Mentor Relationships in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training: Results of a National Survey

Abstract

Mentor relationships play an important role in the development and promotion of professional identity among psychologists, yet empirical study of mentor-protégé relationships in psychology graduate education is nearly nonexistent. In this study, we provide a contemporary picture of mentor relationships in clinical psychology doctoral programs. We mailed a survey instrument regarding mentor relationships to 1,000 recent doctorates in clinical psychology; nearly 800 responded. Two thirds of respondents reported having a faculty mentor during graduate school. More PhDs reported having a mentor than PsyDs, as did graduates of university-based departments of psychology compared to graduates of schools of professional psychology. Men and women were equally likely to be mentored and to be satisfied with mentor relationships. Ninety-one percent of mentored graduates evaluated the mentor relationship positively, and mentored graduates were significantly more satisfied with their doctoral program. We discuss implications for graduate education.

Mentoring in Academia: Considerations for Diverse Populations

“…Some examples include academic success (e.g., timely completion of one's degree; Johnson & Huwe, 2003), research productivity (CronanHillix et al, 1986), positive professional development (Schlosser et al, 2003), and satisfaction with graduate school (Clark et al, 2000;Cronan-Hillix et al, 1986).…”

“…With regard to gender, it is somewhat surprising to report that no significant gender differences have been found in terms of (a) finding a mentor (Clark et al, 2000;Cronan-Hillix et al, 1986;Ragins, 1999), (b) initiating and maintaining mentoring relationships (Clark et al, 2000, Gilbert, 1985Ragins, 1999), (c) functions provided by mentors (Ragins, 1999), and (d) outcomes of mentoring relationships (Ragins, 1999).…”

“…Within academia, student-faculty relationships tend to be more formalized, with the most common type being the advisor-advisee relationship in graduate school (Schlosser & Gelso, 2001;Schlosser, Knox, Moskovitz, & Hill, 2003;Schlosser, Talleyrand, Lyons, Kim, & Johnson, 2005). Research has shown that students almost always have an advisor (Schlosser & Gelso, 2001), but only 50 to 66 percent report having a mentor (Atkinson, Casas, & Neville, 1994;Clark, Harden, & Johnson, 2000;Cronan-Hillix, Davidson, Cronan-Hillix, & Gensheimer, 1986;Hollingsworth & Fassinger, 2002;Johnson, Koch, Fallow, & Huwe, 2000). So, while our focus is on mentoring, it is important to note that many mentors are also advisors, and researchers have speculated that positive advising relationships and mentoring relationships are quite similar (Schlosser & Gelso, 2001;Schlosser & Gelso, in press).…”

Globalization and the inward flow of immigrants: Issues associated with the inpatriation of global managers

“…It is also considered instrumental in the initiation and maintenance of employee socialization in organizations (Clark, Harden, & Johnson, 2000;Heimann & Pittenger, 1996;Johnson, 2002;Payne & Huff, 2005). To that end, a multitude of companies in a myriad of industries have established both formal and informal programs designed to help relocated inpatriate managers "learn the ropes.…”

A Strategic Approach to Implementation of Medical Mentorship Programs

“…Trainees develop enhanced professional skills, greater confidence, and increased scholarly productivity. [7][8][9] Faculty mentors gain increased academic productivity and accelerated professional recognition. 1,10,11 The goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of 2 interventions on increasing the number of mentor relationships in graduate medical education (GME) programs at Stanford University Medical Center and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.…”