is no easy task. Variability in learning needs and academic goals among scholars makes it difficult to develop a single evaluation instrument or a standardized procedure for evaluating mentors. Scholars, mentors, and program leaders are often reluctant to conduct formal evaluations, as there are no commonly accepted measures. The process of giving feedback is often difficult and there is limited empirical data on efficacy. This article presents a new and innovative six-component approach to mentor evaluation that includes the assessment of mentee training and empowerment, peer learning and mentor training, scholar advocacy, mentee–mentor expectations, mentor self-reflection, and mentee evaluation of their mentor.

A Checklist for the Development of Faculty Mentorship Programs

“…9 In the areas of research, the mentor can help the protégé develop grant-writing skills and attain funding. 4,5,7,10,11 In teaching, the mentor can help the protégé outline, organize, and deliver lecture/laboratory/clinical content. The mentor can listen, critique, and give positive reinforcement in these scholarly efforts.…”

“…The ultimate goal of the mentor is for the protégé to become successful and self-sufficient in the workplace, with appropriate recognition for scholarly activities, promotion (ultimately to full-professor), achieving a national and international reputation for good work, and ultimately, for the protégé to pass on the mentor's "legacy" by mentoring others in turn. 6,7,10 Recommendation 1. The mentor role should be defined and discussed with the protégé at the initiation of the program to set expectations.…”

Students’ views of mentoring at Bahria University Medical and Dental College

“…Mentoring programs should be evaluated from time to time by the faculty of mentors as well as mentees 17. Mentoring at BUMDC follows the inclusion criteria as mentioned by Meinal18 which includes that all students should be a part of the mentoring program.…”

Ultrasound clinical progress monitoring: Who, where and how?

“…These include the lack of clear outcome measures and difficulties in providing a standardised method of assessing the relationship, because of varying needs and motivation of learners, different personalities, expectations of the mentoring process and limited authority of the training centre in relation to the mentors. 23 These factors could add to the challenges faced by the education centre, when evaluating the quality of the supervisor and assessor relationships. As the role of the supervisor and assessor is so important to the learning process in clinical practice, trainee feedback could be helpful to support clinical staff in their role and ensure a high standard of supervision and communication between training centre, clinical staff and trainee.…”