Comparing mentorship and sponsorship in clinical neuropsychology

A scoping review of mentorship in allied health: Attributes, programs and outcomes

BACKGROUND

Mentorship is a mutually beneficial voluntary relationship between mentor and mentee. In principle, the mentee trusts in the mentor for guiding career development and acquiring new knowledge and skills while the mentor finds giving back to the profession rewarding. Mentorship is beneficial at every career stage, but little is known about current programs and processes.

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature about mentorship in allied health to inform programs and practices in occupational therapy. Scoping focused on barriers, facilitators and reported outcomes of programs and attributes of mentors and mentees.

DATA SOURCES

A search was applied to six databases on 8 February 2022 in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Scopus, PUBMED and CINAHL Complete. Search terms were developed in consultation with an academic librarian and using the population, concept and context mnemonic.

METHODS

We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Data extraction forms were piloted with two reviewers and dual extraction occurred with a portion of papers. Where conflicts arose, discussion occurred until a consensus was reached.

FINDINGS

Sixty-two papers were included from eleven countries. The papers arose from ten allied health disciplines, with five in occupational therapy. One-on-one mentoring was most common followed by groups and the use of online platforms. Structured approaches were often used, with the support of professional associations. Trust and willingness to share expertise were required attributes of mentors. Mentees appreciate self-selecting their mentor and having protected time for mentorship.

CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE

This synthesis provides a description of the available literature on mentorship in allied health. Benefits of mentorship were recorded with the acquisition of skills and knowledge being the most prominent. This synthesis provides ideas for future development and refinement of mentorship in occupational therapy.

Does Sponsorship Promote Equity in Career Advancement in Academic Medicine? A Scoping Review

Sponsorship describes a set of actions wherein an influential champion (sponsor) uses their position to actively support a colleague's career by helping them gain visibility, recognition, and/or positions. There is growing awareness of the importance of sponsorship for career advancement in academic medicine, particularly for women and those who are historically underrepresented and excluded in medicine (UIM). This scoping review examines the current landscape of evidence, and knowledge gaps, on sponsorship as it relates to career advancement in academic medicine for women and UIM faculty. We searched peer-reviewed literature in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (WoS) over the past 50 years (from 1973 through July 2023). Sixteen studies were included in the final review. We found relative consensus on sponsorship definition and value to career advancement. Heterogeneity in study design limited our ability to directly compare study outcomes. All included studies focused on gender differences in sponsorship: two of four quantitative studies found men were more likely to receive sponsorship, one reported no gender differences, and one was insufficiently powered. All but one of the qualitative studies reported gender differences, with women less likely to access or be identified for sponsorship. The mixed-methods studies suggested sponsorship may vary by career stage. Only two studies analyzed sponsorship for UIM populations. The existing data are inconclusive regarding best ways to measure and assess sponsorship, what institutional support (e.g., structured programs, formal recognition, or incentives for sponsorship) should look like, and at what career stage sponsorship is most important. Addressing this knowledge gap will be critically important for understanding what sponsorship best practices, if any, should be used to promote equity in career advancement in academic medicine. We advocate for commitment at the institutional and national levels to develop new infrastructure for transparently and equitably supporting women and UIM in career advancement.

The Knowledge Gap: Mentorship in Emergency Medicine Residency

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Studies of mentorship in emergency medicine show that mentored residents are twice as likely to describe their career preparation as excellent as compared to nonmentored peers. There has been significant interest in the mentor-mentee relationship in medicine; however, there is minimal guidance and published literature specific to emergency medicine residents.

METHODS

In this narrative review, we described the emergency medicine mentor-mentee relationship, discussed alternatives to the traditional dyadic model, and highlighted current barriers to effective mentorship. We conducted a structured literature review to identify relevant published articles regarding the mentoring of emergency medicine residents. Additional studies from general mentoring literature were included based on relevancy.

RESULTS

We identified 39 studies in emergency medicine literature based on our search criteria. Additional studies from general medicine literature were included based on relevancy to this review. Based on the limited available literature, we recommend maximizing the resident mentoring relationship by developing formal mentoring programs, supporting the advancement of women and underrepresented minority mentors, and moving toward team mentoring, including peer, near-peer, and collaborative mentorship. The development of a mentoring network is a logical strategy for residents to work with a diverse group of individuals to maximize benefits in multiple areas.

CONCLUSION

Alternative approaches to the traditional and hierarchal dyadic mentoring style (eg, team mentoring) are effective methods that residencies may promote to increase effective mentoring. Future efforts in mentoring emergency medicine residents emphasize these strategies, which are increasingly beneficial given the constraints and use of technology highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsorship in academic medicine in Switzerland: Push and pull

INTRODUCTION

Mentorship provides general career guidance in academic medicine. Sponsorship advocates for a sponsee by endorsing this person for a position or role. Sponsorship is less common and originates from the corporate world. The objective was to evaluate current mentorship and sponsorship practices in academic medicine in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland. The aim was to assess to which degree sponsorship is implemented in academic medicine in Switzerland.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey of current and alumni participants of career development programs at two Medical Faculties of Swiss universities. Both programs build on institutionalized mentoring. The anonymous electronic survey was based on a literature review with non-validated questions about mentorship and sponsorship.

RESULTS

The overall survey response rate was 37.6% (38/101). The majority of respondents was female (31/38; 81.6%) and between 30 and 40 years of age (22/38; 57.9%). Almost all participants had at least one mentor (37/38; 97.4%), and mentoring addressed all or most (21/38; 55.3%) of the relevant topics regarding academic career development. More than one third of the respondents (13/38; 34.2%) did not have a sponsor, 4/38 (10.5%) were unsure whether they had a sponsor, and 5/38 (13.2%) had not yet heard about sponsorship.

DISCUSSION

In Switzerland, mentorship is well-established in academic medicine while awareness for the benefits of sponsorship needs to be fostered in order to further advance academic careers in medicine.

CONCLUSION

Mentoring and sponsoring may be considered key instruments for empowerment of junior faculty/physician scientists to become leaders in the field of academic medicine.

Promoting gender-informed mentorship in neuropsychology: Reflections and suggestions from early career women

INTRODUCTION

While women now represent a majority of neuropsychology trainees, men remain prominent in senior positions. As such, female mentees are often paired with senior male mentors, a practice referred to as "cross-gender mentorship." Although cross-gender mentoring dynamics have inherent potential for missteps due to implicit power differentials, when approached through a gender-informed lens, they can be optimized and lead to personal and professional growth for women neuropsychologists. The present article provides a framework for promoting gender-informed mentorship by cataloging first-hand accounts of early career women and discussing resultant lessons and concrete suggestions for mentorship.

METHOD

The authors provide first-hand accounts of experiences related to cross-gender mentorship across a variety of settings and professional contexts. From these accounts, the following steps offer a framework to encourage effective mentorship: 1) Set appropriate expectations and boundaries, 2) Address challenging clinical interactions through a gender-informed lens, 3) Foster personal and professional development, 4) Understand the intersection between gender and multicultural traits, 5) Advocate for advancement of women in the field, and 6) Maintain knowledge of women's issues.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing effective mentorship for women in neuropsychology is crucial to promote ascension of women to leadership positions and close long-established disparities in the field. The authors hope that our shared experiences can serve as useful tools for both women trainees and their mentors as they embark on mentoring relationships. Practically, we envision that mentoring dyads may discuss this article at the outset of their relationship to understand potential challenges and collaboratively establish a groundwork for optimal mentoring.