Abstract
Objectives. To explore research mentoring experiences and perceived mentoring needs of aging and disability researchers at different career stages. Design. Focus group and individual interviews with rehabilitation researchers at various career stages based in hospitals, universities, and hospital-based research institutes in Ontario, Canada. Results. The overall theme was mentoring for transition. Participants across career stages referred to helpful mentoring experiences as those that assisted them to move from their previous stage into the present stage or from the present stage into their next career progression. Unhelpful mentoring experiences were characterized by mentor actions that were potentially detrimental to transition. Subsumed under this theme were three categories. The first, “hidden information” referred to practical information that was difficult to access. The second “delicate issues” referred to helping the participant work through issues related to sensitive matters, the discussion of which could put the participants or their colleagues in a vulnerable position. The third category was “special challenges of clinician-researchers”. Conclusions. Helpful mentoring for rehabilitation researchers working on concerns related to aging and disability appears to be characterized by interaction with more experienced individuals who aid the researcher work through issues related to career transition.
Highlights
Mentorship has been defined as, “a partnership in personal and professional growth and development” [1, page 1103]
Focus group and individual interviews with rehabilitation researchers at various career stages based in hospitals, universities, and hospital-based research institutes in Ontario, Canada
Participants across career stages referred to helpful mentoring experiences as those that assisted them to move from their previous stage into the present stage or from the present stage into their career progression
Summary
Mentorship has been defined as, “a partnership in personal and professional growth and development” [1, page 1103]. Adequate mentorship is seen as a key factor in the retention and development of rehabilitation researchers and has been identified as a top priority for the field [2]. Mentoring programs for individuals at all levels of career development may be important for female rehabilitation researchers, who rate their skills and readiness to carry out research and advance to leadership positions as less developed than their male colleagues, while shouldering greater domestic responsibility [5]. In reviewing mentorship functions within academia in general, Mullen and Hutinger [6] describe two groups of mentoring activities. Career activities include sponsorship, coaching, protection, exposure, visibility, and challenging work assignments, as well as transmission of the professional culture. Psychosocial-related activities include emotional support, role-modeling, acceptance and confirmation, counselling, and, possibly, friendship
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