Developing a mentorship program for psychiatry residents

Exploring the workplace mentorship needs of new-graduate physiotherapists: a qualitative study

Background: Mentorship plays an important role in an individuals' transition into the workforce, yet little is known of new-graduates experiences of workplace mentorship. The aim of this study was to explore new-graduate physiotherapists' experiences of mentorship during their transition into professional practice in Australia.Method: A qualitative study with an interpretive phenomenological analytical approach was used. Semi-structured interviews of fifteen employed new-graduate physical therapists were undertaken within their first three to six months of clinical practice.Results: Four key themes emerged from the data: 1) Advantages of individualized mentorship; 2) Supporting the needs of professional development through mentorship; 3) Mentorship is valued by new-graduate employees; and 4) Mentorship moderates perceptions of stress and anxiety.Conclusions: New-graduate physiotherapists perceive workplace mentorship as a critical factor during the transition from student to clinician, which extends to the broader workplace. New-graduates place a strong value on individualized mentorship to support their professional development, which can influence self-perceived stress and anxiety and their perception of the workplace.

Outcomes of mentoring programs in psychiatry training: a literature review

OBJECTIVES

This literature review aimed to outline the evidence regarding the outcomes of formal mentoring programs for training psychiatrists.

METHODS

An electronic search of Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Ovid PsycINFO and The Cochrane Library was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 17 articles fulfilled inclusion criteria. Positive outcomes of mentorship include promotion of research, perpetuation of further mentorship, increased perceived support and enhancement of teaching skills. One article reported a negative outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence regarding mentorship in psychiatry is limited and there is a lack of clarity regarding the relationship between positive outcomes and mentorship. Components of the included programs may act as confounders. Mentorship, protected teaching time, and didactic teaching may be important to encourage research. Other potential benefits of mentorship include enhanced career guidance, perceived support, and enriched teaching skills.

Enhancing Mentorship in Psychiatry and Health Sciences: A Study Investigating Needs and Preferences in the Development of a Mentoring Program

Preferences for the delivery of department-led mentorship programs are important to understanding and closing the gap between mentorship need and mentorship actualization. The objective of this paper is to, therefore, describe the perceived needs and barriers to mentorship in a postgraduate psychiatry program through separate mixed-methods surveys for psychiatry residents and health sciences faculty at a Canadian University. The surveys explored (1) the prevalence of mentorship, (2) barriers to adequate mentorship, and (3) program initiatives that could address these barriers. Qualitative responses were analyzed using an inductive analytic approach. The results of both surveys revealed that while psychiatry residents and faculty believed mentorship to be important for career success, fewer than half of residents (33%) or faculty (47%) reported receiving mentorship in the department. Residents and faculty ranked lack of exposure to mentorship, and lack of time as their top barrier to mentorship, respectively. The following components of a mentorship program were described as ideal: (1) the ability to choose one's own mentor, (2) training sessions for mentors, and (3) faculty mentoring webpage profiles to facilitate the matching of interests. Respondents suggested that mentoring program developers should foster a culture encouraging mentorship, seek mentors outside of regular program-related supervision, allow mentees to choose a mentor, and establishing structure, through aligning expectations and goal setting in mentoring relationships. There is a gap between desire for mentorship and actualization. Program developers in psychiatry medical education may choose to incorporate these findings to enhance mentorship.

Exploring Mentorship from the Perspective of Physiotherapy Mentors in Canada

Purpose: This study explored the factors that influence mentors in the profession of physiotherapy (PT) in Canada when engaging in a mentorship relationship. Methods: We conducted a quantitative, cross-sectional, Web-based survey. The target population consisted of Canadian physiotherapists who had experience as mentors. We used a modified Dillman approach to disseminate an online questionnaire to members of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and its divisions using their respective e-blasts. We collected data on the nature and extent, facilitators, barriers, and benefits of mentorship and then analyzed them using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 302 respondents were included in this study. They reported being a mentor to fellow PT colleagues (91%), undergraduate students (85%), graduate students (64%), and inter-professional colleagues (64%). We found that although many factors facilitated the respondents' ability to mentor, barriers to mentorship had minimal impact. Responses also reflected many perceived benefits of mentorship. Conclusions: This study provides novel evidence relating to the experience of mentorship from the perspective of mentors in the profession of PT. It reinforces the literature by highlighting the positive aspects of mentorship, and it underscores the continued need for support from professional associations, institutions, and physiotherapists to improve current mentorship experiences in PT.