Evidence Base for Mentoring Women in Academic Medicine

摘要

In this issue of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education , Welch et al~(1) describe a mentoring program for female residents and faculty in an academic emergency medicine department. The mentoring intervention included role modeling and mentoring by local area alumni of the residency program as well as faculty. Vertical and peer group mentoring occurred in the form of sessions focused on topics specific to women in medicine, which supplemented formal academic mentoring at the department. The program ran from 2004 to 2010 as structured 2-hour sessions in noninstitutional settings every other month. Regular sessions were supplemented by other meetings, including wellness workshops and an annual statewide breakfast with a national female leader in emergency medicine. Residents, faculty, and alumni who participated in the mentoring program perceived it to be valuable and to provide an emotionally supportive and encouraging environment for professional and personal development. The analysis of qualitative responses of program participants identified social networking, inclusiveness, and the supportive nature and solidarity of the group as the most appreciated features of the program. Other themes identified were the benefits of networking with mentors who served as role models and addressing barriers specific to a woman's career in academic medicine. Work-life balance was the most valued session topic.The study is an important contribution to the growing body of evidence for successful interventions in mentoring women in residency and academic medicine and complements recent efforts in designing effective programs in other disciplines. A pilot study of mentoring female academics in psychiatry by senior academic colleagues for 1year improved the aspects of job-related well-being, self-esteem, and self-efficiency.~(2) Another study of peer mentoring in academic skills of female faculty at the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic~(3) in Rochester, Minnesota, showed a positive effect on the number of research articles submitted and/or published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as the increased satisfaction with academic achievement, improved skills in literature search and critical appraisal, and increased confidence in the ability to write a comprehensive review article.