Professional Mentoring Research Articles

Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology: Lawrence Hal Gerstein.

The Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology is given to individuals who have made sustained and enduring contributions to international cooperation and the advancement of knowledge in psychology. The 2019 award winner is Lawrence Hal Gerstein. Gerstein "has made innovative contributions to the advancement of a liberatory international psychology through his scholarship, training, and mentoring of professionals and students. Dr. Gerstein has an intimate understanding of the complexities associated with western psychologists "crossing borders." His projects in India, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Jordan, and China have involved immersing himself in communities of the Global South and centering the lived experiences, challenges, and needs of local partners to support and empower them and promote indigenous models of psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Training Pediatric Hematologists / Oncologists for Capacity Building in Ethiopia

Background: Human resources are essential to the sustainability and scalability of health interventions. A barrier to global cancer efforts has been the scarcity of trained pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) professionals in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Studies highlight this inequity and the need to develop a global PHO workforce through allocation of financial resources, strengthening of healthcare infrastructure, and development of innovative training programs. Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa. Because of recent reduction in infant mortality and improved treatment of Malaria and HIV in Ethiopia, non-communicable diseases contribute an increasing proportion of childhood mortality. The annual incidence of pediatric cancer in Ethiopia is estimated to be 6000-8000 cases. Prior to 2013, no dedicated PHO programs existed in Ethiopia, and there was no formal process for training local physicians in PHO. The following intervention aimed to increase local capacity for treating childhood cancer through the creation of a formal two-year PHO fellowship. Strategy: The PHO fellowship program was created by The Aslan Project, a US non-profit led by a group of experts in PHO, pediatric oncology nursing, and pathology with experience practicing in LMIC, in collaboration with Addis Ababa University (AAU). The goal was to provide a robust educational experience for fellows within the existing resource-constrained clinical environment. Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) was the initial clinical site (in 2013) for the training program with a second at Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC) in 2016. An Aslan clinical director was present throughout the first year at each location. Visiting faculty from the US and Canada provided clinical supervision, on-site didactics, and professional mentorship. The second year of training included a six-month rotation at a high-functioning cancer institution in India. Fellows were expected to complete a scholarly activity, pass a certification exam, and serve as pediatric hematologist-oncologists in Ethiopia for a minimum of two years following training. Outcomes: Since 2013, four physicians completed PHO fellowship based in Ethiopia, with extensive support of local healthcare leadership and visiting faculty. One additional fellow left training prior to completion and one fellow currently is in training. Twenty-three faculty members from 18 Universities made 51 trips to Ethiopia for onsite training of fellows from 2013-2019. Each fellow completed a rotation in India in his/her second year (Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, or TMC Kolkata). Fellowship projects included a comprehensive pediatric cancer unit assessment, safe chemotherapy practices, and the role of diagnostic pathology. The four subspecialty-trained physicians have remained local, two at TASH, one at JUMC, and one returned to Gertrude's Children's Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. JUMC now supports a 22 bed PHO unit running at 90% capacity with over 300 new diagnoses since August 2016. TASH supports a 26 bed inpatient unit and 16 additional inpatient beds at a nearby oncology center, treating over 600 new patients annually. The fellowship structure has succeeded in training subspecialty physicians to establish PHO care in Ethiopia. Discussion: Developing specialized care in LMIC requires a multifaceted approach, including nursing training, social support, health system buy-in, diagnostic expertise and facility, pharmacy services, and subspecialty physicians. Focusing on physician training for PHO in Ethiopia, we designed a training structure and curriculum to 1) teach resource appropriate medical care, 2) provide sustained clinical mentorship, 3) develop health system leadership skills, and 4) retain physicians to support local pediatric oncology units. Onsite training by visiting faculty was augmented by sending fellows to a mature, middle-income country program and the support of full-time clinical faculty/mentorship for a large portion of the program. Challenges included fellow recruitment, pathologic accuracy, chemotherapy access, nutritional support, and treatment retention. Formal subspecialty PHO training can be implemented in LMIC without established subspecialty physicians, but requires ongoing commitment of administrators, visiting faculty, local universities, and a multidisciplinary team of health professionals. Disclosures Alexander: AbbVie: Other: travel funding.

