Mentoring In Health Professions Education

Book excerpt: This IAMSE Manual, Mentoring Across the Continuum, is a product of its co-editors' and authors’ lifetime work in mentoring faculty and studying the impact of this mentoring. The book defines the field of academic medicine as highly dependent on finding and relating to mentors at virtually every stage of a doctor's career. It describes and analyzes successful mentor/mentee relationships, examining the authors' personal experiences, as well as a data-driven approach, to explore the many different roles and perspectives on mentoring relationships and ultimately the mentoring culture. The editors look at the data with respect to the success of different strategies in mentoring, as well as different structures of diverse mentoring programs. As well, proven ways to deliver these programs successfully for all professionals who lead mentoring programs or are active participants as mentees. There is a special emphasis on the mentoring of medical educators. However, the themes explored in this book are generalizable beyond the medical educator to include diverse academic roles across the continuum. In particular, enumerating the many specific roles of a mentor beyond just the traditional concepts adds breadth and depth to understanding what can be gained from mentor-mentee relationships. This Manual is a valuable resource for clinicians, educators, and trainees in addition to anyone involved in medical education and progressing through the stages of practicing, teaching, and learning in medicine. This Manual represents a meaningful addition to the literature on this most important professional subject.