High enthusiasm about long lasting mentoring relationships and older mentors

Abstract

Background Mentoring plays a pivotal role in workplace-based learning, especially in the medical realm. Organising a formal mentoring programme can be labor and time intensive and generally impractical in resource constrained medical schools with limited numbers of mentors. Hence, informal mentoring offers a valuable alternative, but will be more likely to be effective when mentors and protégés share similar views. It is therefore important to gain more insight into factors influencing perceptions of informal mentoring. This study aims to explore mentors and protégés’ perceptions of informal mentoring and how these vary (or not) with gender, age and the duration of the relationship. Method We administered an Informal Mentor Role Instrument (IMRI) to medical practitioners and academics from Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was developed for the study from other validated instruments. It contained 39 items grouped into 7 domains: acceptance, counselling, friendship, parenting, psychological support, role modelling and sociability. Results A total of 103 mentors and 91 protégés completed the IMRI. Mentors had a better appreciation for the interpersonal aspects of informal mentoring than protégés, especially regarding acceptance, counselling and friendship. Moreover, being older and engaged in a longer mentoring relationship contributed to more positive perceptions of interpersonal aspects of mentoring, regardless of one’s role (mentor or protégé). Conclusion It can be concluded that the expectations of mentors and protégés differed regarding the content and aim of the interpersonal characteristics of their mentoring relationship. We recommend mentors and protégés to more explicitly exchange their expectations of the informal mentoring relationship, as typically practiced in formal mentoring. Additionally, in our study, seniority and lasting relationships seem crucial for good informal mentoring. It appears beneficial to foster lasting informal mentoring relationships and to give more guidance to younger mentors.

How progress evaluations are used in postgraduate education with longitudinal supervisor-trainee relationships: a mixed method study

“…This power imbalance was described by supervisors as affecting the supervisortrainee relationship negatively. Clarity of the power differential, transparency in the hierarchy, and trust between supervisor and trainee are key (Castanelli et al, 2022;Falender & Shafranske, 2017;Mohtady et al, 2019). The power imbalance requires further attention in the community pharmacy specialization program and also in other programs with a similar structure.…”

Early Career Support for Biomedical Exchange Students with an International Mentor-to-Mentor Concept – The Biomedical Education Program (BMEP)

“…x Selection of excellent host mentors in excellent institutions: We pay attention to the track record of host mentors and their reputation [5]. Learning from 'big shots' [3,6], in direct contact, motivates and improves the chances for conducting excellent research and achieving excellent publications. x Alumni network: A network of alumni that are willing to support young academics in finding attractive research projects and locations is another very important asset, which has frequently been mentioned by our students.…”

“…Successful mentorship, on the other hand, is characterized by dedication and motivation, good communication, clear definition and mutual understanding of goals [2]. In particular, mentoring by experienced, top clinicians and clinical scientists is regarded as especially beneficial [3].…”

TVET Graduate Employability: Mismatching Traits Between Supply and Demand

“…Research found that systems-thinking, strategic, anticipatory, normative and interpersonal, effective mentor, able to spend time with, communicate or respond effectively to the student, ability to encourage, high level of professional skills, pedagogy skills, disciplined, supportive, motivating and ability to lead others, ability to convey constructive and thoughtful criticism in a patient and sensitive manner would help to foster student competencies and skills in the TVET field (Prunuske et al, 2019;Mohtady et al, 2019); Herlandy, 2019). It is advocated that TVET must be designed and monitored by someone who understands about the working process in the company and the things students need to learn during the internship (McGee, 2017;Moses, 2016).…”