School Based Continuous Professional Development (CPD): Practices and Challenges

The main purpose of this study was to explore school based continuous professional development (CPD) with reference to its practices and challenges in some selected secondary schools of Bale Zone, Oromia . To achieve the purpose of the study, quantitative research method more specifically a descriptive cross-sectional survey research design was employed. Simple random sampling technique was used to approach individual samples. One hundred thirty six samples, of which (114 teachers, 9 principals, 9 school CPD facilitators, 3 woreda education supervisors and one zonal education experts) were used for the study. Questionnaire was employed as an appropriate data gathering tools. Questionnaires were administered to One forty six samples and one hundred thirty six sample respondents were properly filled and returned the questionnaires and used for analysis. Then, the information gathered through closed-ended questionnaire was analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation while the data gathered through open-ended questions were analyzed qualitatively by means of narration, direct quotation and paraphrasing of the repose of the respondents. The findings of the study indicated that practices of school based professional development activities such as induction, mentoring, coaching, portfolio development, conducting action research, and an overall implementation processes associate with CPD were inadequate. Time constraints, lack of common understanding of partners on CPD, lack of adequate awareness among teachers, absence of clearly defined objectives, turnover of CPD facilitators, the absence of link between CPD and teachers career structure, insufficient budget and absence of giving feedback on CPD activities were identified as major challenges hampering effective implementation of school based Continuous Professional Development in secondary schools under the study. To tackle these problems identified, prior orientation of teachers and all school partners on overall packages of CPD like induction, mentoring coaching, and action research, portfolio activities; allocating sufficient budget and resources used for effective implementation of CPD are recommended. Key terms: Continuous Professional Development, Induction, Mentoring, Coaching, Action research, Portfolio, practices and Challenges. DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-31-03 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Mentored conference experiences support students' career exploration and professional development

ABSTRACTUndergraduate students benefit when they gain awareness of the diversity of career opportunities within their field, explore their professional community, and develop professional social skills early. However, these opportunities are often limited to a few students who successfully compete for undergraduate research experiences (UREs), receive professional mentorship from graduate students, or participate in internships. National scientific conferences provide professional, academic, and social opportunities to a larger and more diverse population of undergraduate students than most UREs. However, unfamiliarity with the conference environment, including professional networking and socializing, may limit the overall proportion of undergraduate science students that attend and benefit from conference attendance. To address these concerns, we developed and assessed a formal undergraduate course that mentored students through their first professional scientific conference. Assessment results indicated that students made significant progress in their professional and social abilities, with many students expressing a new sense of belonging to their field. Based on these results, attending national scientific conferences provides undergraduate students with a supportive environment to explore their future career and develop professional social skills. An associated mentored course maximizes the potential for students to benefit from their conference experience. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

Incorporating the home into the restaurant kitchen: The case of Israeli female chefs

This study looks at the ways in which Israeli female chefs interpret professional cookery and mobilize their position to form feminine restaurant spaces, in which they instill their professional agenda. Israeli female chefs, we argue, maintain that their gender grants them professional flexibility to construct cooking spaces where alternative working norms apply and certain privileges, such as a flexibility to establish cooking spaces that do not otherwise function in the realm of upscale dining. By perceiving their restaurants as an extension of the dwelling, they interpret their head chef position as that of a professional mentor and counselor. Moreover, they exercise their legitimacy via an ongoing dialog with their staff, based on respect, empathy and emotional support, all with the aim of turning them into better cooks. Their professional vision of cookery also translates into designing menus that reflect a homey feeling and enable creating a community of diners.

Percepção de enfermeiras obstetras sobre o modelo e prática assistencial em uma maternidade filantrópica

Objetivo: conhecer a percepção de enfermeiras obstetras sobre o modelo e prática assistencial em uma maternidade filantrópica. Método: estudo qualitativo com 13 enfermeiras obstetras que trabalham em uma maternidade mineira, coleta de dados de setembro de 2015 a fevereiro de 2016 por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, utilizando-se Análise de Conteúdo. Resultados: emergiram com categorias: Atuação pautada na humanização e nas boas práticas; Autonomia para atuar; Profissional de referência para tomada de decisões; Atuação em equipe e Modelo de atuação. Discussão: verificou-se que as enfermeiras atuam com autonomia em equipe, não nomeiam um modelo de assistência e apontam a demanda de serviço e o modelo tecnocrático como dificultadores. Considerações finais: apoio e suporte dos gestores são importantes para a atuação das profissionais, contribuindo para um trabalho autônomo. Apesar dos avanços, ainda há desafios a serem superados tanto no âmbito da equipe e comunicação, quanto do suporte dos gestores.

