Mentorship is an important element of a successful career in any field. Physicians who have had mentors report having more career satisfaction and believe that these relationships have positively affected their job satisfaction and promotions in their field.
However, multiple studies have documented that a significant number of young physicians report not having a mentor throughout training and the early stages of their careers. Within the field of dermatology, mentorship has recently been emphasized in many training programs via assigned mentors resulting in a high degree of resident satisfaction.1
Mentoring is not a stand-alone activity, but one that complements and integrates with other learning elements and fills the gaps between the textbooks, courses and everyday experiences.
To that end, an Academy work group was established in 2010 to identify, develop, coordinate and implement AAD mentoring programs.
Its goals are to:
- Promote continued excellence in quality patient care, education, research and service;
- Sustain the profession of dermatology with well-trained academicians and practitioners;
- Maintain a strong presence for dermatology within the house of medicine; and
- Ensure that the Academy remains the premier organization for dermatologists.
Positive mentoring relationships help dermatologists prepare for leadership development. As a result of participating in the program, the goal is to increase dermatologists’ mentoring involvement in leadership roles.
What is a mentor?
A mentor is a guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted adviser. He or she is someone who is willing to spend his or her time and expertise to guide the development of another person.
What is a mentee?
A mentee is someone who chooses to be counseled, guided and advised.
Additional resources
View the following links to learn more about the AAD mentoring program:
1Caroline C. Kim, MD, Ellen J. Kim, MD, Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD, Victor Marks, MD, Mary Maloney, MD, Ilona J. Frieden, MD. A Mentorship Model in Dermatology. 2011