• Radiother Oncol · Sep 2021

    "It's good for the soul:" perceptions of a formal junior faculty mentorship program at a large academic cancer centre.

    • Jennifer Croke, Sarah Tosoni, and Jolie Ringash.
    • Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Canada; Radiation Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: jennifer.croke@rmp.uhn.ca.
    • Radiother Oncol. 2021 Sep 1; 162: 119-123.

    BackgroundMentorship fosters professional and personal growth; however, the components essential to program success remain unclear. Our objective was to evaluate and explore the impact of a junior faculty mentorship program within an academic radiation oncology department.Materials And MethodsIn 2016, our institution implemented a junior faculty mentorship program consisting of: (1) an orientation handbook; (2) faculty development sessions; and (3) direct, one-to-one selection of a mentor. Confidentiality agreements are signed, a goals template is provided, and meeting dates are tracked. Mentors/mentees were invited to participate in a program evaluation using mixed-methodology: a questionnaire followed by a one-on-one semi-structured interview to explore perceptions of the program. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Descriptive statistics summarized questionnaire results and thematic analysis summarized interview results.ResultsEleven junior faculty have selected 10 mentors. Of these, 17 completed the evaluation questionnaire (81%) (7 mentors, 10 mentees; 5 women, 12 men) and 13 were interviewed (62%) (5 mentors, 8 mentees; 3 women, 10 men). The majority (80%) have participated in the program for >2 years. Although most mentees report additional mentors, 30% report this as their sole mentorship relationship. Four themes emerged: (i) Components of an Ideal Mentoring Relationship, (ii) The Value of Mentorship, (iii) Sponsorship, in addition to Mentorship and (iv) Cultivating Departmental Bonds and Boundaries.ConclusionImplementation of a junior faculty mentorship program within an academic radiation oncology department is feasible. Participants expressed satisfaction with most formal program components. Many junior faculty have additional mentors; however, some do not, highlighting the importance of formal programs for professional development.Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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