The Lived Experience of Professional Mentorship and Its Implications for School-Based Mentoring Programs

School-based mentoring (SBM) is an intervention that addresses the disengagement of “at-risk” youth. Currently, empirical evidence that SBM may help to stem youth disengagement remains largely inconclusive and inconsistent, and few studies have sought to examine the relational element of SBM. This article reports on a study that used a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology to identify and describe the constructs that constitute the lived experiences of two professional mentors working with young adolescents. The study’s analysis revealed the mentor–mentee relationship as the principal operative element of such programs and identified mechanisms for the successful generation of mentor–mentee relational quality.

A Call to Action for Male Surgeons in the Wake of the #MeToo Movement: Mentor Female Surgeons.

A Call to Action for Male Surgeons in the Wake of the #MeToo Movement: Mentor Female Surgeons.

Exploration of the factors that influence new Australian dental graduates to work rurally and their perspectives of rural versus metropolitan employment

The challenges in the recruitment and retention of dentists in rural Australia have contributed to a lack of dental service provision to rural communities. This paper explores the workforce factors involved in the employment location decisions of dentists' post-graduation. Graduates between 2009 and 2013 from the University of Sydney, Dental School, were asked to complete a telephone interview related to their employment history. A total of 135 interviews were conducted, with 63% (135/214) of contactable graduates, or 33.4% (135/404) of all the graduates (2009-2013). Interviews followed a semi-structured script. Key factors which positively impacted on rural employment included the following: job competition in metropolitan areas, good rural salaries, financial incentives, clinical experience, rural lifestyle and professional mentorship. Barriers were as follows: proximity to friends and family, building a social and professional network, isolation, less professional support and reduced access to education. Recommendations to increase rural employment include: competitive rural salaries, financial incentives and formal mentorship during both recruitment and integration into a rural community. Dental schools should consider advertising identified drivers of rural employment, namely good salaries, full-time employment, clinical experience and rural lifestyle. This study provides important information related to rural employment and rural retention.

‘The silent fight’: submarine rearmament and the origins of Japan’s military engagement with the Cold War, 1955–76

ABSTRACT This paper examines new Japanese primary source materials to reassess the significance of Japanese rearmament during the early stages of the Cold War in two ways. First, the paper shows how, in the area of submarine development, the post-war navy approached rearmament as an opportunity to address wartime failures with the support and professional mentorship of the US Navy. Second, whilst submarines were considered as outside the scope of Japanese defence posture, the navy had a crucial agency role in shaping how this branch of naval warfare was integrated into the country’s strategy with significant consequences for the later stages of the Cold War.

Mentoring Connections: Implementing a Student–Alumni Mentor Program in Social Work

ABSTRACTA student-alumni mentor program that combines aspects of academic and workplace mentoring was developed and implemented in a school of social work. Foundation-year MSW students (mentees) were matched with school of social work alumni (mentors) in a formal mentoring program. This program was developed to address the needs of MSW students, alumni, and the school of social work by providing students with a professional mentor and fostering ongoing connections and opportunities for involvement for alumni. A model for designing, developing, and implementing this program is presented. Benefits of the program for students, mentors, and the school are discussed as well as lessons learned during implementation.

'Gender is not even a side issue…it's a non-issue': career trajectories and experiences from the perspective of male and female healthcare managers in Kenya.

Women comprise a significant proportion of the health workforce globally but remain under-represented in the higher professional categories. Concern about the under-representation of women in health leadership positions has resulted in increased research on the topic, although this research has focused primarily on high-income countries. An improved understanding of the career trajectories and experiences of healthcare leaders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the role of gender, is therefore needed. This qualitative case study was undertaken in two counties in coastal Kenya. Drawing on the life-history approach, 12 male and 13 female healthcare leaders were interviewed between August 2015 and July 2016 on their career progression and related experiences. Although gender was not spontaneously identified as a significant influence, closer exploration of responses revealed that gendered factors played an important role. Most fundamentally, women’s role as child bearers and gendered societal expectations including child nurturing and other domestic responsibilities can influence their ability to take up leadership opportunities, and their selection and appointment as leaders. Women’s selection and appointment as leaders may also be influenced by positive discrimination policies (in favour of women), and by perceptions of women and men as having different leadership styles (against women, who some described as more emotive and reactive). These gendered influences intersect in relatively invisible ways with other factors more readily identified by respondents to influence their progression and experience. These factors included: professional cadre, with doctors more likely to be selected into leadership roles; and personal and professional support systems ranging from family support and role models, through to professional mentorship and continuing education. We discuss the implications of these findings for policy, practice and research, including highlighting the need for more in-depth intersectionality analyses of leadership experience in LMICs.

