TEMPLATE FOR RADIATION ONCOLOGY MENTORING PROGRAM
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Goals
The Department of Radiation Oncology mentoring program is designed to provide newly recruited faculty members with the best possible environment to mature into physicians capable of launching successful academic careers. It is intended that the program will enhance the following skills: Clinical expertise, Teaching excellence, Research fundamentals and an understanding of the need for life long Service and outreach to the institution, the community and radiation oncology specialty organizations.
Structure of Mentoring Program
The model for mentoring in the Department of Radiation Oncology will consist of one-on-one mentoring plan in which a senior faculty member is assigned to a junior faculty member. This assignment will be made by the Department Mentoring Committee.
Matching Mentors and Mentees
Mentoring will be provided for all, tenure track, research track, clinical track faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor and Associate Professor in the Department. Mentors, who do not need to be exclusively from within the Radiation Oncology department, will be selected by the department head with the goal of matching individuals who have similar ambitions, values, worldviews and/or aspirations.
In general, section chiefs will serve as mentors for faculty in their own section.
Faculty members are encouraged to identify and select additional mentors for other aspects of the their career advancement.
Assignment of Mentors
A Mentoring Committee, composed of the department head, and each section chief, will assign an initial mentor to all assistant professors (tenure eligible, clinical suffix, and research track) currently in the Department, and to incoming assistant professors on all tracks prior to their arrival in the Department.
The purpose of the initial advising relationship is to identify a longer term mentor, based on the faculty member’s objectives and interests. The permanent mentor will likely be someone who has expertise or interests relevant to the junior faculty member’s interests and career direction. However, equally important is commonality of values. In general, faculty members who select their own mentors rate the relationship more highly than faculty who are assigned mentors. Mentors will be sought first from within the Department. If there is no appropriate senior faculty member in the department, a mentor will be sought from another department. It is anticipated that junior faculty may have more than one mentor, but the program is responsible only for the assignment of a primary mentor.
Expectations of the Relationship
Mentors should meet quarterly with their assigned mentee during the first year, semi-annually for the next 2 years and the annually, until promotion.
Mentors are encouraged to evaluate their mentoring skills using materials provided through the Office of Faculty Affairs, and obtain additional training, as appropriate.
Mentors are encouraged to do the following:
- Review/critique the mentee’s work. This would include reading manuscripts and providing constructive criticism in a timely manner, evaluating teaching or clinical work.
- Provide practical advice about activities which will advance their career through the development of a national reputation. This might include assessment of committee invitations, journals in which to publish, time management, etc.
- Review mentee’s plan for achieving his/her career goals, and advise about what needs to be done to be promoted
- Provide connections for the mentee to others in their field, and pass on opportunities such as talks to give, and grants to seek.
- Model all aspects of faculty behavior, including relations with the community, colleagues, staff and employees.
- Provide institutional knowledge about what activities are rewarded, where resources may be found, and who has the power/influence to get things done.
- Advocate for the mentee within the department, for example by assisting in assuring protected time for the mentee to achieve particular goals [e.g. grant submission].
- Advise about balancing work and personal life
- Invite to work related social events
Mentees are expected to: 1) think through their career goals; 2) seek timely feedback; 3) evaluate the mentoring relationship annually.
Evaluation
Both mentors and mentees should complete the Mentoring Evaluation Form annually, provide a copy to the department head and the departmental mentoring committee.