Research

Office of Faculty Development

Community of Mentors

Mentoring Guidebooks

The guidelines for Mentors and Junior Faculty have been updated for 2012 - 2013 and highlight the importance of "Developmental Networks." These networks, which include one's Community of Mentors as well as colleagues, subordinates, mentees, family, and friends provide access to knowledge, opportunities, and resources across institutions and cultures.

2012 OFD Guidelines for Junior Faculty.pdf

2012 OFD Guidelines for Mentors.pdf

 

Mentoring Checklists

Mentor’s Checklist for Researchers
Mentor’s Checklist for Clinicians
Mentor’s Checklist for Medical Educators

 

Developmental Networks Materials

Faculty Development Offices may be interested in fostering a broader mentorship dynamic beyond the traditional dyad. Developmental Networks consist of a small group of people to whom you can turn for professional and personal support and advice who have a genuine interest in your learning and development. To help increase awareness of Developmental Networks the following links to the Developmental Networks PowerPoint Presentation and Mapping Your Own Developmental Network Exercise may be used by other institutions with appropriate attribution. See links for details.

Developmental Networks PowerPoint.pdf

Developmental Networks Exercise.pdf

 

Resource Material

Please check the "Workshop Handouts and Presentations" page (link on the left) for 2009 - 2011 materials from the annual Multi-hospital Mentorship Course

Bibliography - Selected Readings

Contents:

  • Basic information
  • No-Fault System
  • OFD's Role
  • Definitions
  • The Community of Mentors: 3 Tiers of Support
  • FAQ

Basic Information

Recognizing the value of mentoring for clinical, teaching, and research careers, the OFD, in collaboration with its Advisory Committee and the Department and Division Chiefs, developed the Community of Mentors so that all junior faculty will have access to a mentor or a mentor team. Community of Mentors is a three-tier system, running the spectrum from providing logistical information in Tier 1, to skills building courses and panels in Tier 2, to enabling committed personal and professional relationships in Tier 3. As part of Tier 2, the OFD will identify experts in various content and process skill sets to help facilitate mentor teams. Individual appointments with the OFD Director can help direct junior faculty to establish their own personalized "Community of Mentors," in addition to special interest networking sessions, courses, workshops and panel presentations. Each tier draws on the support services of its related tiers, working collaboratively to create a climate of success.

"Home support" at the department level is highly valued, and the chief or senior faculty mentor plays an active role in helping junior faculty choose additional supporting mentors. The revised annual career conference form will assist the mentor and junior faculty member as they discuss goals, career satisfaction, suggested resources, and mentors for the upcoming year. Among other mutually defined career objectives, these goals might include growth in the following areas: research, new surgical or clinical skills, inventions, teaching skills, work/life balance, promotion strategy, grant writing, or publications.

NO-Fault System
A mentoring relationship may have begun during an individual's training and can either continue or shift when the Fellow becomes junior faculty. For new faculty from outside the Children's Hospital community, the Dept/Division Chiefs will decide the best mentor match. Although the initial match of mentor and mentee in either of these situations will be carefully considered for science as well as style, there are occasions when the relationship does not work well. Some obvious reasons are time constraints, or lack of the specific skill or career knowledge needed. Junior faculty needn't wait for this "disconnect" to seek other mentors. With the sustained commitment of senior faculty and the OFD to foster a "Community of Mentors, " seeking other mentors is expected and respected.

OFD's role
New and junior faculty may need guidance to become active participants in the mentoring relationship. OFD has developed guidelines for mentees and mentors. For those wishing to learn more about the mentoring process or its multi-faceted definitions, OFD developed an annotated list of mentoring resources, all of which are available from the library, on the OFD website, or on loan from the OFD Office.

Watch for updates to OFD as it creates a more comprehensive mentoring program, in conjunction with our Advisory Committee and the Department and Division Chiefs. Two of our advisory committee members, Jessica Henderson Daniel, PhD and Joseph Majzoub, MD, were recipients of the HMS A. Clifford Barger Award for Excellence in Mentoring.

Definitions:
Mentor has been defined as variations of advocate, coach, teacher, guide, role model, valued friend, door-opener, benevolent authority, available resource, cheerful critic, and career enthusiast. Highly acclaimed mentors generate "wisdom processes" for succeeding generations and innately lead change. The literature on mentoring from a wide variety of sources - including classical literature, military training, academia, business, and government (NIH) - attests to the importance of mentoring in the career development of medical school junior faculty

The Community of Mentors: 3 Tiers of Support

Tier 1 - Logistical Information

Communication and Primary Services
Perspectives, OFD Website, OFD Email Distribution Lists
If you have been inadvertently omitted from our distribution lists, please email
Office of Faculty Development
Map of Longwood Medical Area
Public Transportation
Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization, Inc (MASCO) 
Childcare and Eldercare Resources
Children's Hospital Work/Family Services has a wealth of family resources and information available. Telephone 617-355-8933
Work/Life @ Harvard Longwood provides information on family resources

Tier 2 - Skills Building

Workshops, Networking Sessions
Fellowships
Promotion Guidelines and Tips
Annotated bibliography of articles and programs on mentoring
Profile database from mentors and junior faculty
Career Development Center in Library
Partnerships with Clinical Research Program, Office of Sponsored Programs, Research Executive Committee
Appointments with Mary Clark, PhD, former HMS Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Appointments with Jean Emans, MD, OFD Director
To meet with either Dr. Clark or Dr. Emans, email
Office of Faculty Development
BCH Office of Faculty Development Annotated List of Mentoring Resources

Tier 3 - Professional Relationships

Identification of mentors
Cross-departmental and cross-institutional support
Annual Career Conference with Department or Division Chief
Please check the Annual Career Conference web page linked on the left margin

Community of Mentors Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Harvard Medical School's Mentoring Awards - Recipients