Issues of the Professional Development of Investigators of Pre-Trial Investigation Agencies of the National Police of Ukraine

It has been noted that professional development of investigators of pre-trial investigation agencies of the National Police is a multi-faceted process, which includes both statutory regulated mandatory measures and appropriate professional and psychological support, as well as self-education and self-improvement of specialists. That is why consideration of the problems arising in the process of professional development and self-affirmation of employees of investigative units is a prerequisite for improving the efficiency of their activities. Legislative acts regulating the peculiarities of the professional development of investigators of the National Police of Ukraine have been considered.
 Among the disadvantages of psychological support for passing consistent professional-genetic steps by investigators within the stage of professional development, the author has studied issues at the stages of professional adaptation (adaptant), mastering professional activity (intern), creative self-expression (master), mentoring (mentor), dismissal and social re-adaptation.
 The author has analyzed the problems of advanced training of investigative units’ employees and the problems of professional training among the disadvantages of organizational and methodological support for the professional development of investigative units’ employees after the graduation from the professional training.
 It has been also noted that the heads of structural units do not always let their subordinates to study at the correspondence course in institutions of higher education; investigators have lack of time for self-education, self-improvement and self-training for studies that reduces their motivation to self-improvement.

ACS Scholars Program seeks applicants

Applications are being accepted for the American Chemical Society Scholars Program, which awards renewable scholarships to underrepresented minority students who want to enter chemistry or chemistry-related fields. In addition to providing financial support, the ACS Scholars Program pairs students with academic and professional mentors to give them the opportunity to learn from those who have experienced similar challenges related to ethnicity. Awards of up to $5,000 will be given to qualified high school seniors or college freshmen, sophomores, or juniors who are African American, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian. Students must plan to or already major in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, or a chemically related science, and they must plan to pursue a career in the chemical sciences. Applications are available online at www.acs.org/scholars. For more information, email scholars@acs.org. The deadline to apply is March 1.

Towards an EAL community of practice: A case study of a multicultural primary school in Melbourne, Australia

As globalisation brings larger and larger numbers of immigrant or refugee children into mainstream schools across the world, this has created challenges for teachers wishing to address the language and wellbeing needs of these children. Earlier studies reported on successful professional mentoring programs, which focused on collaboration between individual teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) and non-specialist classroom teachers. More recently, evidence is emerging of the value of a 'community of practice' (Kemmis et al., 2014) approach. This concentrates on building the professional learning capacity of the whole teaching staff, as much as individual teachers, teaching aides and administrative staff. This article is a narrative-based case study examining the experiences of teachers in a public primary school in Melbourne, Australia, with large numbers of immigrant and refugee students whose first/home language is not English. Interviews with 11 educators from all levels of the school show how teachers and leadership are working together in the school to enact a 'community of practice' approach to meeting the needs of English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in mainstream settings. The stories told by the teachers suggest that, notwithstanding the challenges, teaching EAL students in a highly multicultural school can be a positive and rewarding experience. Distinctive features of the stories reported here include: high levels of support for teachers that facilitated collaboration in their teaching and professional learning; informed use of EAL strategies that met the needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students; and a vibrant community of practice which supported and enriched teachers' everyday classroom and staffroom practices.

Beginning Preschool Teachers’ Views Toward Mentoring Programs in Turkey

The main purpose of this study is to reveal the view of preschool teachers who are in the first five years of the occupation about mentoring programs applied to them. To reveal the experiences and opinions of the teachers, the qualitative research design, phenomenology, was used. To determine the preschool teachers who are in the first 5 years of their occupation, criterion sampling from purposeful sampling methods was used. To achieve the purpose, the semi-structured interview form was applied to the teachers. The answers were analysed by using descriptive analysis approach. As a result, the teachers said that they have problems in communication and classroom management because both they are inexperienced and they are working with small age children. To overcome these problems, they develop their own ways mostly with trial and error. In addition, in the process of pre-service teachers’ education, they feel lonely. In the process, they do not take any help from any experienced teacher or any other helping resources. Also, they claim that the pre-service teacher trainings do not serve for the aim, and the process is just a formality. It is offered that teachers might be adapted to the profession with the help of special professional trainings and quality mentoring programs.

