Overview

Mentoring at Harvard Medical School

Fostering a culture of mentorship, achieving excellence, advancing careers

Mentorship is important for achieving success in academic medicine as well as in the biomedical, basic and social sciences. Effective mentorship plays a critical role in the professional growth and development of junior faculty, trainees and students. Mentorship is important across the continuum in academic medicine and is a key component to advancement. Through mentorship individuals are provided with an opportunity to receive guidance, advice, and nurturing from an experienced mentor.  This often results in increased productivity, career satisfaction, and retention. Mentoring can take different forms such as team-based mentoring, functional mentoring, peer mentoring, or development networks.

In 2009, the HMS Task Force on Faculty Development and Diversity was convened to define and prioritize the faculty development and diversity needs within the Harvard Medical School community with the goal of creating a vibrant and diverse community of faculty and trainees. The report entitled A Framework for Action outlines the primary recommendations of the Task Force and includes a recommendation to enhance the climate for mentoring across all of Harvard Medical School. DICP was charged with leading this effort.

Mentoring Perspectives: Tips for Mentees

This video series offers perspectives for mentees on commonly asked questions. This series features Harvard Medical School faculty noted for their exceptional mentoring.

Additional videos with perspectives on mentoring are available online.