AMWA leaders Dr. Bisi Alli, Dr. Ankita Sagar, Dr. Susan Hingle, Dr. Paulina Awuah-Saadiq, and Dr. Eliza Chin recently published the article “Finding the Right Mentor & Maintaining the Relationship Through Key Conversations” in the Journal of Wellness based on workshops held during the American College of Physicians 2023 Annual Meeting and the AMWA 2024 Annual Meeting. This article discusses mentorship’s critical role in the development of healthcare professionals, particularly women. Highlights include effective strategies for identifying the right mentor and navigating key conversations to strengthen the mentor-mentee relationship. These conversations revolve around career goals, feedback, and aligning expectations.
The Effective Followership Algorithm (EFA) is introduced as a tool that can help facilitate challenging conversations that may arise during the mentor-mentee relationshiop. This tool, developed through the Veterans Health Administration National Center for Patient Safety, can be useful in promoting direct, authentic language amongst healthcare workers in a three-part sequence, “What I see, What I am concerned about, What I want.” Several scenarios illustrate how the model can be used effectively in diverse situations.
Mentoring enhances professional growth, promotes well-being, and supports retention in the medical field. Having useful tools to engage with mentors and mentees can help ensure the success of these relationships in advancing women in medicine.
Full citation:
Alli, Adebisi; Sagar, Ankita; Chin, Eliza Lo; Awuah-Saadiq, Paulina; and Hingle, Susan Thompson (2024) “Finding the Right Mentor & Maintaining the Relationship Through Key Conversations,” Journal of Wellness: Vol. 5 : Iss. 3 , Article 4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55504/2578-9333.1249