Culturally Relevant STEM Out-of-School Time: A Rationale to Support Gifted Girls of Color

Gifted girls of color represent a potentially untapped resource for increasing and sustaining a diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Girls of color possess unique mathematics and science gifts and talents that can remain unrealized if not addressed before middle school. Culturally responsive STEM out-of-school-time (OST) activities can be an effective means to develop STEM capacity in gifted girls of color. The researchers present three considerations to support the implementation of STEM OST. First, they offer a rationale for culturally relevant STEM enrichment activities for gifted girls of color. Next, the researchers consider how culturally relevant STEM OST activities can help to close the achievement gap. Finally, they explain how professional mentorship opportunities within OST activities can help gifted girls of color navigate the STEM pipeline.

Getting Started on the Tenure Track: Challenges and Strategies for Success

Tenure-track positions at institutions of higher education are often highly coveted because they offer job stability, academic freedom, and higher pay. Despite this allure, the academic career path is fraught with challenges, particularly during the first few years of a tenure-track position where one must balance new demands and escalating expectations. We synthesized existing literature with data collected through an online survey of leisure academics and discussions derived from the “Growing Up Academic” panel sessions that took place during the 2016 Academy of Leisure Sciences Teaching Institute to examine the challenges and opportunities that individuals must navigate during the early years on the tenure track. Challenges identified included concerns about transitioning identities, divergent responsibilities, insecurities, and uncertain expectations regarding tenure and promotion. Many of these issues were more pronounced for faculty of color. However, participants also highlighted some key strategies that could be employed to address challenges: (a) Know expectations and document progress, (b) Collaborate regularly, (c) Seek professional mentors, (d) Develop an academic identity, (e) Be proactive and strategic in all areas of scholarship, and (f) Be realistic. Emerging scholars who heed this advice will be better equipped to navigate the early stages of academic life and successfully achieve tenure.

The undergraduate medical student's perception of professional mentorship: Results from a developing nation's medical school.

INTRODUCTION:There are no documented formal mentoring programs for medical students in Nigeria. This study aims to determine the perception of undergraduate medical students at the University of Jos on professional mentorship, with a view to informing University authorities on creating and developing a mentoring program.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional study conducted in December 2017 in which self-administered questionnaires were distributed among the sixth-year medical students in a University in North-Central Nigeria, eliciting information regarding biodemographic data, knowledge of and experiences with mentoring, desired benefits of mentoring, and the willingness to participate in a mentoring relationship. Data collected was analyzed with EPI Info statistical software® version 7.2.1 (EPI Info, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, 2017).RESULTS:In a class of 166, the response rate was 83.5%. Mean age = 27.4 years; standard deviation = ±2.6 with a male: female ratio of 1.9:1. Moderate knowledge of mentoring was reported by 47 (44.3%). Attitude toward mentoring was very positive in 23.6%. One hundred and four (98.1%) students agreed mentoring are effective in developing potential. Nearly 95.3% agreed a mentorship program would benefit medical students with 70.8% expressing high willingness to participate. A weak positive statistical correlation between the age of students and those who expressed willingness to participate was recorded (r = 0.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.6–1.16; and P = 0.05).CONCLUSION:Sixth-year medical students of the University of Jos have a moderate knowledge of and a good attitude toward mentorship. The implementation of a formal mentoring program for medical students at the University of Jos is strongly recommended.

The need for professional and personal mentorship in modern society

Due to large scale transformations in modern society, serious changes have occurred in the lifestyle of Russian people. Said changes have affected both the material and the moral-value side of modern life. This article examines the recently established trend towards following expert opinion when making choices and decisions, both when it comes to the consumer and the professional aspect of the life of young and middle-aged Russians. An increased amount of information and a fast pace of living have increased professional and personal requirements when it comes to employment or joining a social group – including a family – which leads to an increased demand for expert opinion and consulting services. Additionally, this article examines styles and means of personal development as new social practices in modern society. The understanding of development as being a natural and spontaneous process gives way to a new approach towards personality formation as being a process of orderly and systematic development, it being a result of intentional adherence to expert opinion and attending various training seminars aimed at personal and professional growth. This article gives a short analysis of websites which offer consulting services in various fields of personal and professional life, while also evaluating premises and means of creating motivation for resorting to paid expert services in the field of personal growth, as well as the effectiveness of the services being offered. The author comes to the conclusion that there is relatively high demand for those consulting services offered by personal growth coaches, bloggers who cover the subject, personal trainers at gyms, leading YouTube channels, and opinion leaders on social media. Despite there not being a way to verify the results of these services, they still remain quite popular. Personal mentorship, having a personal trainer, coach, mentor, therapist or spiritual father is regarded by a certain group of the population to be an essential part of their lives, and is even elevated to being something of prestige.